Bids lodged for makeover of Dublin’s Burlington Hotel

Around 15 parties have submitted expressions of interest in Jurys Doyle’s Burlington Hotel in a sale that could unlock two central Dublin sites for major office developments. Yesterday’s deadline for bids is understood to have been met by Irish developers Sean Dunne, Bernard McNamara and Ballymore, alongside a number of private equity firms and banks. Bids for the Jurys Doyle hotel, which is located on a 3.8-acre site fronting Upper Leeson Street, Sussex Road and Burlington Road in the centre of Dublin, are expected to exceed €300m. While the Burlington is currently zoned as residential, it is expected to be redeveloped for shopping, offices, apartments and possibly a smaller hotel. Last week it emerged that accountant KPMG had begun initial talks with bidders about a 300,000 sq ft office prelet at the site for its Irish headquarters. Such a move would unlock redevelopment of KPMG’s current offices at Stokes Place on St Stephens Green in central Dublin. The sale follows the Jurys Doyle hotel chains disposal of the Jurys, Berkeley Court and Towers hotels in Ballsbridge, south Dublin, last year to developer Seán Dunne. The group is also likely to sell off the Jurys Inn chain of budget hotels. CB Richard Ellis is managing the sale with the process overseen by Crownway Investments, the investment vehicle controlled by John Gallagher and his wife Bernie, a member of the Doyle family.