Leading construction firm Gilbert-Ash has marked a major phase in its Irish expansion by celebrating the topping out of two significant hotel projects in Dublin city centre.

The ceremonies for Premier Inn Jervis Street and Premier Inn O'Connell Street were attended by representatives from the contractor, its client Whitbread PLC, and various project stakeholders.

Once complete, the two developments will provide a combined 444 rooms in the heart of the capital. These projects represent a significant step in Gilbert-Ash's growth strategy within its home market of Ireland.

The Premier Inn Jervis Street project involves the transformation of a prominent corner at the junction of Jervis Street and Abbey Street Upper. The work included the demolition of an existing structure to make way for a new seven-storey building featuring a basement, roof, and a ground-floor restaurant and bar overlooking Wolfe Tone Park.

A short distance away, the Premier Inn O'Connell Street is situated within the Clerys Quarter redevelopment. This project consists of an eight-storey building with a basement and roof, housing 229 bedrooms alongside a ground-floor reception and restaurant.

-- Advertisement --

Both hotels are scheduled for completion at the end of 2026, with doors expected to open to the public in early 2027.

Gilbert-Ash Managing Director, Ray Hutchinson, said: "Reaching the topping out stage is always a rewarding milestone. It's the moment when we start to see the building emerge from its plans. Both the Premier Inn Jervis Street and Premier Inn Clerys projects continue to make excellent progress, and collaborating with Whitbread and our wider project partners has been hugely satisfying. I have no doubt that, when they open, both Premier Inn hotels will become highly sought-after destinations for visitors to Dublin."

Emma O'Shiel, Project and Programme Manager for Whitbread in Ireland, added: "Topping out two prime Dublin City Centre hotel developments on the same day demonstrates the scale of Premier Inn's ambitions in Ireland. It shows how successful we are at bringing our affordable, consistent product to the best locations – and how fast we are working to grow a top-class network for our customers. But we don't work alone, and we need the support of an experienced contractor and development team to build complex hotel developments to our high standards. So, my thanks go out to Gilbert-Ash and the whole consultant team who have worked so hard to create these two-flagship new Premier Inn hotels for us."

Whitbread's involvement with the sites began in January 2019 with the acquisition of Twilfit House on Jervis Street, followed by the acquisition of the Clerys Quarter site in August 2022. The company currently operates over 1,000 rooms across six hotels in Dublin and Cork, with a long-term goal of establishing a 5,000-bedroom network across Ireland.

Environmental performance is a central component of these builds, with both the O'Connell Street and Jervis Street locations designed to achieve a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating.