The operator of Dublin’s Clarence Hotel is set to almost triple the hotel bedroom capacity of the former U2-owned hotel, after an appeal against the plan was dropped.
Aidan Crowe of Banta Restaurants Ltd withdrew a third party appeal at An Bord Pleanála against the Dublin City Council decision giving the green light to Keywell DAC to increase the number of hotel rooms from 58 to 162 and add an extra floor to The Clarence and adjoining Dollard House.
Mr Crowe’s Cleaver East restaurant is a tenant at the Clarence Hotel in Dublin’s Temple Bar and An Bord Pleanála has now granted planning permission for the development following the appeal’s withdrawal.
Mr Crowe’s appeal was before the board for 19 days.
Banta Restaurants stalled the redevelopment plan last month after initially lodging a letter of support for the project in December.
In the letter of support, Banta Restaurants Ltd said that “in our capacity as the licensee operator of the restaurant, Cleaver East, which is located within The Clarence Hotel, Banta Restaurants Ltd wishes to express full support for the proposed planning application for the development, extension and refurbishment works at the hotel”.
Then last month, in a U-turn by Banta Restaurants Ltd, director at the firm Aidan Crowe lodged the third party appeal.
Mr Crowe stated in his appeal that “approving further tourist accommodation contributes to the gradual erosion of the city centre as a lived in space, undermining national and local policy objectives around compact growth and sustainable communities.”
The planned hotel revamp includes Cleaver East becoming a contemporary music pub; replacing Roberta’s Restaurant with a premium event facility; refurbishing and relaunching the Workman’s Cellar as a premium event driven late night music venue and repositioning Anne’s bar as a specialist bar.
Keywell DAC is part of Lifestyle Hospitality Capital (LHC) and last year, LHC purchased a majority stake in the Dean Hotel Group, that included the boutique Clarence Hotel, from Press Up Group.
The deal came only months after Bono, The Edge and Paddy McKillen Snr sold the Clarence hotel in October 2023 to the Dean Hotel Group.
The deal ended Bono and The Edge’s connection with the four-star hotel after more than three decades of ownership.
However, the hotel continues to trade on its U2 association with the hotel website stating that the hotel is “also known as the ‘U2 Hotel’ or ‘Bono Hotel’ in Dublin”.
