A hotel in Derry is reaping the benefits of a recent refurbishment, with a rise in events and weddings bookings since a new-look ballroom was unveiled.
The Everglades Hotel, which is part of the Hastings Hotels portfolio, completed a £1.5m renovation earlier this year that included the launch of a new Grand Ballroom in April.
Since then, the hotel has recorded a 33% rise in wedding bookings and a 15% increase in business events, with the new space able to cater for up to 650 people making it the largest of its kind in the North West.
Neil Devlin, general manager of the Everglades Hotel said: “We can now accommodate a wider range of larger conferences, gala dinners and business functions which we previously couldn’t.
“We are delighted to be helping to bring new business to the city, this has included the annual conference of a public body which was held in the North West for the first time and attended by 320 delegates.”
The new Grand Ballroom can now accommodate up to 650 theatre style and over 400 for round table events.
Hastings Hotel Group, which owns and operates seven venues across the north, saw its turnover increase by 7.8 per cent to almost £40m in the year ending October 31, in its latest companies house report.
Pre-tax profits increased marginally from £4.9m to £5.2m over the 12 months.
The group launched its latest venture the 300-bedroom Grand Central Hotel in Belfast just last month, with an investment of £53m.
It is said to be the north’s largest and most expensively constructed hotels.
