Residence Inn Cork

Marriott's first extended-stay hotel in Cork opened in September 2024 on Camden Quay, in the same seven-storey development as Moxy Cork. Residence Inn has 53 studios and suites, each with a full kitchen, and the €40 million project was developed by the JMK hospitality group.

The place

Camden Quay runs along the north bank of the River Lee, within 100 metres of St Patrick's Street. Across the water stand Cork Opera House and the Crawford Art Gallery, which has an expansion planned.

MacCurtain Street is also close, so a guest on a long stay has the main shopping street and a good part of the city's cultural venues within a few minutes on foot.

The concept

The building is older than the brand. The site holds a 19th-century Venetian-style structure whose façade was kept and restored under conservation architects John Cronin & Associates and Meitheal Architects, with Meitheal also acting as a main design consultant. Over the years it has been a garden store, a temporary circuit court, a community arts centre and, at one point, the Camden Palace Hotel.

JMK, owned by the UK-based Kajani family, bought the site in 2020 for €3.5 million. Earlier sales were recorded at €12.2 million in 2005 and €750,000 in 2014. Construction took 22 months, with Conack Construction of Limerick as main contractor, MMOS Civil & Structural Engineers on the structure and Woods PS on the mechanical and electrical work.

The 53 rooms are built for stays of a week or more rather than a night. Each has a fully fitted kitchen, a sofa, a queen or king bed and a 55-inch television, and breakfast is complimentary. Moxy Cork, a three-star hotel with 153 bedrooms, shares the development.

Dining & wellness

There is no traditional restaurant. The Market, a grab-and-go pantry, and a grocery delivery service stand in for one, which suits a self-catering format where most guests cook in their own kitchen. Breakfast is complimentary.

St Patrick's Street, with its cafés and restaurants, is within 100 metres of the entrance.