Vacant west Mayo hotel to be redeveloped with hotel suites
Planning permission was granted to alter the design of the partially built Murrisk Hotel to replace bedrooms with hotel suites
Planning permission has been granted to alter the design of a partially built and derelict west Mayo hotel and replace single bedrooms with hotel suites.
Mayo County Council granted planning permission to Cedar Park Property Ireland Ltd to alter the design of the Murrisk Hotel in the west Mayo village which has yet to be completed despite construction commencing almost 20 years ago.
Construction on a 52-bedroom hotel in Murrisk commenced in 2007 followed by 26 apartments in 2008 but the hotel building was never completed due to the downturn of the economy and has remained vacant since 2016.
Cedar Park Property Ltd who acquired the property in 2016 invested €6 million into the completion of the 26 apartments in 2020 but claimed that a combination of Covid and Brexit meant that the completion of the hotel as planned was not economically viable.
In order to adapt with changing trends in international tourism, Cedar Park Property Ltd applied to alter and extend the layout of the hotel permitted under previous planning permission from 52 single bedrooms to 15 single bedrooms with 15 two-bedroom suites and ten one-bedroom suites. They also applied for changes to the foyer, bar, lounge, dining room, function room, kitchens, toilets, staff facilities, offices, gymnasium, laundry and all ancillary service spaces.
In the planning statement, the applicant stated that a Fáilte Ireland report identified that post-Covid, Ireland could benefit greatly from the trend for sustainable tourism. The report cited an expected rise in “Workations” where travellers would look to extend their holiday experience by staying an extra few days or weeks to work remotely.
“Accommodation offerings would need to be equipped to help support and meet consumers demands in this area,” the report stated.
“Today, in 2025, travel and tourism industry experts have identified that travellers are planning longer stays and finding ways to stretch their time away from home and work as long as possible so that they can further immerse themselves in a single destination. Current research carried out by Skift, an internationally recognised travel and tourism market research company, has proven Fáilte Ireland was correct in projecting these trends.”
The report also stated that families traveling with children prefer self-catering suites because they offer more space and the ability to cook meals to accommodate the preferences and dietary needs of both adults and children.
“Families often find suite hotels more comfortable than traditional hotels due to the greater space, including separate living areas and sleeping quarters.
“Overall, Murrisk Hotel Suites will cater for those people identified in the Fáilte Ireland and ITIC tourism strategies...those seeking greater autonomy, comfort, and personalisation in their travel experience, making it highly suitable for longer stays, and multi-member party accommodations while offering savings and flexibility that align with the modern traveller’s needs.”
The report concluded by stating that the 'completion of the hotel will bring what is a building shell into productive use, it will improve the amenities of Murrisk and create employment and economic opportunity and contribute to the recovery of tourism in West Mayo'.
The development proposes to construct additional floor space of 1,740 square metres which would be a 45 percent increase in the permitted floor space.
They provided assurances to Mayo County Council that the revised scheme can be supported by the existing on site waste treatment plant and local water supply. As a result, Mayo County Council granted planning permission for the development subject to ten planning conditions.