Hotel Carlton, Belleek RMG73
FOUR years after its shock closure, the Carlton Hotel in Belleek will soon be back in business. The three star hotel ceased trading in January 2013 after going into administration the previous July. Two months later it was sold at auction for £300,000 when it was expected to re-open in time for the G8 Summit that June.
The 35-bedroom hotel is a prominent landmark on the banks of the River Erne in the centre of Belleek and directly opposite the internationally renowned Belleek Pottery Visitors Centre, which attracts thousands of tourists every year.
The hotel’s closure left 25 people out of work but five positions are now being advertised for suitably experienced staff: head Chef, receptionist, restaurant manager, night porter and maintenance technician.
The hotel has been acquired by Ballymena-based businessman Sam Morrison, owner of one of the North’s largest property firms, Corbo. A spokesman for the company confirmed to the Herald this week that the business will re-open later this year as the Carlton House Hotel.
“We intend to be open before Christmas, initially only doing food followed by a refurbishment and a wedding fair. There has already been huge interest in the jobs advertised which gives us great enthusiasm that the hotel will be well-supported by local people when it re-opens,” they added.
Having traded successfully in the past, the Carlton provided an ideal setting for weddings and additional seasonal trade due to its close proximity to County Donegal. Belleek-based SDLP Councillor John Coyle said the hotel’s re-opening would bring vital employment to the area.
“Since its closure, the Carlton has been a huge loss to Belleek. It brought so many people to the town to avail of its facilities and was a very popular venue for events that attracted many people from both sides of the border.
“Now with the weaker sterling, this represents a great opportunity to attract more tourists to west Fermanagh,” he added.
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