Galway Hotel Plans Denied After Concerns Over Size and Scale
Plans for a large hotel in Galway were rejected due to concerns about its size and impact on the area
Galway, Ireland, Hotel, Briarhill Business Park, An Bórd Pleanála
Galway: So, there was this big plan for a 186-room hotel in Briarhill Business Park. It even had a whole floor just for a spa! The city council initially gave it a thumbs up back in March 2022 after some tweaks were made.
But here’s the kicker: the council had first shot it down in October 2020. They were worried about the height of the building and not enough parking. Fast forward to 2022, and they thought the revised plans looked better, so they approved it.
The hotel was supposed to have a bar, meeting rooms, a gym, and loads of parking spaces. They even planned a fancy spa with a pool and sauna. Sounds nice, right?
However, locals weren’t too happy and appealed the decision. An Bórd Pleanála stepped in and overturned the council’s approval in January 2024. They had their reasons, mainly about the hotel being too tall and not fitting in with the neighborhood.
In January 2025, another appeal from the developers was shot down. The board said the hotel would clash with the area’s vibe and that the public transport options weren’t good enough to support such a big place.
So, for now, it looks like the hotel plans are off the table. It’s a bummer for those who were looking forward to it, but the concerns about size and scale were just too big to ignore.