50 | LOCAL TOURIST


Northern Ireland Beauty Spots Named as UK’s newest UNESCO Global Geopark


UNESCO has named the Mourne Gullion Strangford region in the south-east corner of


Northern geological Ireland past as


the UK’s newest Global Geopark in tribute to its


and


culturally rich present. The geopark includes areas


three of natural


beauty: the Ring of Gullion, the Mourne mountains with the 850-metre peak of Slieve Donard,


and wildlife-rich


Strangford Lough, the UK’s largest coastal lough.


www.nitravelnews.com


NEW ERA BECKONS FOR THE ROSSPARK AS HOTEL IS OFFERED FOR SALE


ONE of Northern Ireland’s most popular full-service hotels, the Rosspark Hotel in Kells, Ballymena is to be offered for sale following the announcement that owner Keith Carmichael, a renowned figure in the hospitality industry, will be retiring. Located on the outskirts of Ballymena and 20 miles from Belfast and the North Coast, the 39 bedroom modern property is set on a landscaped parkland extending up to 10 acres. It was bought by the Carmichael Group in 1999 and since then under the management of Keith Carmichael has made significant investments of £3million and enhancements which have enabled the Rosspark to become an award-winning wedding venue. Renowned for its high-quality service for weddings, the hotel features five conference / function suites, a stunning new Garden Lounge with private bar and a state-of- the-art wedding pavilion to accommodate wedding ceremonies, civil partnerships and blessing, The Therapy Rooms which was available to both hotel guests and the general public and extensive landscaped gardens. Concept plans have also been drawn up


Lisburn Square to Assume Operations of Haslem Hotel & The Lark


LISBURN Square will assume business operations of popular Lisburn venues, Haslem Hotel and The Lark from the Beannchor group in the coming weeks. In 2019, Beannchor were appointed by the owners of Lisburn Square to create and establish operations for a new hotel. Haslem opened to the public in September 2020, creating a buzz as the first hotel in Lisburn


city centre. In December 2021, the companies also collaborated on the redevelopment of the former Weatherspoon’s venue in Lisburn Square, creating a new bar and restaurant concept, The Lark. Beannchor’s agreement has come to its end, following a successful launch period


to provide a 38 bedroom extension to the property, 17 new 2-bedroom cottages and a new spa facility / swimming pool to enable further expansion of the hotel. Owner, Keith Carmichael said, “I am very proud to see how the Rosspark has grown and developed over the last 24 years, whilst continuing to be a popular destination for families and friends to come together for special occasions. I have thoroughly enjoyed developing the hotel along with my family


for both venues. Despite the impact of the pandemic, the venues have now completed a year’s successful, uninterrupted trading, developing a loyal following and exceeding initial trading expectations. The management team at Lisburn Square are now poised to lead the next chapter for


June 2023


and the great team we have been fortunate to have working with us at the hotel. The time has now come for me to think about my retirement and start the process for this and enable the new owner to take the Rosspark to the next stage of its development.” The sale is being handled by property consultant Gavin Weir, Principal, Avison Young in Belfast who said, “This is a unique opportunity for someone to build on the great work that has been done over the last number of years at the Rosspark Hotel. Opportunities like this rarely become available on the open market and we anticipate a significant level of interest from locally based hotel groups as well as parties based in the UK and Republic of Ireland who will see this as chance to enter the Northern Ireland market and hit the ground running without the time delay and onerous costs that come with a new build project.” The


Carmichael Group has been a


prominent force within the hospitality industry for the last five decades purchasing, redeveloping, and running an impressive portfolio of bars restaurants and hotels in locations around Northern Ireland including Morrisons, the Tidy Doffer restaurant outside Hillsborough, The Stables in Groomsport and the Hillside in Hillsborough. The group currently own several bars and restaurants in the Belfast and North Down area including the Bryansburn Inn which is operated by Ian Carmichael and other bars and restaurants leased to tenants including Pug Uglys, The Groomsport Inn, The Stables, and The Esplanade, along with an extensive property portfolio.


the two venues, as part of its longer-term vision for the development of the leisure and retail destination.


Beannchor will continue to operate its


Little Wing Pizzeria restaurant on the Square – one of its 10 Little Wing restaurants across Northern Ireland.


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