Hotel review: What it's like to stay in Cork City's newest hotel
Marriott's Hotel Quay On Camden Cork Moxy
It’s the new kid on one of Cork’s best blocks. Moxy, the funky and millennial-minded brand from the global Marriot group, enjoys a Leeside setting in the heart of the city.
The property commands a fine setting on Camden Quay just yards from Coburg and MacCurtain streets and Cork Opera House just a pitter-patter south across Christy Ring Bridge.
Set in a former courthouse, Moxy Cork is a case of listed Venetian-style architecture out the front, party out the back.
Inside its Pine Street entrance, you’re met with a vibrant lobby and communal zones — the hallmarks of the buzzy brand’s aesthetic.
The check-in desk, capped by a neon Hiya sign, sits within the hotel’s bar while the lounges and seating areas surrounding it feature everything from a Fußball table to trendy butterscotch Toga sofas.
Expect local touches too from a Cillian Murphy Oscar facsimile to a table topped by a Cork/not Cork map.
It’s a great first impression, though with touches of the look everywhere from The Dean to The Premier Inn in this city alone, Moxy’s design brief is perhaps not as edgy as it was when it launched a decade ago.
Moxy has hit the ground running with a great team of staff.
Service is prompt, dynamic and almost ambassadorial — for the international visitors checking in alongside me, it’s great to see them experiencing such a warm first impression of Ireland.
Bar staff are also warm and loaded with local tips for guests.
At dinner, it does take some time to establish whether the cheeseburger I ordered could be served gluten free — and it’s eventually served without cheese — so perhaps some initial training misses too.
Moxy’s lobby features a neat workstation kitted with i-Macs plus a meeting room flanked by a striking graffitied wall.
There’s also a spanking new guest-only gym: that’s the only element of the hotel which is shared with its new sister property, The Marriot Residences, which sits next door.
The hotel offers 153 rooms, the majority being compact queen “sleepers”, a minority of which are Riverview rooms, some of which offer extra space as an upgrade.
I was staying in one of the latter, which was a lovely light-filled room thanks to five rounded sash windows overlooking the river. Come morning in fine weather, it was a wonderful spot to wake up in.
The room is characterful, with details like a retro rotary phone and a Cork-inspired “it’s grand, like” bed cushion, but it looks better than it functions to some degree.
Moxy offers no wardrobes but rather four hangers atop a mounted wall grid while the desk is a pretty flimsy dropdown shelf which is tested by the weight of my arms working on my laptop.
The only seating option is the soft poof which accompanies it. The compact en-suite with a shower capsule with hand-held head (no rain showers here) is fit for one guest.
This all perhaps explains why rooms are called sleepers as opposed to hang-outters?
Guests receive a welcome cocktail upon arrival which sets the brand’s fun tone. There’s nothing in terms of in-room extras and it’s rare at this price point to not even find instant coffee.
Unsurprisingly for a global brand like Marriot, Moxy’s refillable Argan Oil products are sourced from a US company.
It’s worth noting though that the company is a non-profit, Soapbox, who recycle left-over hotel soaps for needy communities worldwide.
The hotel offers its casual Moxy “pick-ups” from its buzzy bar. Options include classic game night fare including nachos, wings and burgers with salads and flat breads available too.
All are reasonably priced from €10-€15. The bar itself acts as a happening hub throughout the day and evening - consider it a handy spot for pre-theatre drinks for non-guests too.
Breakfast is a self-service buffet with two hot options (scrambled eggs and crispy rashers) along with a continental mix from pink glaze donuts to Gouda.
It’s a pity there are not as many references to Cork on the menu as there are to the décor and, to quote my bedroom cushion to rate the food offering in general: “grand, like”.
B&B rates from €160.
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- Moxy Cork
- Camden Place, Camden Quay, Cork
- marriott.com/en-gb/hotels/orkox-moxy-cork
- Thom Breathnach was a guest of Moxy Cork