in brief

Belfast's Biggest

A £5m refurbishment has transformed Belfast's Culloden hotel into the largest hotel in Northern Ireland. The five-star property, owned by Hastings Group, has nine new bedrooms and two new conference rooms.

Docklands Date

The opening date of the Docklands conference and exhibition centre, ExCel, has been confirmed as 20 November. Most of the catering at the 100-acre site will be run by Compass.

Channel Crossing

Guernsey-based Channel Island Restaurants is opening a 106-seat brasserie in Belfast tomorrow (20 October). It owns the leasehold to the former sandwich shop. The company, which has six restaurants and a hotel in Guernsey, spent £500,000 on refurbishing the restaurant.

Carluccio Two

A second Carluccio's deli-café is opening in London's West End next month. The new venue - a restaurant combined with food shop and deli - will be on the lower ground floor of the fashion shop Fenwick of Bond Street.

Happy Holiday

The Holiday Inn, Brent Cross, reopened this week after a three-month refurbishment and upgrade. The north London hotel's reception area has been extended and redesigned and a bar and brasserie installed.