Ramada owners roll out along the water
THE owner of Southport’s Ramada Plaza Hotel has completed a multi-million deal to take over the rest of the waterfront complex.
Bliss Hotels, which bought the Ramada in January, has announced that it has now bought a 250-year lease for the rest of the units in the landmark complex.
The area already features the Hungry Horse pub and Genting Casino and will also house a pop-up golf bar for the duration of the Open.
Although the remaining units have been used for temporary purposes such as art galleries, the investment will renew hopes that new, longterm tenants can be found.
The Visiter understands that the deal is worth more than £15m in total.
The hotel itself employs more than 100 people and was recently named number one in the area at the Liverpool City Region Tourism awards
Following the investment, Bliss is planning to transform the centre into one of the “mustsee” locations in the region
Daniel Brock, partner at Bliss, said: “Our team are already working up plans for the launch of the new Waterfront which will be a vibrant multi-faceted leisure based destina- tion in what is surely one of the finest coastal locations in the country.’’
He added: “We’ve got a lot of additional space to work with, so expect to see some really exciting ideas and additions which will connect with a wide customer base across the region. This is going to be a ‘must-see’ for Merseyside.”
A spokesman for Southport Business Improvement District welcomed the news, adding: “We are always pleased to hear of any investment into the town, and investment on this scale is a particularly positive vote of confidence in the town and it’s potential for economic growth”
Richard Hennity, relationship director for Santander Corporate & Commercial, which helped finance the deal, said: “We are delighted to be able to support the management team at Bliss as they embark on this new project.
“They have a strong track record of successfully developing high-quality leisure and commercial sites and this fantastic proposal for Southport waterfront supports the group’s long-term growth programme and investment ethos.”