THE Marine Hotel in Ballycastle, Co Antrim has reopened following a £500,000 investment that will create 26 jobs.
The popular seaside resort was left without a hotel when the building closed its doors in 2010 after former owner Mervyn McAlister went bankrupt.
However it was bought by new owners Colum McLornan and Claire Hunter last year with plans for a major upgrade.
The project has received almost £150,000 of public funding from Invest Northern Ireland and the department of social development.
Invest NI chief executive Alastair Hamilton described it as a"very significant and timely boost for tourism in the Causeway Coast and Glens, one of our most popular regions".
"In addition to the employment that this investment will provide, the hotel will offer quality accommodation for visitors to Ballycastle and the surrounding area," he said. "Our support for the company's ambitious plans underlines Invest NI's commitment to the development of the tourism infrastructure here and to the creation of much needed employment opportunities. "The investment will also bring business opportunities to local suppliers, particularly in food and drink, who will now be able to showcase their products to visitors to this region."
Mr McLornan said he had "exciting investment plans to develop the facilities and services as a premium three-star hotel". "Overall, we plan to spend almost £700,000 on the hotel, services and people over the next few years including the reopening of its leisure facilities. "We are confident that the hotel will prove attractive to a great many visitors to the nearby Giant's Causeway and, of course, the Glens of Antrim as well as providing a broad range of services in the locality. "We are also very well placed to market our facilities and services to many visitors from Scotland using the ferry link in the summer months."