Robin Van Ieperen Appointed General Manager of Radisson Blu Hotel Cork
Radisson Blu Hotel Cork has appointed Robin Van Ieperen as General Manager, following a period of significant investment across the Little Island hotel and its conference, events and leisure offering. Van Ieperen brings more than a decade of international hotel experience to Cork, having held senior operational roles with Marriott International in Sweden and the UK. His appointment follows €1.7 million of investment in Radisson Blu Hotel Cork since 2022, as the hotel strengthens its position within Cork’s corporate travel, meetings and events market.
International Experience Comes to Cork
Originally from the Netherlands, Van Ieperen studied Hotel Management before beginning his career with Marriott International, where his early experience covered Food & Beverage and Meetings & Events. He later joined the 465-room Sheraton Stockholm Hotel, progressing through senior leadership positions as Director of Food & Beverage and Director of Operations over four years.
In 2022, he moved to the UK to become General Manager of the 300-room Delta Hotels by Marriott Bristol. During his four years at the property, his remit encompassed commercial performance, hotel operations and the continued development of its guest offering. His move to Cork combines that international operational background with extensive experience in the conference and events sector, an area in which Radisson Blu Hotel Cork has invested considerably in recent years.
Since 2022, €1.7 million has been invested in Radisson Blu Hotel Cork, including extensive work across the hotel’s meetings, conferences, weddings and events facilities. Central to that investment is the Great Island Ballroom, one of the hotel’s principal conference and banqueting spaces, which accommodates large corporate events, conferences, gala dinners and weddings.
The investment also encompasses Ditchley House, the restored former home of Cork’s Beamish family. Its heritage setting offers a smaller-scale alternative for meetings, private dining and networking events within the hotel grounds. Outside, Ditchley Lawn has expanded how the property uses its grounds for private and public events, with an outdoor bar, summer barbecue, live music, after-work evenings and Sunday lunch forming part of its seasonal programme. Together, these spaces allow the hotel to accommodate events of markedly different scales and formats while strengthening its conference and corporate offering in Little Island and East Cork.
Building on Cork’s Business and Events Market
Located in Little Island at the M8 gateway to Cork, Radisson Blu Hotel Cork has placed corporate travel and events at the centre of its current positioning, supported by extensive conference facilities alongside 126 guest rooms.
For The iNUA Collection, Van Ieperen’s appointment comes as the hotel builds on its recent capital investment and develops its share of Cork’s business, conference and events markets. Sean O’Driscoll, CEO of The iNUA 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 grow as a tourism and business destination, with increasing demand for high-quality conference and events infrastructure. Robin’s international experience comes at the right time as we build on our recent investment and position the hotel for that growth.
Looking Ahead at Radisson Blu Hotel Cork
For Van Ieperen, the scale of recent investment and the opportunity within Cork’s business and events market were important factors in taking on the role.
I am delighted to join Radisson Blu Hotel Cork at such an important point in its development. The investment already made in the property, particularly across conferences and events, gives us a strong platform for what comes next.
Cork has a dynamic business and tourism economy, and I look forward to working with the team to build on the hotel’s strengths, improve the guest experience and establish Radisson Blu Hotel Cork as a leading choice for business and events in Cork.
As General Manager, Van Ieperen will lead the hotel’s operations and its next phase of development, with particular emphasis on corporate travel, meetings and events alongside the wider guest experience.