Yotel Belfast: Sewer problems see move to block global hotel giant's £17m first branch in province
Northern Ireland Water wants a global hotel chain’s first branch in the province stopped, as the sewer system in a major part of Belfast couldn’t handle it.
Yotel last year announced plans to build a 165-room facility on a patch of empty ground next to Shaftesbury Square, in the Botanic part of the city. To be constructed in partnership with Northern Ireland industry giant Andras Hotels, it’s slated to open in late 2026.
But NI Water has now twice stated it wants the £17m project stopped – and, unless the developers can negotiate an acceptable solution to sewer capacity issues in the area, officials will tell city planners to refuse permission for the building.
Initially highlighting pressures on the system a few months ago, the water firm said it’s recommending “connections to the public sewerage system are curtailed” in the area.
The capacity issues, said officials, create “significant risks” of badly impacting on both the environment and existing properties close to Shaftesbury Square.
NI Water stated that if the hotel is to go ahead, the developers would need to come up with something that would get round the problem.
This month, the water firm said that so far hasn’t happened and planning permission should be refused – though officials say that could change if developers can find an answer NI Water agrees would work and is deliverable.
Announced in autumn last year, if the hotel goes ahead it will be Yotel’s first branch in Northern Ireland, its eighth in the United Kingdom, and its 35th across the globe.
The new-build project is described as being “in the historic Shaftesbury Square in central Belfast, just minutes’ walk from some of the city’s most popular attractions including Queen’s University and the Botanic Gardens”.
Revealing the plans last September, Yotel chief development officer Rohan Thakkar said: “We are delighted to bring Yotel to Belfast, a city that shares our unwavering passion for innovation and creativity.
“Yotel Belfast marks an exciting step forward in our global franchise strategy and strengthens our portfolio as the 35th signed hotel, bringing our total key count to nearly 8,000. We are thrilled to partner with Andras Hotels, one of the leading and largest operators in the region.”
The hotel will feature 165 rooms based around the chain’s model of concentrating on space-saving design, offering what it describes as “smart technology and maximum comfort for visitors to the city”. It’ll also contain an eatery, a 24-hour gym and a meeting room.
Public spaces, stated the chain, will be designed in collaboration with local interior designers and architects to reflect the “unique character of the Northern Irish capital” and create a welcoming space for hotel guests and the local community.
The director of Andras Hotels, Rajesh Rana, described the £17m project as “a modern accommodation option for global travellers” that would bring high quality jobs, “establishing the hotel as a major asset to the growing tourism market in Belfast”.
He stated: “The development will play an important role in transforming Shaftesbury Square, providing physical regeneration and bringing visitors to this important area.
“Our architects have done a wonderful job of designing a building that is modern but sits comfortably with the local context.”