A HOTEL chain is to open its second hotel in Glasgow, creating around 75 jobs.
A HOTEL chain is to open its second hotel in Glasgow, creating around 75 jobs.
Jurys Inns has exchanged contracts on a 230-room hotel in Lancefield Street, Finnieston, near the SECC.
Hotel bosses want to capitalise on the 3.24million annual UK and overseas visitors to the Glasgow area who spend around £800million in the city each year.
They also believe Glasgow will benefit from more people holidaying in the UK this year instead of going abroad because of the unfavourable Euro exchange rate and the economic slump.
Jurys already has a 321-bedroom hotel in the city in Jamaica Street, near Central Station.
In 2006 it sold its other city hotel, The Pond, in Great Western Road.
The Irish budget chain's new hotel is part of a £90m four hotel investment by Jurys' developer McAleer and Rushe. Others are also being built in Newcastle, Portsmouth and Bradford, creating a total of 300 jobs.
Bosses hope the 230-room hotel near the SECC will be a launch pad for accelerated growth as the firm tries to capitalise on customers who want to economise on travel because of the credit crunch.
The hotel is expected to open next year.
John Brennan, the company's acting chief executive, said: "It is a significant vote of confidence in Glasgow that we can announce plans for a new hotel in the area in today's challenging economic climate.
"Our positioning at the premium end of the budget market means we can be competitive with business users switching from four star hotels and also leisure customers who still want hotel pedigree and hospitality from their weekend breaks.
"I am confident Glasgow can benefit from research predicting up to 50% of Britons will holiday at home due to the strong euro and recession."
