New £20m hotel stillplanned for Portstewart

C&V Developments Ltd and hotel management company, Interstate Europe Hotels and Resorts say they are confident that the Merrow Hotel and Spa will create over 100 jobs when it opens at Ballyreagh Road.

The proposed 118-room complex will feature a luxury spa with sea views, a leisure club with a 20m pool, a glass sauna and infinity pool, a steam room, a gym and studio, a demonstration restaurant, a bar/bistro restaurant, a signature cocktail bar, a conference space, meeting rooms and nine chalets serviced by the hotel.

The developers said that an application for planning permission had been granted by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in March 2018.

However, construction was delayed after the process was challenged by objectors just a few days short of their three month deadline last June.

The developers also stated that planning permission was “quashed” for a second time this month.

Speaking on behalf of the Merrow Hotel and Spa team, Vivienne Gilholm said: “After a year in the High Court, the decision to grant planning was quashed on four technical points.

“These aspects will now be addressed with a view to securing approvals imminently.

“We are working tirelessly to bring this project to life and wish to assure everyone that we are not put off by delays.

“Our goal is to create a hotel complex that is sympathetic to its surroundings.

“Our aim has always been to provide much-needed accommodation and leisure facilities that showcase the North Coast, which can be accessed by both locals and visitors alike.”