Sky's the limit for Cork's innovative airport hotel
Wednesday November 07 2007
Property developer Bernard McNamara has recently recruited international hotel expert, Udo Heine, to spearhead the McNamara family's hotel activities under the umbrella of the New Great Southern Hotel Group. Mr McNamara bought the brand as part of his deal to buy the Parknasilla Great Southern, which is due to re-open next March after a major refurbishment.
Mr McNamara's hotel interests also currently include the Mercer Hotel off Grafton Street in Dublin, the Tara Towers, on Dublin's Merrion Road, and the Cork International Airport Hotel (CIAH). He was involved in the purchases of The Montrose on Dublin's N11 and the Burlington Hotel and is also involved in the ownership of the two top Stephen's Green hotels -- The Shelbourne and The Conrad. He also developed the Radisson in Galway.
While he is expected to redevelop the Burlington and Montrose sites, the plans he formulated for the redevelopment of Tara Towers, as well as Mercer Hotel, show that he is well disposed to incorporating hotels in redevelopment projects.
Indeed, CIAH is one of his few greenfield hotel projects and involves an investment of €35m. It also marks a new departure in hotel design, which reflects a willingness to experiment not just with architecture but also with hotel-based attractions.
At a time when competition between Irish hotels is expected to intensify, CIAH seems to be setting the pace. In contrast to Mr McNamara's restoration of former glory at Dublin's Shelbourne, CIAH is almost sci-fi in its ambience -- reflecting Cork's instinctive competitiveness.
Features include colours changing hue in the bar and toilets, steps lighting up as guests walk, a moonwalker space craft where children can simulate a walk on the moon and play other Playstation-style games, a restaurant interior that simulates the interior of an aircraft, a studio that can be used for TV and radio recordings, and interconnected desks where guests can sit and use their laptops at angles that faciliate conversation.
In addition, there are some unusual services; the most notable being the Pullman Lounge, which is designed to facilitate travellers grounded by delayed flights. This is not an unusual occurrence at Cork airport which, because of its elevation, attracts fog -- especially in the winter. Now, while waiting for the fog to clear, customers can avail of a range of services for a special price of €25, including a massage on the special VIP-style aircraft chairs, a shower, a movie, a soft drink and tea or coffee, while also keeping an eye on the monitor for arrival or departure times.
The hotel's general manager, Gabriella Molari, explains that the service is specifically designed for those who don't want a room but who also don't want to hang around the airport for three or four hours.
Architect Henrik Frischgesell explains that these are just some of the features which are designed to make the hotel much more than the 'bed factories' usually associated with airport accommodation. He and Udo Heine also plan a whole range of activities which will be central to their plans to make CIAH a destination hotel, while also playing an active role serving the 7,000 people working in the Cork airport business park, which Bernard McNamara is also involved in developing.
At a time when transport minister Noel Dempsey is in protracted negotiations with Cork airport's management board on a new business plan, the CIAH's team has, in contrast, ambitious plans to generate business activities for both the hotel and the airport, which they hope will make them an attractive destination.
An enthusiastic art lover who wants to make the hotel a fun place, Mr Frischgesell explains that they plan a TV link-up in the hotel between Cork artists and their counterparts in Cologne, which was chosenbecause it is "the second best city in the world for art after New York".
They are also hosting Neal Greig as the hotel's artist in residence and are displaying some of his beautiful Irish seascapes and landscape paintings on the hotel's walls. Next month the young artist, Isobel Henihan, will be their painter of the month.
"We want it to become an art hotel," Mr Frischgesell explains.
Also, next month they plan an international market, which will expand on the reputation of Cork city's English market, which is famous for its fresh food. As it is, the hotel operates an in-house bakery -- a variation on the Superquinn bakeries in which Mr McNamara is also a shareholder -- which sells breads and cakes to staff from the nearby business park. Mr Frischgesell's hopes to host link-up events with each of the cities served by Cork's airport.
Now that should drum up business for both the hotel and the airport, and help to keep Minister Dempsey happy for a while.
- Donal Buckley
