A County Antrim hotel has opened a bespoke wedding pavilion following extensive refurbishment, and this may also mean a jobs boost.
The Ross Park Hotel has enjoyed support from Ulster Bank to the tune of £400,000.
Existing facilities, including the lobby and main function space, have been revamped and modernised.
The investment by Ulster Bank has supported the creation of a wedding pavilion, allowing civil marriage ceremonies to take place in a stand-alone venue at the hotel which is situated on the outskirts of Ballymena.
With capacity for up to 120 guests, the pavilion overlooks a wooded area and gardens. It also boasts a stained glass window and has many other features designed to create a romantic, peaceful setting.
The pavilion carries state of the art technology, including camera equipment to live-stream weddings all over the world.
Director of Carmichaels NI Limited, Keith Carmichael, is expecting the wedding pavilion to attract many couples to the Ross Park Hotel.
“Weddings are a key part of our customer base at the Ross Park, and as such, we wanted to maximise our offering to would-be clients. Having noticed an increase in the number of couples opting for a civil ceremony rather than a church wedding, we decided to add on a purpose-built wedding pavilion away from the hustle and bustle of the main hotel,” he said.
He said thanks to the financial support received from Ulster Bank, the pavilion itself has been finished to an exceptionally high standard.
Andy Tew, Business Development Manager with Ulster Bank said the bank was pleased to support a project of this nature.
“The work at the Ross Park Hotel has been carried out to an exceptionally high standard and we’re proud to have played a role in this upgrade,” he said.
“In broader terms, we are seeing huge growth across the local hospitality sector and we at Ulster Bank are keen to work with businesses and help them benefit from this increase in demand,” he added.
For more information about the hotel or the wedding pavilion, visit http://www.rosspark.com/ or call wedding manager Angus D’Arcy on 028 2589 1663 to arrange a viewing.
