Gryphon plans five-star spa hotel in Carmarthen

Welsh leisure company Gryphon has unveiled plans to build a luxury £14m five-star spa hotel in Carmarthen.

Gryphon, which already operates two hotels in Carmarthenshire, has secured outline planning permission for a 100-bedroom hotel to be built at Parc Pensarn, a 15-acre site currently owned by the Welsh Development Agency (WDA). Full backing for the proposal has been given by both the WDA and the Wales Tourist Board.

James Brunt, director at Gryphon Leisure, said: "We have chosen Wales, and Carmarthen in particular, as we feel that there is a huge opportunity to develop a luxury bedstock there, and because, as a company, we have more than 30 years' experience within the county."

Gryphon said it wanted to make the hotel a five-star design-led property with a destination spa. Spa facilities at the hotel will be designed by leading spa company E'Spa. Other features will be state-of-the-art conference and banqueting facilities for up to 500 delegates, fine-dining restaurants, coffee shops, health food bars and a health and fitness club. Gryphon added that it would be an environmentally friendly "ecotel" that would recycle its water and use solar energy.