New plans for a 5-star boutique hotel on Dublin’s Lower Baggot Street are against the background of a chronic shortage of high value hotel accommodation in Dublin, according to planning consultants pitching the project to Dublin City Council. The plans call for a 37 bedroom hotel for the former Ulster Bank and adjoining buildings and properties at 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 Pembroke Street Lower.The proposal by former Jones Engineering boss Jim Curley’s firm, Dairy Hill Property Ltd also includes a 93-seater restaurant and bar in the banking hall on the ground floor of the former branch at 130 Lower Baggot Street and a ‘speakeasy’ bar in the basement where the vaults were located.The scheme involves the demolition of the buildings at 33-37 Pembroke Street Lower – previously approved by the council in 2021 – and replace them with a six storey over basement extension to use as part of the hotel development.Planning consultants for the project, Manahan Planners, state that the applicant is “an independent family-owned company who have sought out this site to develop a luxury hospitality venture in a landmark building in central Dublin and create a 100-year investment in the area”.Outlining plans for the hotel, the Manahan Planner’s report claims “there are currently only three 5 star hotels in the city centre”.Five star hotels in Dublin 2 where this hotel would be located include the Merrion Hotel, Shelbourne Hotel, the Anantara Marker Hotel, Westbury Hotel and the College Green Hotel. The report adds that the proposal “meets the current demand for a bespoke, luxury hotel in a city centre location”.Manahan Planners state that “a visitor accommodation audit accompanies this application and demonstrates that there is a chronic shortage of visitor accommodation in the capital, in particular high value accommodation”. The scheme would employ 80 people when operational and 150 people directly and indirectly during the construction phase.On the plans for the ‘speakeasy’ bar, architect Rob Curley and director at Maremoto Architects said “the former bank vaults in the basement were also identified as spaces of unique qualities suited to a food and beverage offering”.He said that the concept of the proposed speakeasy is inspired by the historic connection to speakeasys in “Baggotonia”.The plans follow a Curley family investment vehicle, Astogo Holdings purchasing the 8,500 sq ft building in October 2024.The property had a guide price of €2.5 million. In addition to the former bank premises, the Curley family also acquired the three adjoining properties on Lower Pembroke Street on an off-market basis.