Gilbert-Ash and Whitbread celebrate a double topping out in Dublin City Centre
Leading construction company Gilbert-Ash celebrated a significant milestone with the topping out of Premier Inn Jervis Street and Premier Inn O’Connell Street, in the centre of Dublin.
The topping out ceremonies for both hotels were attended by Gilbert-Ash, its valued client Whitbread PLC, which owns Premier Inn, and key project stakeholders.
The new hotels at Jervis Street and O’Connell Street will create 444 of Premier Inn’s latest format guest bedrooms in the heart of Dublin, where the brand is expanding rapidly. The developments also signal a major step forward in Gilbert-Ash’s growth ambitions within its home market of Ireland.
Premier Inn Jervis Street is a 215-bedroom hotel reshaping a prominent corner at the intersection of Jervis Street and Abbey Street Upper.
The project includes the demolition of the existing building and construction of a seven- storey building plus a basement and roof, with an onsite restaurant and bar on the ground floor overlooking Wolfe Tone Park.
Premier Inn O’Connell Street is a 229-bedroom hotel located within the Clerys Quarter redevelopment. The works include construction of an eight-storey building plus a basement and roof, with restaurant and reception to ground floor.
Both hotels are due for completion at the end of 2026 and are scheduled to open and welcome guests in early 2027.
Gilbert-Ash Managing Director, Ray Hutchinson, said the company was proud to continue its partnership with Whitbread on two landmark hotel projects that will add significant strength to Dublin’s growing hospitality sector.
He 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, said:
“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 acquired Twilfit House on Jervis Street in January 2019, successfully securing planning approval from Dublin City Council to redevelop the former museum site into a 215-key hotel. The Clery’s Quarter development site was acquired by the business in August 2022 with planning permission already secured in June 2023.
Whitbread currently offers its customers a choice of six hotels in Ireland across Dublin and Cork, offering more than 1,000 bedrooms, with an additional 1,200 rooms secured in its development pipeline. It is targeting a 5,000-bedroom network across Ireland.
Gilbert-Ash has a unique approach to construction, fit-out and refurbishment based on the belief that great buildings come about through hard work, inspired innovation and genuine collaboration.
Sustainability is a key focus for Gilbert-Ash with a number of initiatives underway to help the company to drive down its carbon footprint. Both the Jervis Street and O’Connell Street Premier Inn hotels have been designed to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’.
To find out more about Gilbert-Ash visit www.gilbertash.com.
For more on Whitbread PLC visit www.whitbread.co.uk
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