The Victoria Hotel in Galway city has been granted permission to build an nine-storey extension after an appeal to An Coimisiún Pleanála.
The development was rejected by Galway City Council out of concern for its environmental impact on the Galway Bay protected area.
It is owned by the Byrne Hotel Group, which also owns the Salthill and Eyre Square hotels in Galway, as well as the Albany House Hotel on Harcourt Street in Dublin.
In a statement, the group said the permission came after “an 18-month appeal process” and would “revitalise a prime city-centre site that has long been underused”.
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The group said the development would create jobs in the locality and boost tourism.
Planning permission was first requested for a building with a maximum height of 11 storeys, but the application was amended in November 2023 to make a number of “notable changes” including a reduction in the maximum height of the building to nine storeys.
Under the amended plans, the number of new bedrooms was also reduced from 109 to 91, leading to a new total of 162 rooms.
The council rejected the application in January 2024 citing five grounds, including that it was concerned the development would have an impact on a number of surrounding conservation areas.
“The development has the potential to adversely affect the qualifying interests and conservation objectives of protected European sites for flora and fauna,” it said.
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Byrne Hotel Group appealed the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála in 2024.
The planning commission report found that the development would not have an impact on the surrounding conservation sites and that the full development would “not seriously injure the visual amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity”.
The commission gave permission for the construction of the amended development, with a maximum of nine storeys.
Byrne Hotel Group welcomed the decision, noting the delivery of an additional 91 hotel bedrooms would help “meet the strong demand for centrally located accommodation in Galway”.
Company director Ricky Byrne said the development represents “a milestone not only for the Byrne Hotel Group but also for Galway’s future”.
He said the development would deliver “significant long-term benefits for jobs, tourism, and the city economy” and would help to develop Galway as a “destination that both locals and visitors can enjoy”.
In its most recently available financial statements in 2023, Victoria Towers Hotel Limited, the company behind the hotel, recorded profit of €922,015, and employed 49 people.
