The Liebherr family of Germany, owners of the five-star Dunloe Hotel & Gardens near Killarney, Co. Kerry, have commenced a €100m redevelopment of the property, involving the demolition of existing bedroom blocks, an event space, and the swimming pool, and the construction of a new five-storey building housing 97 luxury guest rooms.

Radio Kerry reported that the project, which ranks among the largest hotel construction investments in the history of the Irish State, will transform the 1965-built property into a luxury resort, with only the existing restaurant and reception area retained.

The Irish Times reported that the redevelopment is comparable in scale to the overhaul of Adare Manor in Co. Limerick and Ashford Castle in Co. Mayo, two of Ireland's most high-profile hotel renovation programmes in recent years.

The new scheme will include a two-storey spa and leisure wing with pools, treatment rooms, and relaxation areas, a new first-floor restaurant and kitchen built on an existing terrace, solar panels on the retained reception building, and energy-efficient technologies throughout the new construction. Landscaping and site improvements form part of the full planning application, which was reviewed by Kerry County Council.

The redeveloped hotel will have 97 rooms, a reduction from the previous 102, reflecting a shift toward larger, higher-specification rooms in the premium resort market. The Dunloe will form part of the Liebherr family's Killarney Hotels Collection alongside The Europe Hotel & Resort, a five-star lakeshore property with a large spa and conference facilities, and the Ard na Sidhe Country House.

Access the full report on the Dunloe Hotel redevelopment and its construction programme.