- The former Ulster Bank on Baggot Street undergoes conversion.
- Plans include a boutique hotel in Dublin city centre.
- The project adds to local hospitality capacity.
- The location benefits from proximity to businesses and attractions.
- Development supports tourism accommodation demand in Dublin.
Plans have been lodged by Dairy Hill Property Ltd to transform the protected former Ulster Bank building at 130 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, into a luxury boutique hotel. The proposed project involves a comprehensive conservation and expansion plan spanning a total floor area of 2,632 square metres.
The plan involves preserving and restoring the historic, protected former bank building and demolishing the neighbouring buildings at 33–37 Pembroke Street Lower to construct a new six-story over basement extension connected to the hotel. The property and its adjacent units were acquired by the Curley family (headed by former Jones Engineering chief Jim Curley) in 2024 for €2.5 million.
The hotel plan aims to integrate hospitality features directly into the architectural layout of the old bank:
- Speakeasy Bar: Designed to sit inside the atmospheric, former bank vaults in the basement.
- Main Restaurant: A 93-seat restaurant and bar occupying the building’s historic, grand banking hall.
- Wellness & Leisure: A dedicated spa, wellness center, and gym facilities for hotel guests.
- Public and Guest Spaces: A street-level café unit on the ground floor of Pembroke Street alongside a private residents’ lounge.
Situated at the corner of Lower Baggot Street and Pembroke Street Lower, it joins a heavily debated corridor of central Dublin seeing increased hotel conversion proposals. The project will be financed by Dairy Hill Property Ltd via inter-company loans totaling €38.3 million from their parent firm, Burnham Investments Ltd.
The comprehensive planning application has been newly submitted to Dublin City Council for review
