Vacant Glens Hotel set to get the ‘Z-factor’

The Glens Hotel in Cushendall is set for a dramatic revival thanks to property development start-up Z Group.

The currently vacant and dilapidated property, on the A2 Coast Road between Glenariff and Cushendun, was snapped up by Z Property Developments in recent weeks having first gone on the market in 2016 for £400,000.

Z Property Developments was set up in 2021 by Scott Kennedy, a former project manager with McAleer and Rushe.

Z Property Group, a holding company for Z Property Developments,is set to share its preliminary plans for the 13-bed hotel and seek feedback from the local community at the end of February.

Group marketing manager Georgia Galway said: “We fully intend to turn this into something quite spectacular and breathe fresh life into the village again.

“And we don’t want simply to refurbish the Glens and sell it on, but will be there to run the hotel ourselves when the work is complete.

“There is huge demand in this area for staycations, so there is massive potential for the Glens Hotel when we bring it back to life.

“We see the restored function room becoming a focal point for weddings and awards ceremonies for GAA and other sporting organisations.

“And where previous the hotel operated seasonally, we see its potential for year-round use.”

Just before Christmas Z Property Group – which is developing its first residential scheme at Newbuildings in Derry, acquired a site on Belfast’s Dublin Road for a £14 million residential scheme.

Plans are in place to develop 85 serviced apartments on a site previously occupied by the Kitch restaurant and the Emerald Chinese takeaway.

The existing buildings have since been demolished, and work on the new ten-storey scheme has now commenced, with Z’s ambition being to “further enliven the Dublin Road and act as a catalyst for further developments in the area.”