Belfast's Haslem hotel to open next spring

Construction on the Beannchor Group's £4m Haslem hotel in Belfast has begun, with the hotel expected to open in spring 2020.

Planning permission was granted earlier this year to build the 52-bedroom property in the city's Lisburn Square.

A development loan to support the delivery of the wider project, which includes flexible workspace, was provided by the Northern Ireland Investment Fund, managed by CBRE Capital Advisors on behalf of the Department of Finance and the Northern Ireland Strategic Investment Board.

The hotel, which is aiming for four-star status, will feature an an all-day casual dining offer, open plan ground floor reception, lobby bar and restaurant, a residents' gym, conference room and an underground car park.

Konstruct Interiors has been appointed as the main contractor for the project. Nicky McCollum, development director of Lisburn Square, said the opening of the hotel will "add to the eclectic mix of occupiers".

Will Church, senior director, CBRE Capital Advisors, added: "We are pleased to be funding the delivery of the Haslem hotel, the first loan the Northern Ireland Investment Fund has made outside of Belfast. The loan supports a heavily underserviced hotel and flexible workspace market in Lisburn and boosts the regeneration of Lisburn Square, which is set to become an exciting retail, work and leisure destination."

The Beannchor Group's portfolio includes the Merchant hotel, Bullitt hotel and the Dirty Onion restaurant in Belfast; the Hillside restaurant in Hillsborough and eight Little Wing Pizzerias across Northern Ireland.

Earlier this year, the group completed a £350,000 investment in the refurbishment of the National bar in Belfast and a £500,000 refurbishment of the Merchant hotel's bar, the Cloth Ear.