Moxy Cork opened in September 2024 on Camden Quay, in a building it shares with a Residence Inn by Marriott. Together the two hotels were a €40 million project by the JMK Group on a half-acre site, and they marked Marriott's arrival in Cork. The Moxy has 153 rooms and the Residence Inn 53 suites, though one report gave a lower suite count.
Camden Quay runs along the north channel of the River Lee. The site is within 100 metres of St Patrick's Street, and across the water are the Cork Opera House and the Crawford Art Gallery.
The plot has a history of false starts. Oyster Developments bought it in 2005 for €12.2 million, Stone Work Properties paid €750,000 in 2014 with an office scheme in mind, and JMK acquired it in 2020 for €3.5 million. Before that the building had been a garden centre, then a temporary circuit court and a community arts centre, and at one point it was known as the Camden Palace Hotel.
The concept
The development is seven storeys. It is built behind the restored 19th-century Venetian-style facade of the old building, and conservation architects John Cronin & Associates and Meitheal Architects oversaw the work to keep its character. The site is hemmed in by busy streets and neighbouring properties, which made construction awkward.
Conack Construction of Limerick, which also built the Moxy in Dublin's Sackville House, delivered the project in 22 months. JMK Group is owned by the UK-based Kajani family, with John Kajani as chair, and also owns hotels in Dublin, Waterford and London.
The Moxy is described as a three-star hotel aimed at younger, active guests. Room-only rates were quoted from €179 at opening, and the developers said they expected to compete on price with the Clayton and Maldron brands. The general manager, Roger Russell, spent 16 years running the Metropole Hotel in Cork.
Dining & wellness
Bar Moxy is the centre of the hotel. It works as check-in desk, bar and lounge in a single space, and guests are offered a welcome cocktail on arrival. The bar serves cocktails and snacks, and has foosball. Food and drink are available around the clock.
There is no separate restaurant in the sources reviewed.
