Dalata Hotel Group, which acquired the four-star Clarion Hotel in Cork City earlier this year, will plough the money into a range of upgrades, and today formally changes its name to Clayton Hotel Cork City.

The revamp will include the refurbishment of all 198 rooms, a new restaurant, Clayton Hotels’ signature Red Bean Roaster Café in the Atrium, and improved conference facilities.

While room renovations are already under way, works on the ground floor will begin next month. The hotel’s swimming pool, steam room, and gym have already been upgraded for the newly rebranded Club Vitae leisure club.

All 168 staff were retained in the transition and it is expected that more jobs will be created in 2017.

The hotel’s general manager, Conor O’Toole, said becoming a Clayton Hotel means it will benefit from this significant investment, as well as becoming part of the largest hotel network in Ireland.

“We see the move to the Clayton brand as a very positive development in this hotel’s successful story to date and a progressive and timely step into the new year,” he said.

Dalata also confirmed yesterday that it will now manage operations at the landmark Dublin hotel on Burlington Rd, Ballsbridge, known to generations as the Burlington, and which had been operated by Hilton under its DoubleTree brand in recent times.

The hotel will now operate under Dalata’s Clayton Hotel brand and will be known as the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road.

All employees have been retained and general manager David Monks will stay at the helm, supported by his existing management team.

The hotel has 502 recently renovated bedrooms, meeting and events facilities, a ballroom with capacity for 1,400 delegates, an executive lounge, and a 24-hour fitness suite.

Dalata Hotel Group plc is Ireland’s largest hotel operator, with a portfolio of 40 three- and four-star hotels with more than 7,500 rooms.

The group operates the Clayton and Maldron brands across Ireland and Britain, as well as managing a portfolio of partner hotels.

The group owns 24 of the hotels; nine are operated under lease agreements and seven under management agreements.

The acquisition by Dalata of Cork’s Clarion earlier this year was part of the group’s €90m spend on purchases, investments, and upgrades in Cork City hotels this year.

It bought the Beasley St hotel site off South Mall and Parnell Place from Nama for a reported €10.2m.

The group also spent about €4m upgrading the Silverspring Clayton Hotel this year, including a €2.5m total overhaul of its conference centre.

It also plans to rebrand the Clarion Hotels in Sligo and Limerick this month.

The group now has control of some 20% of Greater Cork’s hotel stock, around 530 bedrooms, which means that Cork now holds the second largest concentration of Dalata hotel rooms after Dublin.

“It’s an exciting time for the team here, who will remain focused on the customer experience, great service, and continuing the reputation of this hotel as a market leader not only in Cork, but in Ireland,” said Mr O’Toole.