Photo by flickr user ggjsmith
The Troubles are over, and the prosperity that has changed the face of the Republic of Ireland in recent years is beginning to seep north over the border, though the effect on Northern Ireland's fairly dull hotels has, as yet, been slow to manifest itself. Belfast, however, is certainly witnessing change, especially with the opening of its first grande luxe city hotel, the Merchant Hotel, set in the former headquarters of the Ulster Bank. Malmaison also has a presence in Belfast, and there are two other 'boutique' places, Ten Square, which doesn't do it for us, and Crescent Town House, which does. Outside Belfast, anyone looking for a bit of character and personality should turn, in the main, to privately run guesthouses, of which there are several fine examples, rather than the crop of run of the mill hotels on offer (with notable exceptions: see below). Of the 'five star' hotels in the province (we would say 'four'), the Hastings group run six long-established properties, two of which, Slieve Donard and Cullodon (in Holywood, four miles from Belfast), have superb state of the art spas attached, much appreciated by those looking for golf-and-spa holidays. The order by which the hotels are listed bears no reflection on our preference.
Written by Fiona Duncan
