Planning granted for new Titanic Quarter hotel

Planning permission has been granted for JMK Group to develop a new "family-focussed" hotel in Belfast's Titanic Quarter.

Belfast City Council has given consent for a 276-bedroom hotel, 100 of which will be family rooms, at Hamilton Dock, with a rooftop bar, gym and conference facilities. JMK Group will operate the hotel under the franchise of an international brand. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2020, with an anticipated opening in summer 2021.

John Kajani, founder and chairman of JMK Group, said: "We have given thorough consideration to identifying a suitable operator who can deliver a high quality guest experience and cater to families and solo travellers alike. We look forward to introducing our chosen brand of the hotel in due course and begin construction on this new landmark for the Titanic Quarter."

Brian Kelly, director of the project's planning consultancy Turley, added: "We are pleased to see Belfast City Council support our client's ambitions to deliver high calibre accommodation in the area and nurture further growth for the local tourism sector."

JMK Group operates six hotels across the UK and Ireland including four hotels in London, the Holiday Inn Express in Dublin City Centre, and the Waterford Marina Hotel. The approved hotel in Titanic Quarter will be the Group's first in Northern Ireland. It also has a further four hotels under construction: three in Dublin and one due to open shortly in London.