New owners have taken over the Seagoe Hotel in Portadown and have vowed to completely transform the county Armagh venue.
The ambitious makeover has already begun with plans granted for the hotel to add a further 24 bedrooms to the pre-existing 34 – making it one of the largest hotels in the county.
New owner Paula Gilbert – who also runs The Planters in Waringstown with her husband Darren – says the Seagoe will be entirely revamped before eventually seeing an extension over the next two years.
Speaking to Armagh I, Mrs Gilbert said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be embarking on this huge project.
“We’ll be working alongside Neil Hamilton in changing the face of the Seagoe. And we’re lucky that we’ve already got some of the best staff on board, so we’ll be working hard to help them and ourselves realise our full potential.”
She added: “We intend to improve and upgrade the menus as well as going after more corporate businesses within the Seagoe industrial estate.
“We will improve our conference and meeting facilities and at the same time develop our wedding offerings to cater for everybody with a much better economy of service.
“We will invest in the hotel over the next 12 months, improving and upgrading our bedrooms; and then upgrade all wedding and function facilities over the next 24 months.
“We will then put to use the planning permission after the hotel’s existing 34 bedrooms have been given a complete makeover.”
The hotel will look to expand their wine offering as well developing an excellent gin and whiskey menu.
There will also be a return of the Sunday carvery.
“We will work closely with the local craft market, all our food suppliers will be local,” Mrs Gilbert explained.
“All functions and weddings currently booked are all secured and we’re looking forward to meeting, and going above, their expectations.”
The carvery will launch on June 4 with a family day at the hotel. Iron Man is already a confirmed guest with another planned. There will also be a wedding showcase on the Sunday.
