Green light for new £3.2m Larne hotel

Planning permission has been approved for a new £3.2m four-star hotel in Larne town centre.
The site of the new Inver River Hotel.The site of the new Inver River Hotel.
The site of the new Inver River Hotel.

Speaking after Mid and East Antrim Borough Council granted outline planning permission, businessmen Stephen Ashe, Mervyn McKay and Raymond Robinson say that they now expect to open the new Inver River Hotel at High Street in September 2020.

The development will take place on the sites of the former Dan Campbell’s and The Thatch bars extending into Point Street.

The opening of the 24-bedroom boutique style hotel is expected to lead to the creation of 37 new full and part-time jobs.

Mervyn McKay said: “Our vision for the Inver River Hotel is to create a stylish, boutique hotel that will be a bright light for hospitality in Larne.

“As the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland continues to thrive, we feel the time is right to build this new, high quality hotel to contribute to the continual development of Larne’s reputation as a great place to visit.

“We are excited by the recent regeneration in Larne and we are pleased to be contributing to the transformation of the High Street area, creating a new bespoke hotel that the people of Larne can be proud of.

“We’re looking forward to attracting more tourists to the town while offering the local community a quality product with excellent customer service standards.”

George Fekkes, of DA Architects, is working in partnership on this project.

He commented: “This is a prominent landmark site in the town which has suffered from lack of investment in recent years. We hope to bring much need regeneration, employment and investment to this area and provide a building worthy of its status in the town

“We envisage a modern building offering the highest standard of accommodation and facilities to the area for visitors and local residents alike, embracing new fashion and design of the highest standard to meet the growing demands of the tourist industry and local population.”

Related topics: