At the new Premier Inn Hotel in Bangor, from left to right; Des Taggart, property director, Conway Group, the Mayor of Ards and North Down, Alderman Bill Keery; Kevin McGurgan, construction director, Conway Group and Padraig Callaghan, site manager, Conway Group.

The property group behind the opening of a new £8 million Premier Inn Hotel in Bangor has said further projects are planned.

The Conway Group has plans to develop several major schemes across Northern Ireland over the next five years, including the development of further Premier Inn sites.

The 85-bedroom Premier Inn in Bangor opened in July after 17 months of construction work.

Des Taggart, property director at Conway Group, said: “Through the recent acquisition of Ailsa Lodge Care Home in Bangor, Conway Group has forged strong links within the local area.

“When the disused Leisure Centre site on Castle Park Avenue was put up for sale, we recognised that it was the perfect site to meet the need for new hotel accommodation”.

“By working collaboratively with Ards and North Down Borough Council and Whitbread, we came up with a quality design solution for the site that would sit sympathetically within the sensitive landscape area that forms part of Bangor Castle Historic Demesne.”

Kevin McGurgan, construction director for Conway Group, said there is a “number of significant multi-million-pound projects in the pipeline”.

“Within the Cathedral Quarter area of Belfast we plan to develop a landmark mixed-use scheme which includes Grade A offices, a new Hotel and luxury residential apartments,” he said.

“We are also working on three other major city centre sites in Belfast that will deliver high quality apartment schemes, and we will continue to support Whitbread’s ongoing expansion plans with further Premier Inn hotel developments.”

Mr McGurgan said the group also aim to expand its current portfolio of eight care homes with two new Healthcare schemes next to Altnagelvin Area Hospital and Antrim Area Hospital.

“In Glengormley we also plan to create a new Neighbourhood Retail and Apartment scheme and across Northern Ireland work is ongoing to deliver a number of high quality residential schemes within our existing land holding,” he said.

Welcoming Conway Group’s investment in Bangor, chief executive of Ards and North Down Borough Council, Stephen Reid, said: “Our vision is to return Bangor to its former status as a thriving town and prime visitor attraction in Northern Ireland, providing economic, leisure, tourism and recreational benefit.

“Quality hotel accommodation is a key requirement in any ambitious redevelopment plan and we are delighted that Conway Group and Whitbread have invested £8 million to create an 85-bedroom Premier Inn.”