Cork hotel to open doors to guests again after 40 years

Almost three years since two tenacious sisters first set eyes on a former hotel in Owenahincha, they’re almost ready to welcome their first overnight guests into the newly-reimagined building.

Aislinn and Nicole O’Shea, who have backgrounds in graphic design and business, embarked on an ambitious renovation project in 2023 to transform the neglected site into a stylish, modern retreat called The Little Island Resort.

With no prior experience in hospitality, they took a hands-on approach – grouting, wall-building, and plastering – doing epic amounts of the work themselves.

And while they said they never underestimated how tough the work and the renovation would be, they definitely underestimated how hard it is to run a hospitality business.

The hotel was originally designed and built in the 1960s by renowned German architect Klaus Kirsten, and was hugely popular with its landmark outdoor swimming pool in its prime.

When the girls first viewed it, it had very much lost its shine, but they instantly saw its potential.

“When we first saw the property, we fell in love immediately and made an offer the next day,” says Aislinn.

“It had been empty for years, and we knew we wanted to breathe life back into it.”

Originally from Kildare, they have put their hearts and souls (along with lots of blood, sweat, and tears) into the project and are now opening their bedrooms for the first time this season.

“It’s now operating as a motel again for the first time in over 40 years! We did the designs very early on in the project so, to finally see them in the flesh after two years of work is really special,” said Aislinn.

The girls launched last season with the Swim Club Deli, which offers speciality coffee, fresh local produce, and an inventive menu.

It was a ‘a real baptism of fire’ and they it they ‘were majorly burnt out’ by the end of the season.

“We had a lot of big ideas and learned quite quickly that things don’t always pan out the way you had planned so it was very much learning and adjusting as we went. We’ve made some huge changes to Swim Club Deli this year to just make it a lot more manageable and sustainable, focusing on using small local suppliers and making everything in-house from scratch,” said Nicole.

They’re learning all the time and say that in itself has been a crucial part of the whole journey.

“When we finally closed the doors, we took some time to recharge before jumping back in. We also took on a project manager for the phase two renovations, which was a massive weight off and allowed us to focus on operations ahead of season two – something we didn’t really get a chance to do in our first season,” said Aislinn.

The sisters have previously talked about their plans for a restaurant, a kitchen garden as sustainability is at the core of everything they do, and more – so what’s next?

“We’re planning to get the rooms up and running for a season or two before we tackle anything else. It’s important to us to do things right and not be constantly chasing whatever comes next,” said Aislinn.

“Launching the rooms is the really exciting part for us because this is the part we’ve been looking forward to since we first started the project. We have pet-friendly rooms and Swim Club Deli is pet-friendly so that’s been a big draw for people who want to bring their pets on holiday with them.

“The motel is adult-only which is a nice escape for anyone looking for a kid-free vibe and we’ve put a lot of thought into the guest experience and ways that we can elevate it. We want people to get out and explore West Cork so we’ve got complimentary bikes for guest use, rain gear for wet days, and picnic lunches for adventure days,” added Nicole.

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Aislinn added:“We’re so lucky to be where we are. Our environment is just as much a part of the hotel experience as the rooms themselves and we want people to experience it. That’s why we offer free bikes for guests to explore, picnic lunches and blankets to take with them, and complimentary rain gear so the weather never stops an adventure.”

The Little Island Resort is due to begin welcoming overnight guests from next month.

To view videos of the progress of the work, visit @thelittleislandresort on Instagram.