Cork City is primed for a fresh wave of hospitality investment, with two major hotel schemes advancing in the city centre and signalling a renewed push to repurpose legacy buildings for modern commercial use. The activity underscores a wider trend in urban regeneration, heritage adaptation and the strategic repositioning of underused assets.

Irish hotelier Shay Livingstone is preparing to launch a new 58 bedroom boutique hotel, The Joshua, on South Mall, aiming to break ground in the first half of 2026. The €18.5 million project will transform the long vacant former National Irish Bank building into a high specification hospitality asset. A renewed planning application will be lodged this month, reviving the lapsed 2019 approval that permitted additional floors, a roof deck and the conversion of the Victorian banking hall into a bar, restaurant and café. The build, supported by Finbuild Ltd and delivered entirely by Irish firms, is scheduled for a 16 month programme.

Meanwhile, the UK based JMK Group has commenced work on a 103 room aparthotel on South Terrace, converting three late Georgian buildings into an Adagio branded property with a new multi level extension and landscaped courtyard. The group has an established footprint in the city following the recent opening of the Moxy Hotel and Residence Inn on Camden Quay.

Further momentum is expected early next year as Whitbread moves to begin construction of Cork’s second Premier Inn at the former Coliseum cinema and Leisureplex site. The 174 room project follows the company’s successful launch on Morrison’s Quay in 2024.

These developments highlight a strong investment appetite for Cork’s hospitality market, with heritage properties, city centre density and diversified hotel formats continuing to attract capital.

Explore the full story to understand the projects reshaping Cork’s commercial landscape.