Ground-breaking ceremony takes place for new 412-room hotel at Dublin Airport

Accor and The Arora Group are proud to announce the ground-breaking of the highly anticipated Sofitel Dublin Airport, a new luxury hotel set to redefine the hospitality experience at Ireland’s main international gateway.

The hotel 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, offering stunning views of the airport and beyond.

This franchised development project features a new-build Sofitel hotel located at Dublin Airport, set to open by late 2026 as a full-service luxury hotel comprising approximately 412 guest rooms. The hotel will be directly linked to the airport’s Terminal 2, providing seamless connectivity for travellers.

“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.”

Sébastien Bazin, CEO & Chairman of Accor.

“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.” — Maud Bailly, CEO of Sofitel, Sofitel Legend, MGallery and Emblems.

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 €100 million 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.

Dublin Airport, Ireland’s main international airport, sees over 31 million passengers annually and ranks as the 13th busiest airport in Europe. Conveniently located just 7km north of Dublin’s city centre, the hotel will cater to the increasing number of travellers passing through the airport.

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.”

“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.” — Kenny Jacobs, CEO of DAA.

Sofitel Dublin Airport is expected to open its doors in late 2026, heralding a new era of luxury and sophistication for travellers to and from Dublin.