Golden Tulip plans 15 new hotels over three years in an ambitious UK and Ireland expansion plan.
The Dutch franchise chain opened a Tulip Inn in Portsmouth earlier this month and opens another in Leeds in March. They follow a new property in recently opened in Newcastle Gateshead.
Golden Tulip (UK), the UK development and franchise arm of the company, has gained its first foothold in Ireland with plans for a £13.8 million hotel at Dublin Airport with 155 rooms.
Negotiations are at an “advanced stage” for either Tulip Inn or Golden Tulip hotels in London, Belfast, Coventry, Cambridge, Epsom and Swindon as part of the expansion of the portfolio. Meanwhile, planning permission has been submitted for extensions to properties in Portsmouth and Manchester.
Golden Tulip president and CEO Hans Kennedie said: “Expansion in the UK is a key focus and we will have six hotels operational by early 2005. Our three-year target is for 2,000 bedrooms and the funding agreed earlier this year will help us achieve this.”
He said the Dublin Airport property was “an important step into developing further sites in Ireland”.
Report by Phil Davies
