by Richard Buckley, Editor, Business Eye

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has approved plans for the Merrow Hotel and Spa, a £20 million, four star hotel complex in Portstewart.   Pioneered by C&V Developments Ltd and leading hotel management company, Interstate Europe Hotels & Resorts, the four star, luxurious complex located right on the coastline, plans to create over 100 hotel jobs on completion.


 

 

The development hopes to provide valuable employment in the construction sector over the course of the next 24 months.

 

Vivienne Gilholm, from C&V Developments, discusses the Merrow Hotel and Spa and the potential economic benefits this project could bring to the area:

 

“A successful outcome for the team would be to create the North Coast’s first luxury seafront hotel and spa. A number of experts collaborated on the design to ensure the end result was a destination hotel complex that was sympathetic to its surroundings.  With the number of tourists to the North Coast on the increase, we wish to provide accommodation and leisure facilities to meet demand.”

 

The Merrow Hotel and Spa complex plans to provide 118 rooms, a luxury spa with sea views, a leisure club with a 20m pool, a glass sauna and infinity pool, a steam room, a gym and studio, a demonstration restaurant, a bar/bistro restaurant, a signature cocktail bar, a conference space, meeting rooms and nine chalets serviced by the hotel.

 

The Merrow complex would be located on Ballyreagh Road, Portstewart, adjacent to the start and finish line of the world renowned International NW200.   It would also become the official home of the NW200, with the event offices located within the grounds.    

 

With two world class golf courses on its doorstep, the Merrow would be an ideal destination for golfing enthusiasts. Portstewart has an excellent links course and is frequently described as one of Northern Ireland’s hidden gems, while Royal Portrush, which will host the 2019 Open Championship, is only a few miles away.

 

Commenting on what the complex would mean to the North West 200, Mervyn Whyte MBE said:  

 

“The North West 200 is delighted to be working alongside C&V Developments Ltd. We wish to create a permanent home for this world famous road race. This is a truly exciting proposition for the NW200. The project team plans to develop an administration facility, exhibition space and heritage centre to ensure that all the great stories that have unfolded over the many years of racing can be displayed and shared for many years to come.

 

“The Merrow Hotel and Spa complex hopes to provide the NW200 with a unique opportunity to create a constant presence at its true home on the North Coast as well as providing much needed leisure and hospitality services in the area.”  

 

Local architect Ben Wilson of Wilson McMullen Architects explains the significance of the proposed development:

 

“This would be a very prestigious and important landmark project for the North Coast. As someone who has grown up here and now returned to live and work in the area, it is very rewarding to be offered the opportunity to create a significant piece of architecture so close to home. The concept for the design of the hotel was to propose a low lying building, predominantly three storey, set within its landscape that reached out to the coast and the NW200 circuit, wrapped around sun-filled courtyard spaces and that could become a focal or signature building for the area. The sea views of Inishowen, North Donegal, and the Scottish islands of Islay and Jura are also an important influence in the design. The objective was to create a building that is of its time and its place, without being ostentatious.”

 

Interstate Europe’s managing director for the UK, Nicholas Northam, said: “We are really excited to be a part of the Merrow Hotel and Spa’s development. With tourist numbers on the rise in the area the addition of a hotel which would offer high-end accommodation and leisure facilities, as well as meetings and events space, makes perfect sense and we’re confident the proposed development would bring major benefits – both to visitors to Portstewart and the local community, alike.”

 

Welcoming the plans Janice Gault, Chief Executive of NI Hotels Federation added: “There has been considerable interest in developing hotels in the North Coast over the last eighteen months. The Merrow would add a new dimension to the area’s accommodation offering and its opening should appeal to and attract additional visitors to the region.” 

 

It is hoped that groundworks start in early Spring.

 

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