£1.5m refurbishment for Ramada Plaza

£1.5m refurbishment for Ramada Plaza

Lord Diljit Rana (right) and Rajesh Rana welcome the Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, to the Ramaga Plaza Shaws Bridge hotel for the unveiling of its new £1.5m upgrade.

 

Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, has launched a £1.5m refurbishment at the four-star Ramada Plaza Shaws Bridge hotel, which is owned by the Andras Hotel Group.

Supported by Danske Bank, the two-year project has included a major makeover of the Grand Ballroom, which is the largest banqueting space in Northern Ireland. The development has also seen the creation of the Laganview Suite. And the final phase features a new contemporary art deco design in the lobby.

Speaking at the launch, Theresa Villiers said that she felt it was a great honour to be able to take part in the opening ceremony. A huge amount of effort and investment had gone into the project, she added, and it was crucial to support businesses like this to deliver a strong economy across the country.

The Secretary of State also paid tribute to the work of Lord Diljit Rana who, she said, had been a strong supporter of Northern Ireland through good times and bad.

Rajesh Rana, director of Andras Hotels Group told the gathering:

“Today sees the completion of a vision which we created alongside world-renowned interior designers, Philip Rodgers, and we are absolutely thrilled by the end result.

“We have tried and succeeded in sourcing each and every element locally in a bid to celebrate the fantastic craftspeople we have in Northern Ireland.

“From the stunning, hand-made carpets, to the bespoke furniture, the atmospheric lighting and the specially commissioned artwork by local artist Lucy Turner, everything is world-class and the feedback we have had to date has far exceeded our expectations.”

Andras Hotels has been investing in the local hotel market throughout the recession, including the construction of two new Ibis Hotels in 2009 and a renovation of the Holiday Inn Express in 2010. The Group is now Belfast’s largest hotelier and has further plans to expand the portfolio, with a £2.5m refurbishment and rebrand of the Days Hotel now underway and planning permission lodged for a new 179-bedroom, £12m hotel in Belfast city Centre.