Ballymena’s Leighinmohr House aiming for expansion
A BOUTIQUE hotel in Co Antrim is set for a major expansion, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.
Plans filed with the Mid and East Antrim council show the Leighinmohr House Hotel in Ballymena is aiming to add 12 bedrooms and additional kitchen facilities.
The Leighinmohr is owned by property developers Sam Morrison and Adrian Fullan and the proposed plans for the extension are currently being considered by Mid and East Antrim council planners.
The hotel has two storeys with 21 bedrooms over a
2.4 acre site. To the side of the main building is the Galgorm Suite, a function room which can hold more than 350 guests.
Sam Morrison, former owner of the Fairhill Shopping Centre in Ballymena, owns several properties across Northern Ireland, including the Tower Centre in the town, which he bought in 2016.
The hotel was placed into administration in 2009 and at one stage in 2010 it was under the control of the Beannchor Group.
However, in 2013 it was sold to Sam Morrison and Adrian Fullan by property agents Osborne King.
At the time, the property was on sale for around £500,000, however it is understood that it sold for less than that amount.
A spokesman for the hotel said the extension is necessary to cater for its “growing business”.
“We currently have 20 boutique bedrooms and we are aiming to add an additional dozen rooms to bring the total room count to 32,” he said.
“This is necessary in order to cater for our growing business.
“We’ve been here four years now and business is going very well.
“We’re primarily a restaurant and weddings business, so just last year we gutted out our Galgorm Suite and gave it a complete makeover. Now with the extension we will be able to continue to offer top class services to our growing customer base.”
The Leighinmohr House is one of four well-known hotels in Ballymena, along with the luxury Galgorm Resort & Spa, the three-star Adair Arms and the Tullyglass House Hotel (inset).
In February, Tullyglass filed plans for a £5m expansion to transform the venue into a luxury spa retreat.
The hotel lodged an application to build a four-storey extension, tree-top spa, juice bar, lounge, gym, hair, beauty and nail salon and a new reception area at the historic Ballymena hotel. The project will create around 80 jobs, while also protecting the 200 current positions.