Minister welcomes Ibis hotel chain to Northern Ireland

Tourism Minister, Arlene Foster, officially welcomed the internationally recognised Ibis hotel chain to Northern Ireland, today.

Andras House, a leading property development and hospitality company based in Belfast, intends to build five new hotels in Northern Ireland in a £50million programme over the next few years.

The company currently operates some of the best-known hotel brands, including the Ramada Hotel Belfast, Days Inn, Express by Holiday Inn and now Ibis.

Speaking at the formal opening of the first Ibis hotel, the Minister said: “The launch of the Ibis brand in Northern Ireland is a significant sign of confidence in Northern Ireland’s tourism potential, as we continue to attract global brands of this stature.

“Not only does this investment raise the quality of the tourism infrastructure, it also capitalises on existing demand for quality accommodation for both business and leisure purposes. Tourism has a vital role to play in Northern Ireland’s future and, during these challenging economic times, this investment provides a welcome boost to the local economy.

“As the expectations of our visitors continue to rise, it is important that we not only meet, but exceed such expectations, by providing a wide range of choice, improved accommodation and superior customer service. The development of hotels such as Ibis Queen’s Quarter and the soon to open Ibis King Street can help showcase Northern Ireland as an attractive location, with quality accommodation on offer.”

Lord Diljit Rana, Chairman and Chief Executive of Andras House, Belfast’s biggest hotel group was responsible for securing the Ibis brand for Northern Ireland. Andras House has built and will operate the hotels under franchise. He said: “We are delighted these are the first ever franchised Ibis hotels in the UK. This shows a significant vote of confidence by the globally-renowned Accor Hospitality Group in our company. It is symbolic of their trust in the Northern Ireland tourism product and in the quality of service they know will be delivered to our high standards locally.”

Ibis hotels are part of the French-owned Accor Group, that currently operate 831 hotels in 42 countries around the world providing more than 97,000 rooms. The hotel chain is aimed at both business and leisure travellers.

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