Hospitality groups Accor and The Arora Group have formally undertaken the official
ground-breaking ceremony for the highly anticipated Sofitel Dublin Airport hotel.
The hotel – which will be directly linked to Terminal 2 – is due to open in late 2026. It will feature 412 elegantly designed rooms and suites, an all-day dining restaurant, a tea salon, and a sky bar located on the 11th floor.
The developer for this project is the Arora Group, a significant franchise partner of Accor in the UK and the owner of both the Sofitel London Heathrow Airport and the Sofitel London Gatwick Airport. In 2018, Arora was awarded the opportunity to develop this over €100m hotel as part of a competitive bidding process conducted by daa, the operator of Dublin Airport. With a strong operational platform and extensive experience in the airport hotel sector, Arora Group is the perfect partner for this exciting project.
The new hotel will include a wide range of luxurious amenities, including a sophisticated all-day dining restaurant, a refined tea salon, and an exclusive sky bar that will offer breath-taking views of the airport and its surroundings. Additionally, it will feature an executive lounge, a fitness centre, and extensive meeting and event spaces, which will include a ballroom and eight flexible meeting rooms.
Surinder Arora, Founder & Chairman of the Arora Group commented: “Breaking the ground today is incredibly exciting as it is the group’s first hotel development outside of the United Kingdom and is a project very close to our heart. It is a pleasure to work with the DAA for the first time and with Sofitel Hotels & Resorts on our third joint project and we are grateful for the trust they have both placed in us.”
Sébastien Bazin, CEO & Chairman of Accor, said: “From a growth and development perspective, Ireland remains a highly attractive market for Accor, with its incredible geography, its talented workforce, and its warm and welcoming culture. Together with our valued and trusted project partner, Arora Group, we see a significant opportunity to support the Irish tourism sector with more high-quality hospitality experiences. The addition of Sofitel Dublin Airport will infuse new energy into the community, raising the bar for luxury accommodations and inspiring travellers to rediscover the beauty, charm, and magic of this historic, yet thoroughly modern destination.”
Maud Bailly, CEO of Sofitel, Sofitel Legend, MGallery and Emblems, said: “Sofitel Dublin Airport will represent our first Sofitel hotel in Ireland, a milestone that allows us to bring our unique blend of French luxury and marks a new step in the deep connection between our two countries. Sofitel Dublin Airport will be deeply embedded in local culture, celebrating the magic of encounters between people and countries, promoting a sustainable luxury and a heartfelt service. We are thrilled to expand our presence at key international hubs with our long-term partner, the Arora Group on this fourth Sofitel project together.”
Kenny Jacobs, Daa Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to see work underway on the new Sofitel hotel and to be working with the Arora team on it. We are fully focused on improving standards and options for passengers at Dublin Airport and a world class hotel that’s directly linked into Terminal 2 is great news for them. It’s also good news for local suppliers and for jobs, with the hotel set to create hundreds of new jobs during both the construction phase and when it opens.”
