Company planning to build Belfast ‘aparthotel’

A NEW apartment-hotel aimed at the business community could be built in Belfast city centre.

A company owned by developer Gareth Graham is applying for planning permission to demolish the Lyndon Court building on Queen Street.

The business wants to build an aparthotel — a concept that combines features of hotels and apartments, and is run by a hotel operator — on the site.

Lyndon Court is a three-storey mixed-use development with retail units on the ground floor.

Mr Graham’s company, Oakland Holdings, put the building on the market last year with a £2.5m asking price.

The firm suggested at the time that a 12-storey structure could be built on the site, but the building failed to sell.

There is no information about the likely height of the proposed aparthotel.

A spokesman for Mr Graham said: “The plan is for an aparthotel which will meet the needs of the business community in particular. It is a model which is widely used elsewhere.”

O’Toole and Starkey Planning Consultants will hold a pre-application public event on Oakland’s plans at Belfast’s Wellington Buildings on Thursday.

Patrick Kearney, owner of Belfast’s Ten Square boutique hotel, is also launching a bid to bring the brand to new aparthotels at Stockmans Way and Apollo Road in the city.

Oakland Holdings is launching a new office development, Merchant Square, at nearby Wellington Place.

It will be home to around 2,000 staff from business advisory firm PwC.