Ireland: A planned aparthotel near the Coombe Hospital in Dublin would offer preferential access to staff and the families of patients.
A planning application has been submitted to redevelop a five-storey building into a 16-bedroom aparthotel in the south inner city. The permission was lodged by Reuben Street Hot Desks Ltd this month to Dublin City Council. The proposed development is open for observations until April 11.
The proposed development at Reuben House on Reuben Street, Dublin 8, was lodged in March to convert this mixed property of apartments and office space. It lies within 500 metres of the Luas stop at Fatima and is close to the Coombe Hospital.
There are currently three large apartments on the third, fourth and fifth floors. The permission is for changing the office space on the first and second floor and residential space from the third to the fifth floor into bedroom suites. Permission is also being sought to change the two retail units on the ground floor, one of which is occupied by a restaurant and the other vacant, into a reception, laundry and amenity area.
The proposed development would include 16 bedrooms from the first to the fifth floor, with terraces along the Reuben Street facade on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors.
According to planning documents, the property would provide “short stay residential accommodation” as an aparthotel. To explain the conversion, the applicant said that they had discussions with hospital executives and claimed that “there is a need for affordable stays of several days/weeks for patient families that travel from other parts of the country to visit sick relatives”.
The planning documents state that: “If permission is granted, the applicant will seek to offer preferential access to hospital staff and relatives of patients in collaboration with the agreement of the hospitals. The aparthotel will have only one to two staff and a maximum of 16 to 32 visitors at any one time.”
They also added that they are “willing to accept a suitable condition that limits short-term letting for a period of two months”.
