- 40 new jobs being created in hotel and entertainment developments
- Chimney Corner refurbished and open to the public this week
The Loughview Leisure Group is set to complete Northern Ireland hotel and leisure investments worth over £20million with the support of Ulster Bank.
The company has invested more than £18m in the recent acquisition and ongoing extension of Belfast’s Ten Square Hotel – including the addition of 55 new bedrooms.
It has also completely refurbished the Chimney Corner hotel in Newtownabbey, including new rooms, a new reception, and an upgraded frontage, plus function rooms, restaurant, and garden facilities. The hotel fully opens this week.
In addition, the group has opened one of Northern Ireland’s largest and most innovative children’s play centres, World of Wonder, in Carrickfergus in an investment worth over a million pounds.
Ulster Bank has funded the investments, which are creating more than 40 new jobs to add to the existing 250 jobs currently within the group, after Loughview Leisure Group switched its banking to Ulster Bank last year.
Ulster Bank Head of Corporate Banking, Kenton Hilman, said: “This multi-million-pound upgrade to two well-known hotels will significantly enhance visitor experience, add to Northern Ireland’s tourism offering, and create valuable new jobs. Ulster Bank is very pleased to be working with Loughview Leisure Group to help make the three investments a reality and in doing so add value to the local economy.”
Loughview Leisure Group Finance Director, Christopher Kearney, said: “We are very pleased to be completing such significant projects which will enhance our guests’ experience and help ensure that the hotels are at the forefront of Northern Ireland’s visitor offering. Ulster Bank have been extremely supportive of the investments we are making and the expertise of their team has added real value to the projects.”
Peter McCartney, Operations Director at Causeway Asset Management who were responsible for managing the delivery of the extension and refurbishment schemes from design, through construction, to completion said: “Causeway Asset Management is delighted to be associated with the substantial redevelopment of these well-known hotels having delivered other leisure schemes for Loughview in the last 12 months and continues to work with the Loughview Leisure Group on its next exciting hotel venture. It is great to see investment in assets in both Belfast City Centre and the Greater Belfast area, we look forward to working as part of the team on future schemes.”
