Macdonald Hotels & Resorts has reported it will manage the Dragon hotel in the central part of Swansea. The 106 guestroom hotel that belongs to the London-based organization Devonshire Trust has been recently fully refurbished. Now the hotel will become a part of Macdonald’s portfolio that includes 45 hotels in different parts of Spain and the UK.
The property will be the only hotel in Wales managed by Macdonald Hotels. However, the company reports that the hotel will be included in the marketing and sales network of Macdonald. The group had had another property in the region, Macdonald Holland House hotel in Cardiff, but it was sold in 2006. As the company describes the new hotel, The Dragon is a modern hotel with amazing location in the centre of the city, so it will draw the attention of corporate and leisure travellers. The new operating company plans to improve the hotel’s sales system and wants to attract new visitors, in particular corporate ones.
The renovation of the Dragon hotel in Swansea cost £3.5m. Even through the hotel will be operated by Macdonald Hotels, it will not be branded as a Macdonald hotel. The Dragon hotel is equipped with an AA-rosette Dragon Brasserie, a large banquet hall for 230 people, and an 18m long swimming pool. In 2010, the hotel was named the Best Hotel in Swansea at Swansea Life Awards.
The news about the agreement appeared just several weeks after the announcement of the annual profit of Macdonald that estimates £1.9m.