Details of Croker hotel development revealed

The GAA and Jurys Doyle Hotel Group today gave details of their development of a four-star hotel at Croke Park, to be open next summer.

The cost of the development is estimated at €30m, equating to an average development cost of approximately €130,000 per bedroom.

The new hotel, to be named Jurys Croke Park Hotel, will operate on a 34-year lease from the GAA.

It is expected the hotel will open in late summer 2005.

Pat McCann, chief executive of Jurys Doyle Hotel Group, said: "Clearly, we will benefit from the travelling armies of loyal supporters who visit Croke Park week in, week out to celebrate Irish sport."

GAA president Sean Kelly said: "Our plans for a hotel have been public knowledge for some time now and indeed work on the hotel has already commenced."

Jurys currently operates 32 properties, 20 of which are located outside Ireland.