Radisson Blu Hotel Cork Appoints Robin Van Ieperen General Manager, Marking a New Chapter for Tourism and Corporate Travel in Cork

Radisson Blu Hotel Cork has appointed Robin Van Ieperen as General Manager, signalling a significant new phase for the hotel as it continues its strategic repositioning and investment programme.

Mr Van Ieperen joins the property with over a decade of international hospitality experience across leading global brands, bringing a strong track record in operational transformation, food and beverage innovation, and large-scale conference and events delivery.

Originally from the Netherlands, Van Ieperen studied Hotel Management before beginning his career with Marriott International, where he trained extensively across Food & Beverage and Meetings & Events. He went on to hold senior leadership roles at the 465-key Sheraton Stockholm Hotel, serving as Director of Food & Beverage and subsequently as Director of Operations over a four-year period. In 2022, he relocated to the UK to take up the role of General Manager at the 300-key Delta Hotels by Marriott Bristol, where he has led the property for the past four years, delivering strong commercial performance and operational improvements.

Mr Van Ieperen’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for Radisson Blu Hotel Cork, following a multi-million-euro investment programme totalling €1.7M since 2022, which has seen a comprehensive refurbishment and repositioning of the hotel’s conference, meetings, and wedding facilities.

At the centre of this transformation is the Great Island Ballroom, now one of the largest and most versatile conference and banqueting spaces in the Cork city and East Cork region, capable of hosting large-scale corporate events, gala dinners, and weddings.

Complementing this is Ditchley House, the hotel’s restored heritage venue and originally the homestead of Cork’s Beamish family, offering a distinct, more intimate setting for meetings, private dining, and networking events. The investment also extends outdoors to Ditchley Lawn, an event space featuring an outdoor bar, summer barbecue offering, and a curated programme of live music, afterwork evenings, and Sunday lunch that has been running throughout the summer. The space is designed to cater to both private functions and a broader leisure audience, reinforcing the hotel’s positioning as a year-round destination for corporate and social occasions.

Commenting on the appointment, Sean O’Driscoll, CEO of The iNUA Hotel Collection, said: “We are delighted to welcome Robin Van Ieperen to Radisson Blu Hotel Cork at an important time for the property. Cork continues to see strong growth as a tourism and business destination, with increasing demand for high-quality conference and events infrastructure. Robin’s international experience come at the right time as we build on our recent investment and position the hotel for that growth.”

Robin Van Ieperen added: “I am delighted to join Radisson Blu Hotel Cork at such an important moment in its journey. The scale of investment in the hotel, particularly across the conference and event offering, presents a significant opportunity. Cork is a dynamic and growing destination, and I look forward to working with the team to build on the hotel’s strengths, enhance the guest experience, and re-establish Radisson Blu Hotel Cork as a leading venue for business and events in Cork.”