Hastings’ Belfast Grand Central
Hastings Hotels has unveiled plans for the latest addition to its portfolio.
The company recently purchased Windsor House, one of the tallest buildings in Ireland, which they intend to transform into a 200-room hotel in Belfast, subject to planning permission.
Sir William Hastings, Chairman of Hastings Hotels, says: “We are delighted to unveil the plans for what will be the seventh hotel in our portfolio in Northern Ireland. This acquisition represents our biggest single investment to-date of £30m and upon completion in 2018 the hotel will operate at the upper end of the four-star market offering 200 bedrooms, a restaurant and bar, 18 serviced apartments and a range of superbly appointed office accommodation. The hotel will create over 150 new jobs.
“I am also thrilled to announce that our new hotel will be called the Belfast Grand Central Hotel,” Sir Hastings further comments.
The original Grand Central was built in 1893 and was a popular destination with guests such as Winston Churchill, the King of Belgium and The Beatles.
Local company WDR & RT Taggart Architects has been appointed to design the building, continuing Hastings Hotels’ reputation for supporting the local economy.
Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Jonathan Bell comments: “I have been very impressed by Hastings Hotels’ vision for its new city centre hotel. This is great news for Belfast and for Northern Ireland, as the group’s continued investment is a massive vote of confidence in our tourism sector. The new hotel will add considerably to the local accommodation offering and allow Northern Ireland to capitalise further on the growing international business conference market.”
Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Arder Carson adds: “This is great news for the city. One of our major objectives is to double the current tourism revenue by 2020 and developments such as this one by the Hastings Hotels Group are a huge step forward towards achieving that goal.”
