Max HeyraudA High Court dispute between Dublin venue Yamamori Izakaya and The Hoxton hotel intensified this week, with lawyers for the hotel rejecting claims that the venue’s nightclub operation serves the public interest, instead describing it as a commercial business prioritising profit over its neighbours.
The Hoxton Dublin is seeking an interim injunction against Yamamori Izakaya over alleged late-night noise, which it says has made dozens of hotel rooms unusable. The hotel says it has been forced to close 31 bedrooms and has made losses of over €500,000 due to guest complaints.
Yamamori denies responsibility for the disruption, stating that any noise issues are due to the construction and the acoustic performance of the recently redeveloped hotel building and not its operation.
In its opening argument before the High Court, Trinity Hospitality said the dispute stemmed from Yamamori moving DJ-led events from its basement to its ground floor. The hotel’s attorney said vibrations from amplified music and bass frequencies travel through the building’s structure and reverberate into hotel bedrooms several floors above.
The hotel’s legal team criticised Yamamori’s reasoning for the move, saying the venue hadn’t given a compelling reason for vacating the basement space. Trinity Hospitality also told the court it had proposed funding soundproofing works that would allow the nightclub operation to return to underground, as a practical solution that had not been accepted.
Counsel for Trinity Hospitality rejected that position outright, arguing that the venue is “a company making profit” rather than “providing a cultural institution to Dublin.” The hotel further argued that while Yamamori describes itself as an iconic venue, commercial nightlife businesses inevitably change over time and should not be exempt from the legal obligations imposed on neighbouring occupiers.
However, Judge Oisín Quinn raised concerns about the width of the proposed injunction, saying the order as drawn could in effect prevent the venue from playing any music at all. The court invited the hotel to reconsider the exact wording of the relief it seeks.
The hearing followed unsuccessful settlement discussions between both parties earlier in the day. With no agreement reached, the legal battle now continues as the court considers whether interim restrictions should be imposed while the wider dispute proceeds to trial.
