Green light to make Belfast Grand Central Northern Ireland's largest hotel

By Emily Bright

Hastings Hotels has been given planning permission for a £53m building project which will make the Grand Central the biggest hotel in Northern Ireland.

The revised plans added 104 bedrooms to make a total of 304 bedrooms at the Grand hotel, a far greater number than the 200 anticipated. Over 150 jobs will be created and building work is now underway.

Sir William Hastings, chairman of Hastings Hotels, said: "We are pleased that the revised planning permission for the Grand hotel has been approved. This represents our company's biggest single investment to date of £53m and is the sum required to create a top quality hotel befitting the name, Grand Central, and of which Belfast City can be proud.

"We look forward to working with a wide range of local companies during this major project. Our lead construction partner is Graham Construction."

Hastings Hotels purchased the property, formerly Windsor House, for £6.5m in May 2015 to renovate it into a hotel. They also own six other four and five star hotels in Northern Ireland including the Europa and Stormont hotels in Belfast.

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