Construction begins on first Maldron hotel in Brighton

A 221-bed seafront hotel in Brighton has started construction and will be operated by Dalata Hotel Group.

The Dalata Hotel Group is Ireland's largest hotel group and operates 50 hotels in Ireland, the UK and Germany.

The Brighton opening will be the first under the Maldron brand to open in the south of England.

It will retain grade-II listed facades and will feature a bar, dining facilities and an open courtyard with cycle storage.

The wider Brighton seafront project is backed by investor Topland, one of the UK's largest privately-owned real estate groups.

Topland's total commitment to the entire development, which is due to complete in 2024, amounts to over £55m. This includes the refurbishment of a 323-bed Hilton Brighton Metropole.

The real estate group recently provided a £16.5m loan to the LaLiT Hotel in London's Tower Bridge, which has been converted into a 70-bed five-star hotel.

William Davies, director in the asset management team at Topland Group, said: "Alongside the major refurbishment underway at the adjacent Metropole, this new hotel will breathe new life into the Brighton seafront and provide a high-quality guest experience that will ultimately drive local growth."

Sol Zakay, chairman and chief executive of Topland Group, added: "As market conditions continue to prove challenging, it's important that we look beyond the end of this cycle, push ahead with our plans, and support those of our clients across a wide variety of sectors – standing ready to deploy additional capital and boost growth where possible."

In August, Dalata Hotel Group reported that business levels had surpassed 2019 levels, with revenue up 9% at £188.98m (€220.2m) for the six-month period ended 30 June 2022.