THE Marine Hotel in Ballycastle has completed the second phase of a multi-million pound refurbishment ahead of The Open, creating five new jobs.
As part of the expansion the ‘Beach House’ has now officially opened at the Co Antrim hotel, adding six bedrooms to the capacity.
The Beach House has 20 beds available for guests to enjoy in a self-contained unit including a dedicated entrance with a large store room for kayaks, golf clubs, bicycles and diving equipment to make travel with sporting equipment easier
In the main hotel the Marine has added a seventh bedroom and has launched two new sea view suites.
The hotel now boasts 41 bedrooms with 100 bed spaces for tourists visiting the area.
The multi million pound redevelopment at the hotel was funded by AIB / First Trust Bank and supported by InVestNI Tourism division.
Claire Hunter, director of the Marine Hotel said the expansion is a response to growing tourism demand on the north coast.
"We are delighted to be part of the growth in experiential tourism and to be working with Tourism NI to deliver a high standard product in an area of outstanding natural beauty," she said
The Marine Hotel is already fully booked for bedrooms over the main four days of the 148th Open Golf Championship event in July. Last summer was the busiest season at the hotel since it re-opened in 2013, with revenues up 12 per cent and occupancy up 6 per cent year on year.
Claire and Colum Hunter purchased the Marine Hotel site out of receivership in 2013 and have redeveloped it into a modern three-star beach style hotel on Ballycastle's seafront.
