FALKIRK'S rising position as one of Scotland’s major tourist destinations has helped spark further investment and growth from Britain’s biggest hotel chain, Premier Inn, which has announced expansion and refurbishment across its estate based in the area.
The leading hospitality business has started building a total of 66 new bedrooms in addition to major refurbishment work on existing accommodation across its four hotels.
The investment coincides with the launch of a major tourism drive for the Falkirk area, led by VisitFalkirk, which aims to increase overnight stays as a key part of its five year strategy. Public awareness and experience of the Falkirk area has significantly increased in the last year with the opening of more major attractions including The Kelpies, which has already welcomed one million visitors in its first year. The area also boasts established tourist attractions such as The Falkirk Wheel, has a thriving canal network and is part of the celebrated John Muir Way walking trail.
To facilitate growth in the area and attract inward investment, Falkirk Council’s £multi-million infrastructure programme, which is aided by the Scottish Government’s Tax Incremental Finance scheme, is unlocking land ready for development with improvements to road and access points to support future land use. The Falkirk Gateway is one such site identified as a key opportunity for the leisure and hospitality sector, given its prime location next to Falkirk Stadium and Helix Park, which is home to The Kelpies.
Premier Inn’s new accommodation is expected to roll out from August, with the completion of 20 bedrooms at the Falkirk Central Premier Inn (Rosebank Beefeater), which will also benefit from full refurbishment of its 31 existing rooms.
A further 20 new bedrooms at the Falkirk East Premier Inn (Cadgers Brae Brewers Fayre) are to be completed by October, alongside new windows for all other rooms and a full refurb of the reception area, whilst the Falkirk North Premier Inn (Kincardine Way Brewers Fayre) will be extended by 26 bedrooms by early 2016 to coincide with full refurbishment of the existing accommodation. Sixty bedrooms at the Falkirk Larbert Premier Inn have already been fully refurbished as part of the project.
David Christmas, Project and Programme Manager for Premier Inn, said: “Our Falkirk Premier Inns have been a great success. With more and more people wanting to visit our hotels, we are adding an additional 66 bedrooms across our Falkirk portfolio.
“Falkirk is an excellent location for our guests and we are confident that our new extensions will contribute positively to Falkirk’s vibrant tourism industry – attracting new visitors to the area and delivering new investment and jobs.”
The expansion in Falkirk is a result of the company’s investment plan, which identifies areas that are prospering and are benefitting from investment. In recent years the Falkirk area has become a more popular destination, with attractions like The Kelpies adding to the great number of places to visit.”
Falkirk Council’s spokesperson for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, Cllr Adrian Mahoney said: “Further expansion and commitment from Premier Inn demonstrates the confidence from the private sector in the area’s potential and its position as a thriving and attractive place to invest.
“Through the Council’s infrastructure programme we have placed massive and long-term commitment to create opportunities for investment with a strategy that ensures our land can be developed in partnership with investors. As the area continues to experience growth in visitor numbers there are obvious investment opportunities for firms in the leisure sector.”
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