Andras Hotels to invest £6.6m in former Londonderry hotel
Andras Hotels is set to invest £6.6m to regenerate the former Londonderry hotel in Portrush.
The Northern Ireland-based hotel group has submitted revised proposals to develop the property in County Antrim into an 87-bedroom "boutique" hotel. The Londonderry hotel opened its doors around 1895 but ceased trading in the 1980s.
Designed by Consarc, the proposals will preserve and restore the existing buildings, while a new extension will be built at the rear of the site adding further bedrooms.
Rajesh Rana, director of Andras Hotels, said: "Our vision is for an attractive, fully functional and boutique hotel that will bring this important site back to life as a hotel and will help to regenerate the Main Street and town centre area."
Initial plans were submitted in May 2017, however have been revised following feedback from the local community.
Dawson Stelfox from Consarc said: "We have spent a considerable amount of time amending the original plans to address concerns. The proposals will respect and maintain the townscape character of Main Street through the retention of the existing buildings on Main Street. We will ensure these buildings are sensitively restored."
Brian Kelly, director of planning consultancy Turley, said: "We are confident that the new proposed plans will deliver a hotel that is visually attractive, welcoming, befitting of its local environment and the history and vibrancy of this fantastic seaside town."
Andras Hotels was founded in Belfast in 1981 and operates five branded hotels in Belfast: the Holiday Inn Express Belfast City Queen's Quarter, the Holiday Inn Belfast City Centre, two Ibis Hotels and the Crowne Plaza. The group is also in the final stages of building a new Hampton by Hilton on Hope Street, the first in Northern Ireland, set to open within the next month.
Belfast Ramada to relaunch as Northern Ireland's first Crowne Plaza >>