HOTEL BOOST AND US LINK RESTORED
This year turned out to be busy for new hotels in Belfast.
Liverpool property developer Lawrence Kenwright told the Belfast Telegraph that he’s planning several new hotels in the city. They include a George Best-themed hotel at Donegall Place, as well as a new venue at the former Crumlin Road Courthouse. Mr Kenwright is a newcomer to the buoyant hotel scene in Northern Ireland.
His plans for a George Bestthemed hotel emerged after his Signature Living firm bought the Scottish Mutual Building, which was to have been made into a hotel by Tullymore House Ltd, owners of the Galgorm Resort & Spa.
Following Mr Kenwright’s announcement, there are now around 20 new hotels in the pipeline for Belfast. Within a short radius of the Scottish Mutual, Hastings Hotel Group is working on the Grand Central Hotel, while Dalata gets busy on its new Maldron Hotel.
A British Retail Consortium-KPMG survey revealed that the UK retail sector suffered slowest growth in eight years in the three months to January 2016. It’s the first of a series of scares on consumer spending which are to continue over the year. A company which counts KFC tycoon Michael Herbert as a director is to build three major luxury housing developments. Kirk Bryson & Co Ltd will build Rose Park on Upper Newtownards Road, as well as Parklands at Knocknagoney, and a development at a former Lidl north of the city on the Antrim Road
The Belfast Telegraph revealed that UTV’s 58-year stretch at Havelock House will draw to a close. The broadcaster will move from the historic Ormeau Road premises to set up home at City Quays 2 in Belfast Harbour’s Clarendon estate.
There’s good news for Belfast International Airport and the province’s air links after the airport signs up budget airline Norwegian to provide a route from Belfast International to the US. Norwegian announces it will fly to secondary airports serving New York and Boston on the east coast.