Hotelier Tom Moran is to inject €166 million into refurbishing and expanding his chain of Moran's and Bewleys Hotels.

In an interview with the Irish Times the businessman revealed plans to spend €10 million immediately on refurbishing the landmark Bewleys in Ballsbridge and approximately €166 million over the next three years.

He plans to upgrade the "jewel in the crown" Ballsbridge to a four-star hotel and rename it under the Moran brand. The 304-bed hotel will stay open during refurbishment.

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He told the paper he plans to spend about €90 million redeveloping his seven-acre Red Cow site in southwest Dublin and €66 million on two UK hotels.

Mr Moran also revealed to the Times that he has been granted planning permission to build a 475-bed hotel and conference centre with a 2,000 people capacity on the Red Cow site. The centrepiece at the site is a 17-storey glazed building but the plans also include leisure facilities, restaurants, bars and 900 parking spaces.

The group will soon seek tenders from builders for the development work, which is expected to begin next year and complete in 2011.

(VB/JM)