Ruby Molly in Dublin
With the announcement of Ruby Molly, scheduled to debut in Q1 2024, the Emerald Isle is being taken off by Ruby Hotels, headed by founder and CEO Michael Struck. The Lean Luxury Design Hotel, owned by a Munich-based company, is being constructed in the heart of Dublin. It will be a brand-new structure with 272 rooms and more than 500 m2 of public space on the ground level for a bar, café, and lounge.
At the junction of Mary Street Little and Arran Street East, the new Ruby Hotel is being constructed in the city's centre. Capel Street, home to numerous independent retailers, eateries, and coffee shops, is nearby. Diagonally opposite is Dublin's renowned Fruit & Vegetable Market, which features beautiful Victorian buildings. The market will be revitalised and become Dublin's main destination for foodies. The Temple Bar neighbourhood, with its countless authentic pubs, theatres, and clubs on the south bank of the river, is quickly and conveniently reachable on foot via the Grattan Bridge. The shopping streets, such as Henry Street and Grafton Street, can be reached in ten minutes and are bursting with boutiques and department stores for shopping. The hotel is conveniently close to streetcar platforms at Four Courts and Jervis as well as Heuston and Connolly stations, which can be reached without having to change trains. Dublin Transit takes 40 minutes to get to the airport.
The large Ruby Bar and Lounge areas, which are clearly visible from the street, were purposefully created to be welcoming for all neighbourhood residents in the typical Ruby manner. Architecturally, the new structure blends in well with its surroundings. The hotel's facade, with its red and yellow brickstones, takes inspiration from the Fruit Market, and the extra-high ceilings and windows on the ground level produce an extraordinary, open feeling of space. The upper floor's recessed rooms have exclusive guest terraces.
Ireland is the sixth European nation in Ruby's growth drive, following the opening of two additional hotel projects in the UK, an opening in the Netherlands in 2022, and two new hotels in Switzerland. ARA Europe is the development partner, and Dublin-based John Fleming Architects are the chief architects. Under the creative direction of Matthew Balon, Ruby's internal design staff is in charge of interior design. The Ruby Molly will adhere to Ruby's 'Lean Luxury' philosophy, which emphasises a prime position, premium fixtures, and exceptional design, as do the group's other properties. All of this is provided at a reasonable cost by ruthlessly eliminating the unnecessary and emphasising the necessary.
Of the announcement, Michael Struck said: "The current challenges and future prospects of the industry have confirmed our ‘Lean Luxury’ approach. We make a luxurious and unique hotel experience affordable for our guests, and combine this with a cost structure, which is leaner and more adaptable than usual. This has the added advantage of reducing the risk for our real estate partners. Our strategy works because we fit our luxuries into a relatively small area. We plan and build on a more modular basis; we centralise more and we consistently automate systems behind the scenes."
Alex Ray, Director, ARA Europe said: "ARA was delighted to partner with Ruby Hotels on its first investment into Dublin. Ruby is a high-quality operator, and its lean-luxury offering will serve an under provided segment of the market. ARA is an active participant in the Dublin market and is seeking further opportunities across all sectors."
