Golden Tulip expands in UK

Netherlands-based hotel franchise company Golden Tulip has signed a deal to open its sixth property in the UK.

Golden Tulip UK has bought a 1.6-acre site near Castleford, West Yorkshire, where it plans to develop a £5.5m 119-bedroom hotel. The Tulip Inn, Castleford, is scheduled to open later this year.

Peter Roberts, managing director of Golden Tulip UK, said he was delighted that Castleford was to be the site of the company's first hotel in Yorkshire. "The location fulfils all the criteria for a successful Tulip Inn as it has excellent motorway networks and is near to both major businesses and leisure facilities," he said.

"This is an important step in the development of the Tulip Inn brand across the UK and for the group in general," added Hans Kennedie, managing director and chief executive of Golden Tulip Hotels, Inns and Resorts.

Golden Tulip plans to open 20 more hotels in the UK and Ireland over the next three years. The group has financial backing of £33m to expand the chain, which it hopes to do through a combination of developing existing hotels and new-builds.

The group currently has Tulip Inns in Manchester and Glasgow, with a third hotel being constructed in Gateshead and scheduled to open this summer. It also has Golden Tulip hotels in Manchester and Birmingham.