City centre hotel Ten Square has this week confirmed plans for a 71 bedroom extension to its property on Linenhall Street and Donegall Square South. The extension, which is subject to a change of use planning application for the office building Lancashire House next door on Linenhall Street, will bring a £3m investment creating in excess of twenty new jobs at the hotel; and this is on top of a £1.5m refurbishment to the main building which is currently underway by new owners Kilmona Holdings.
Stephen Perry, the newly appointed General Manager who is overseeing the hotel’s revamp, said: “The current works include a total refurbishment of the existing hotel – from entirely new kitchens to a re-modelling of our front of house, as well as a complete modernisation of every bedroom to provide guests with in-room smart technology and a fresh, new and classic modern décor.
“Our popular events suite will also have an increased capacity for up to 250 guests and this will allow us to widen our reach for seminars, conferences and wedding bookings. We are still very much open for business and we will have all works complete by 7 November, well in advance of the busy Christmas season, so we’d ask our customers to bear with us during this period of transition.”
Perry, who spent ten years in the USA with the Hilton Hotels Group, as well as having experience locally at Hastings Group and Titanic Belfast, added: “The multimillion pound upgrade of this property will further enhance all aspects of our guests’ experience and will ensure that Ten Square will maintain its position as Belfast’s leading city centre hotel.”
Patrick Kearney, Managing Director of Ten Square’s new owner, Kilmona Holdings added: “Ten Square has been a landmark in Belfast city centre for many years, but increasing numbers of tourists and a more competitive hotel market mean it’s time to invest in the future. We now have an excellent management team in place and the ability and willingness to revamp and expand the hotel with at least a £5m capital programme over the next twelve months, in addition to our recent purchase. This first application to create a new bedroom block at Lancashire House is just the start however, and we have even more ambitious plans to expand further which we will be revealing in the near future.”