A FLOATING HOTEL could be about to drop anchor at Penrose Quay in Cork city, as planning approval is all that is now separating the 96-room hotel from opening later this year.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, operator Sam Field Corbett said that the 110 metre ship will be the equivalent of a four-star hotel, complete with a restaurant, bar, gym, swimming pool and sauna.
“It’s all ready to go,” Corbett said. “Red tape is the only barrier remaining. The project has already been held up a year thanks to the planners.
This is the only country in the world where you need planning permission for a ship.
If Cork County Council grant permission for the floating hotel, Field Corbett plans to open for business in late July.
Speaking to Patricia Messinger on C103’s CorkToday Show, he said that similar hotels in Europe enjoyed great success, and that having one in Cork should be no different.
“People will know the Botel in Amsterdam,” he said. “Most major cities have one. It’s quite a popular method of accommodation in cities.”
He said that with alternative accommodation such as Airbnb rising in popularity, people are looking for more than their typical hotel experience.
“It will fit in really nicely to the space that we’ve been allocated on the river,” he added. “The more tourist attractions, such as this, that Cork has the more it will stand out.”
Field Corbett has experience in the area of repurposing ships for other uses.
In the past, the businessman’s company restored the Dublin landmark the Cill Áirne, and launched a failed attempt to turn the heritage Naomh Éanna vessel in Galway into a boutique hotel.
The Cill Áirne is located near the docklands, and operates as a bar and restaurant while Field Corbett also has a restaurant on the Grand Canal.
A decision on planning permission for the floating hotel is expected next month.
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