Liebherr family launches €100 million overhaul of Killarney's Dunloe Hotel

The German Liebherr family has begun a €100 million renovation of the five-star Dunloe Hotel and Gardens near Killarney, Co Kerry, in a project that ranks among the largest hotel refurbishment investments ever undertaken in Ireland.

The Irish Times reports that demolition work is already under way on the existing bedroom blocks, event space and swimming pool, with only the restaurant and reception area retained from the original structure.

The rebuilt hotel will comprise 97 rooms slightly fewer than the previous 102 but will include 18 luxury suites, up from a single large suite, along with nine large family rooms. New spa and wellness facilities, a dedicated conference and events centre, and staff accommodation will also be delivered as part of the scheme.

"It's a whole new footprint, with the two existing bedroom blocks being demolished," said Michael Brennan, managing director of Killarney Hotels Ltd. "We will have a conference and events centre that we didn't have before, so we would hope to attract business from both Irish and overseas companies as well."

The Dunloe, which opened in 1965, is a sister property to the nearby five-star Europe Hotel and Ard na Sidhe Country House. The Liebherr family, who first invested in the Killarney area in 1958, also operates a local factory manufacturing port equipment and container cranes.

Brennan indicated provisional suite pricing of €1,200 to €1,400 per night and €450 to €500 for standard rooms. The hotel closed last October and is scheduled to reopen in June 2028.

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