The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is seeking expressions of interest for a 257-key hotel and 77-unit residential scheme on Lansdowne Road in Dublin, directly opposite the Aviva Stadium, under a long-term ground lease that leaves the union holding the freehold.

CBRE is advising on the disposal of what the agent has branded Lansdowne Quarter. CBRE brings the site to market without planning permission, giving the selected operator freedom over positioning, configuration and design.

"This process allows the IRFU to unlock the long-term potential of a strategically important site, while also retaining ownership of the land," said Kevin Potts, CEO of the IRFU.

What scale of scheme is on offer?

The mixed-use project envisages 257 hotel keys, 77 residential apartments and significant food-and-beverage and conferencing space. CBRE describes the hotel demand base as diverse and year-round, anchored by the Aviva Stadium, which has welcomed more than 10 million visitors and hosted more than 330 events since opening in 2010.

Adjacent event infrastructure reinforces that profile:

• Aviva Stadium: international rugby, football and concerts
• Royal Dublin Society (RDS) campus
• Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

Together these venues generate domestic and international footfall across the calendar.

What corporate and leisure demand underwrites the hotel?

CBRE identifies three nearby employment centres — Ballsbridge, Grand Canal Dock and Dublin Docklands — as the source of weekday corporate and group demand. CBRE frames this as critical to stabilising occupancy outside event windows.

Leisure demand peaks around match-days, concerts and conferences. Lansdowne Road DART Station adjoins the site, placing Dublin city centre and the surrounding suburbs within a short rail journey and broadening the hotel's catchment for both business and leisure stays.

How is the deal structured?

The IRFU retains the freehold. The incoming development partner will design, build, finance and operate the asset, wholly funding the development. In return, the partner pays ground rent over the lease term.

"The resulting lease income will provide a long-term and significant new revenue stream for Irish Rugby that will be invested into all levels of the game across Ireland," Potts said.

The structure removes development risk from the IRFU while securing recurring rental income tied to hotel and residential performance. Investors will benchmark the implied yield against Dublin hotel investments of comparable scale and against ground-lease precedents across the Irish market.

Why is the site being sold without consent?

Selling the site unpermitted gives the partner freedom to reshape the asset against current market expectations rather than a pre-set IRFU brief.

"The scale of the development, combined with the flexibility around planning and design, allows a partner to create a scheme that fully responds to both market demand and the character of the surrounding area," said Darragh Deasy, CBRE director of development land.

The trade-off is execution risk: the partner must navigate Dublin's planning system from a blank page, extending timelines before construction can begin.

What residential value does the site carry?

CBRE positions Lansdowne Road as a prime Dublin address commanding the highest residential real estate prices in the city. The 77 apartments, located between Ballsbridge and Grand Canal Dock, will target the upper end of the Dublin sales or build-to-rent market.

The site's DART connectivity is a defining amenity for residential buyers and renters, supporting premium pricing per square metre.

What happens next?

CBRE is taking expressions of interest. A preferred bidder will need to secure planning consent before construction can commence. The IRFU will retain the freehold throughout the lease term and collect ground rent from the partner's hotel and residential operations, with the lease income flowing back into Irish Rugby at every level of the game.