BELFAST’S Stormont Hotel has unveiled the results of a £1.15m series of upgrades to its conference centre, hotel bar, foyer and external work which included new gates.
In comes as its parent company the Hastings Hotels Group revealed that its turnover in the year to last October rose from £39.8m to £42.5m, while pre-tax profit doubled from £2.19m to £4.23m.
The revamped Confex Centre at the Stormont Hotel now offers delegates and conference-bookers a number of modern, versatile and dedicated spaces in which to hold events.
The hotel's general manager Jonathan Topping said: “We strive to be the best in everything we do at the Stormont Hotel, so it is particularly gratifying to see the investment and hard work over the last number of months come to fruition. The results are fantastic.”
The upgraded Confex Centre has nine separate conference rooms, with the option of opening partitions to allow for larger events, there will be manned reception desk and a dedicated staff member for each event.
“Each conference room is equipped with integrated data projectors and motorised screens”, said Jonathan.
“They also have LCD televisions offering crisp HD audio-visual, technology sockets which are integrated with the AV equipment, storage areas that conference organisers can use and a fridge with soft drinks and mineral water. Being at ground floor level it is also excellent for trade events such as clothing shows.”
Meanwhile the Hastings Group - whose other properties are the Europa in Belfast, the five-star Culloden Estate and Spa, the Everglades in Derry, Slieve Donard Resort and Spa in Newcastle Antrim's Ballygally Castle - described its last trading year as "satisfactory".
The directors say the group would "continue to seek every opportunity to increase profitable turnover" but warned that the market is "expected to remain competitive" in 2016.
Last June Hastings Hotels bought Ireland’s tallest commercial building Windsor House building in Belfast and unveiled ambitious plans to transform it into a 200-bedroom hotel, 18 serviced apartments, a restaurant and bar, and office accommodation.
Strip out and demolition work has begun on schedule to Windsor House and Hastings anticipate that it will reopen as Belfast Grand Central Hotel by 2018.
