Published: Thursday, 19th November, 2009 12:00pm

Middleton owners plan €1.5m expansion

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The owners of the almost 200-year old Middleton Park House at Castletown Geoghegan are about to seek planning permission for a €1.5m upgrade of the mansion, which operates as a hotel.

Managing partner Gerard Lynam told the Westmeath Examiner this week that he expects to double his staffing levels from the current 26 to 50 when the work is completed.

The plans for the house will see the banqueting area extended to cater for 170 customers, the provision of thirteen additional bedrooms, including ten "luxury" rooms; the extension of the kitchens, and the provision of a beauty treatment area, which will offer massage and beauty therapy services for customers.

"The works proposed will not impact on the historic building, as they will mostly involve the restoration and conversion of existing space in the house," Mr. Lynam said, adding that a lot of the expansion will be into one wing of the building which is currently not actually in use.

"There will be a small extension to the banqueting area, and for the new kitchens and storage areas," he said.

There are currently sixteen bedrooms in the hotel, and when the work is complete, that number will rise to 29.

While other hotels have been affected badly by the economic crisis, business has in fact been growing at Middleton Park over the two years since Mr. Lynam and his business partner took over.

"We are bucking the trend. We do a lot of weddings, and for next year, we're already running 100 per cent ahead of this year on bookings."

About a third of his business is local, about a third is drawn from Dublin/Galway - and about a third is international weddings, with one Irish partner, and one from abroad.

"We have not really sought to attract the leisure and corporate market, concentrating on what we do well which is, exclusive weddings, functions and fine dining.

"However and in response to demand, we are now opening the property to a wider audience.

"As a consequence we are now moving to a full seven day operation, and we would hope to raise the profile of our excellent Fine Dining Restaurant, the Silver Room under the charge of our European Head Chef, Mr. Jochen Nemmert"

Mr. Lynam said that conscious of the history of Middleton Park House - once home to the Boyd Rochfort family - conservation is a key priority.

"I do not want Middleton Park to be another anonymous golf resort hotel with an ugly bedroom block extension," he said, adding that the building was both unique and beautiful.

Recognisng the need to offer value for money Middleton Park House has developed some special offers, across its entire offering.

Details of these offerings will be advertised shortly.