Cork's Kingsley Hotel reopens after flood damage, creating 130 new jobs

The hotel, which closed following extensive flood damage in November 2009, is back in business as a member of the Fota Collection. It brings 130 jobs to Carrigrohane Road.

The Kingsley, acquired by the Kang family for €6 million last year, has been thoroughly refurbished.

It now boasts substantial conferencing facilities, an extensive Health Club with gym, a large indoor heated pool and an outdoor hydro pool overlooking the river, as well as a luxurious Spa that extends over two floors with 12 treatment rooms.

The Beijing-based family also owns Fota Island Resort after a €20 million purchase last year.

“It’s an exciting time to open Cork’s newest hotel with The Kingsley,” said General Manager, Fergal Harte. “Having created 130 new jobs with the opening of the hotel, we are now looking forward to welcoming our first guests."

"Business is bustling in Cork," Harte continued. "The outlook is good, and we’re happy to be a part of such a positive news story for hospitality and for the city.”

The Kingsley’s logo is a kingfisher - a bird seen frequently along the Lee riverbank.

Interestingly, although the Kingsley had five stars at the time of its closure, it re-opens as "a luxury, four-star hotel". Since the facilities appear to have improved, this is likely a strategic play by the Fota Collection - which will be looking for the hotels to complement rather than compete with each other in Cork.

Going to press, special opening offers were available for July and August from €99 per night on the hotel's website (www.thekingsley.ie). It opens from 3pm this afternoon.

The Kingsley sits on the south side of the Lee, with many of the 131 rooms - as well as the refurbished bar and restaurant - overlooking the water. The hotel also offers The Residencies, a separate self-catering, fully-serviced property adjacent to the hotel, with 18 two-bedroom apartments and one three-bedroom penthouse, all with views over the Lee Fields and river.

It closed on November 19th, 2009, after devastating rainfalls sent water crashing through the Inniscarra dam. The hotel, first developed in the 1990s, was built on the Lee Fields flood plain - guests had to be evacuated as water gushed through the city.

Today's soft opening comes after five months of refurbishments, which include the reinstatement of the hotel's ground floor and its underground car park.

An official opening is expected in September.