Belfast property developer Patrick Kearney has submitted plans to build a 163-bed hotel on the city’s Chichester Street.
The proposed development would see the repurpose of Centre House, an office building at number 67 to 87 on the city centre throughfare, by Mr Kearney’s Kilmona Holdings.
A total of 146 bedrooms would be spread over five floors of the hotel, with permission also sought for a further 17 bedrooms on a new build level above the fifth floor.
The plans were submitted to the planning committee at Belfast City Council and, if passed, the development would add to Kilmona’s hotel portfolio which currently includes Ten Square Hotel in Belfast, Loughshore Hotel in Carrickfergus, the Chimney Corner Hotel in Newtownabbey and the Sotogrande near Cadiz in southern Spain.
The application comes as Northern Ireland’s hotels show evidence of a strong recovery in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Industry body the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation said occupancy levels for the first half of the year are only a few percent behind those recorded in 2019, the last full year prior to the pandemic when most hostelries were forced to close.
Kilmona, which was founded by Mr Kearney in 1974, is one of Northern Ireland’s largest commercial and residential property developers.
Its portfolio includes Chichester House, 197 Airport Road West, Lanyon Place and a wide range of other commercial and residential developments.
