Derry City's Walled City Hotel has been given the green light for expansion, despite concerns over the project's impact on the listed building and surrounding area. The hotel, which occupies the former Bank of Ireland building, is a grade B1 listed building and is located in the heart of Derry city centre. The expansion plans, which include the retention of a rooftop extension and the addition of 32 new bedrooms, were approved by Derry City and Strabane District Council's Planning Committee. However, the council's Historic Environment Division had recommended that the plans be refused, citing concerns over the project's impact on the listed building and surrounding area. The division stated that the extension would not respect the intrinsic value, character, and setting of the listed building, and would erode the historic street-scape and compromise an adjoining conservation area's special character. A spokesperson for the applicant argued that the hotel represents a £12 million investment in a city centre heritage asset, creating 74 temporary construction jobs, 24 full-time jobs once the hotel is complete, and £7 million direct tourism spend. They also stated that the originally-approved, 40-bedroom hotel had significant deficiencies due to limited rooms and awkward sizes of rooms. The proposal provides 32 additional bedrooms, providing critical mass and enhancing the tourists offer and visitor experience, they added. The Walled City Hotel at the corner of Sackville Street and Strand Road in Derry city centre opened its doors in the summer of 2025. The 4-star boutique hotel is one of a number of new hotels which have opened in Derry over the past decade. Tourism in Derry is on the rise, and the city saw a substantial growth in overnight visitors in 2025. The latest figures released by NISRA indicated that Derry and Strabane welcomed 399,478 overnight trips during 2025, generating visitor spend of £93,579,475. Compared with 2024, overnight trips increased by 10.3%, and visitor spend rose by 12.1%. The growth in tourism is expected to continue, with the city's hotel sector expected to see a further increase in occupancy rates and revenue in the coming years.