THE first phase of an extensive renovation programme has been completed at the Jarvis International Hotel in Blackrod.

It involved spending £300,000 on a stylish new lobby and the complete refurbishment of the Georgian Suite, an event room which holds up to 150 people.

The 91-room hotel is to spend a further £480,000 next year on internal work which will include refurbishment of 30 bedrooms and an additional event room, The Royal Tudor, which will hold up to 180.

General Manager Nathan Smith-Hilliard said: "With this substantial investment of more than £750,000 we can rightly claim that the Jarvis International, Bolton, is one of the foremost hotels in the region, catering to the needs of our clients in the global marketplace."