BLACKPOOL'S tourism industry looks set for a jobs boost after a £6 million deal to sell the resort's biggest hotel was sealed.

As The Citizen predicted, the Norbreck Castle Hotel is under new management and set for a major refurbishment.

New owners, Cheshire-based Britannia, have pledged to use their expertise in the conference and banqueting industry to boost trade and attract more events to the hotel's conference hall.

Alex Langsam, joint owner and founder of Britannia Hotels, said: "The hotel very urgently needs refurbishing, and we are going to start that imminently.

"It is going to be completely refurbished -- it has needed it for a long time. Blackpool will be getting a much more attractive hotel."

Mr Langsam dismissed speculation that the hotel could be renamed, adding: "We are keeping the same name -- it is an old, established name.

"We specialise in the conference and banqueting business, and we will attract a lot of business for the hotel through our own, systems."

Mr Langsam, who first visited Blackpool as a child, says the resort's ambitious masterplan was not part of his thinking in completing the deal.

"I'm just interested in developing the hotel," he added: "What Blackpool may or may not do is very far removed from that.

"It may not happen and it might take an awful long time . I just want to get the hotel up to a good standard as quickly as possible."

The hotel became available after its former owner, Principal Finance Group, merged its hotel operations with Le Meridien.

Le Meridien's regional managing director, Tony Troy, said: "Prior to finalising our plans to merge the two brands we conducted an initial review of all the hotels in the region.

"Our strategic plans are now in place and the decision has been made to sell these six properties, as they do not meet Le Meridien's core brand specifications.

"The future of these hotels, which are all operating at a profit, will be best served by new owners who will invest in them either as individual hotels or as part of a group."