A NEW multi-million pound Belfast hotel is set to open its doors later this week in the heart of the city centre.
Work is nearing completion on the 55-bedroom Flint Hotel on Howard Street, which is set to add yet more competition to the booming Belfast hotel market.
A proposed 220-seater rooftop bar, complete with a food offering is also due to open at the venue at the end of the year as part of the second phase of the major project.
The Flint is the brainchild of Belfast brothers Peter (28) and Ben Ringland (26), who have extensive experience in operating serviced apartments in the city and own Crescent Townhouse Hotel and Town Square on Botanic Avenue.
Speaking to the Irish News Peter Ringland said he believes the new hotel will add something different to the local market, with each room featuring its own kitchenette.
"The demand is obviously extremely strong in years gone by here, but we're not naive to the fact there is a massive supply coming into the market. I think our model though is slightly different from the competitors that are popping up," he said.
"Our rooms are little suites and the wee kitchenette adds a different dynamic to the model and attracts a slightly different clientèle.
"Hotel customers can stay for a bit longer, cook the odd meal and make their own breakfast.We're not too afraid with the hotel supply coming on, because we've got our own USP (unique selling point)."
The new city centre hotel is aimed at the corporate market, but its design is more equivalent to that of the Bullitt Hotel on Church Lane.
"We're more design led and less corporate," Peter continued.
"We don't like that corporate feel that you get with the chains. So those two things in combination we're fairly confident we will do well."
On average a room in The Flint will set you back around £100 a night and already the venue has attracted strong interest, with bookings received for summer 2019.
"We've sold a lot of rooms in advance right through for the next 12 months so there's bookings as far as this time next year. Demand has been pretty strong for this summer so we can't complain and we're not established yet so it will only increase," he added.
A total of 20 jobs have been created so far at The Flint and if the proposed rooftop bar plans come to fruition it could bring staff numbers up to 50.
It is set to be a busy summer of hotel openings in Belfast, with the Grand Central Hotel due to open at the end of next week and the George Best, Hampton by Hilton and easyHotels all to begin operations later this summer.
