BUDGET hotel operator easyHotel has confirmed it will open in Belfast this summer.
The chain, which has locations across Europe and in the UAE, will open its first branch on the island of Ireland on Howard Street in Belfast city centre.
The new 81-bedroom hotel will be housed in Howard Buildings, above the popular Deanes restaurants; Eipic, Meat Locker and Love Fish.
Scaffolding was put up around the building a number of months ago and construction is beginning to gather momentum, with signs now on the building detailing the development.
The new easyHotel joins a host of new hotels opening this year in the locality, including the 304 bedroom Grand Central Hotel on Bedford Street, due to open in the summer and the 63-bedroom George Best Hotel, scheduled to be ready in September. In addition just last week the 237-room, 11-storey Maldron Hotel Belfast City opened on Brunswick Street, while Ten Square on Donegall Square announced plans for an additional 66 bedrooms as part of the latest multi-million pound phase of development at the city centre hotel.
The developments are part of an additional 3,000 bedrooms to be added to the city's stock in the next two years. It is forecast that the number of hotel bedrooms in the north will exceed 10,000 by 2019.
EasyHotel is part of the easy group, which includes budget airline easyJet, originally founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou.
