The Bayview Hotel in Portballintrae will add 20 bedrooms to its offering by the summer of 2019, bringing the total number of rooms at the hotel to
45.
According to the hotel’s managing director, Trevor Kane, a recent boom in tourism in Northern Ireland has played a huge part in the decision to expand
the property, with occupancy at the Bayview Hotel maintaining 83% throughout the year.
He said that television shows like Game of Thrones have helped contribute to the rise in popularity of the area and that adding more bedrooms will
help encourage people to commit to a longer stay.
Kane said: “It’s no secret that the popularity of this area has grown in recent years. The current occupancy rate of the Bayview maintains a steady
83 per cent – well above Northern Ireland’s average – and at peak holiday season, hotel rooms on the North Coast are in notoriously short supply.
“Television shows like Game of Thrones, as well as a busy sports calendar, have contributed to this, but we have also been lucky to benefit from
repeat business from excellent customers who keep coming back to us time and time again. This firmly established demand has given us the opportunity
to invest and extend.
“Adding these new rooms will not only provide a vital boost to the local economy but will also encourage more tourists to visit and spend a longer
stay on the North Coast, rather than just passing through.”
After securing a loan from Barclays, the hotel’s local banking partner since 2015, Bayview Hotel will now focus on the bedrooms expansion, before
introducing a new restaurant underneath the building.
Christopher Murray, relationship director, Barclays Northern Ireland, said: “Our partnership with the Bayview fits perfectly with Barclays’ desire
to support SMEs in Northern Ireland. We are seeing the steady growth of the hotel tourism and hospitality sector locally and the resulting
potential for the hotel is a great opportunity for them.”
The Bayview Hotel is proud to become the first hotel in Northern Ireland to install destination charging points for Tesla Electric Vehicles.
This is part of our bid to reduce our carbon footprint and to enable and encourage EV owners to access more of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland,
without having to worry about where the nearest charging point is.
We have installed 2 Tesla charging points and one EV charging point where guests can park overnight and whilst recharging themselves with an overnight
stay can also rest easy that their EV's will be fully charged in the morning, allowing the road trip to continue!
Trends are always evolving and with the UK government announcing a ban on the sale of new petrol & diesel vehicles by 2040 the car industry will change
drastically including how we as drivers travel. Other European countries have similar announcements in place with introductions announced prior
to the UK 2040 timescale.
Travel and Tourism is increasing, with visitors using all modes of transport to enjoy this part of the world, we feel it is vital that we do not restrict
any traveler and hope that the installation of these charging ports will encourage and connect people from all over to visit Northern Ireland, the
UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Of course, this announcement will have many unanswered questions but one thing is for sure, that we will see an increase in both hybrid & electric
vehicles on our roads in the forthcoming years.
For more information on destination charging points please click here.
