Premier Inn Cork (MacCurtain Street)

Whitbread has secured planning permission for a second Premier Inn in Cork, a 174-room new build on the former Leisureplex site east of the city centre. Construction is expected to start in early 2026, targeting a 2028 opening — Whitbread's second Cork property after its 97-room Morrisons Quay hotel opened in January 2024.

The place

Corner of MacCurtain Street and Brian Boru Street, on the former Leisureplex site east of Cork city centre.

The concept

Whitbread's second Premier Inn in Cork, granted planning permission by Cork City Council on 28 October 2025 for a one-to-seven-storey new build on the former Leisureplex site. Construction is expected to start in early 2026, roughly two years after the operator's first Cork hotel opened on Morrisons Quay in January 2024 with 97 rooms. The finished 174-room property will include a public bar, restaurant and kitchen alongside standard Premier Inn guest room formats, and is expected to create around 40 local jobs. It's part of a wider push that has lifted Whitbread's Irish room target to 5,000 beds across eleven target regional locations.

Dining & wellness

A public bar and restaurant are included in the planning application; no operator or menu concept has been announced.