£9m hotel will bring jobs boost
A £9 MILLION four-star luxury spa hotel could soon be on the way to Carmarthenshire, bringing 130 new jobs with it.
Plans for the 100-bedroom hotel at Pensarn, on the gateway to Carmarthen, have been on the drawing board for five years, but now the backers are hoping progress will be announced soon in their bid for funding.
The hotel, on a six-and-a-half acre elevated site, will have banqueting and conference facilities for 500 people, and luxury spa and leisure facilities.
Gryphon Leisure, the company which transformed Llanelli's Stradey Park Hotel, is behind the project.
Hotelier Angela Saunders said: "We are just hoping the scheme can progress soon.
"The site is at Pensarn, Carmarthen, behind Morrisons. It would be a four-star hotel."
The original scheme was for a five-star hotel.
But Angela said: "It's a different world than five years ago when the banks were looking to fund new development. But we are hoping to get there. We have expressed an intent to buy the property and we are just waiting to see what funding is available and whether we could go ahead with it.
"There will be a maximum of 130 new jobs. It is quite exciting." She said the next stage was finding out whether grant help was available.
"It's not just us. It has to be agreed at Assembly level as to whether there would be funding available."
The company behind the project owns both the Stradey Park Hotel, Llanelli, and Gwenllian Court in Kidwelly.
A new hotel is also set to open in Llanelli in 2012 when a £2 million Travelodge, creating 10 new jobs, is set to open at the Llanelli Eastern Gateway.
Carmarthenshire Council regeneration chief Clive Scourfield said: "Carmarthen is a booming town. With the £74 million St Catherine's Walk development, more people will be coming to stay here."
7 Comments
by Fiona, Gwendreathy Valley
Wednesday, November 18 2009, 6:48PM
“I dont know about hearing "English in England" i have been to London a few times and only the receptionist spoke or was english the rest were from other countries . When i asked why this was i was told "well everybody around here has far better jobs" .
As for a new Hotel thats great .”
by John, castell nedd
Wednesday, November 18 2009, 1:18PM
“Anti Welsh Language, Cardiff I totaly agree. Last year I went to France and was disgusted with what I heard. Everyone was speaking French. I went up to one chap and told him if he didn¿t stop speaking his dreadful lingo I would report him to the authorities.
The nerve of these people to actually speak their own language when English speaking people are about. It makes you wonder what sort of world we are living in.
Next we will be hearing that this hotel will be serving those continental breakfasts.
On a more serious note, I¿m sure it will be an enormous success. The area has so much to offer as we all know.”
by anon, carms
Wednesday, November 18 2009, 1:17PM
“Well Done Anti Welsh Language, Cardiff , you are right by saying that its getting out of hand in wales about the Language, i have been told that Asda has to Learn and speak welsh as well, is that against the Law. We are multi cultural nation now. next it will be other Language's as well that will have to be spoken ...? welcome to Wales...”
by Steve Jones, Uplands
Wednesday, November 18 2009, 1:14PM
“I don't see why taxpayers should help fund this. If a private company wants to build a hotel, then they should raise their own funding.”
by jacko, ssea
Wednesday, November 18 2009, 12:55PM
“not forgetting the national botantical gardens of wales and aberglasney gardens also”
by jacko, ssea
Wednesday, November 18 2009, 12:50PM
“carmarthenshire is glorious with lots of facilities pulling people in like ffos las, parc-yr-scarlets, millenium path, parc trostre, carmarthen shopping and good transport links with the m4. will be a great place to stay for visitors to the area with swansea and pembrokeshire on either side.”
by Anti Welsh Language, Cardiff
Wednesday, November 18 2009, 10:44AM
“"A £9 MILLION four-star luxury spa hotel could soon be on the way to Carmarthenshire "WHY? Is there the demand for this type of hotel in this area that's more use to having caravans for 8 months of the year?
Given the present economic climate in the UK thanks to the useless UK NuLabour Government and even more useless Welsh Assembly Government, this hotel if it's ever built will be a ghost hotel and will never make any money.
Lets hope that any company prepared to have this hotel built also employs English speaking staff so that "overseas" visitors are not put off by the welsh speakers. Recent national surveys have shown that Wales is being held back and putting people off visiting Wales because of the welsh language and the pathetic attitude some welsh speakers have towards English speakers. Seems to me that these welsh speakers are happy to keep Wales in the Middle Ages a sort of theme park Wales. Well it's not just be banging on about it, respectable national surveys are now saying the same, why go to Wales? Yachi Da!”