Council grants permission for seven-storey hotel overlooking Iveagh Gardens in Dublin

Dublin City Council has given the green light to father and son property developers Charlie and Max O’Reilly Hyland for a 120-bedroom, seven-storey hotel and apartments overlooking the Iveagh Gardens close to St Stephen’s Green in Dublin.

The council has granted planning permission to the Hylands’ ORHRE SSG Ltd, concluding that the proposed hotel would “allow for the construction of a striking and innovative property and contemporary/modern hotel building in an inner-city location” close to public transport and other amenities.

The report states that the proposed development at 92 and 93 St Stephen’s Green “would not seriously injure existing buildings or the surrounding location”.

It says the proposed development would “upgrade and refurbish existing historic buildings in one of the most prominent locations in the city”.

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ORHRE SSG lodged plans for a part eight-storey, 126-bedroom hotel last October. In response to council concerns that the scheme would have an overbearing impact, the developer omitted the top storey with the loss of six hotel rooms.

John Spain, planning consultant for the scheme, stated that “the visual impact of the proposal when viewed from Iveagh Gardens is significantly screened owing to the presence of existing buildings of similar and greater scale adjacent to the proposed hotel”.

ORHRE SSG lodged plans for the hotel and five apartments after unsuccessful attempts to lease out the two Georgian properties for office use.

In a report lodged with the council Mr Spain stated that “both buildings have been recently restored and are at present advertised for office use”.

“However, attempts to lease the units for commercial purposes have been unsuccessful and are partly occupied with the majority of the units vacant.”

He stated that an alternative use on site would be more appropriate for the location and in accordance with the Dublin City Development Plan, which promotes city-centre living. The scheme’s apartment component comprises one three-bed apartment and four one-bed apartments.

Mr Spain stated that the conversion of 92 St Stephen’s Green to residential use would ensure that the building reverts to its original use with a compatible hotel development at number 93 complementing the residential use.

The site is bounded by 90-91 St Stephen’s Green to the east, which is occupied by Standard Life Investments, while global real-estate firm Kennedy Wilson is also a neighbour.