Belfast is a city of delightful surprises, and nowhere more so than at Grand Central Hotel in the heart of the Linen Quarter
Words: Libby Norman
Belfast is one of those cities which, once visited, are taken to heart – it’s full of delightful surprises. We know this because we visited once before for a party weekend at the majestic Culloden Estate in Holywood. Now we’re back to experience its city-centre sister, the Grand Central Hotel.
Opened to much fanfare in 2018 by family-owned Hastings Hotels (a byword for Northern Irish hospitality) after a bold reinvention of an unloved office block, it’s a new city landmark that has fitted seamlessly into Belfast’s story. It sits in the Linen Quarter, where once prosperous cloth merchants traded with the world. Now this area is home to lively bars and shops, and a burgeoning arts scene.
The name Grand Central honours a Victorian landmark hotel that used to stand on Royal Avenue but, in its new incarnation, it stands tall on Bedford Street. First impression is thoroughly modern, all shimmering glass and charcoal panels, but step inside and you get an instant sense of Belfast’s heritage in the interior details.
Grand Central stands tall at 80 metres, so its 300 rooms come with great views as standard. That said, ours is one of the best – we’ve been upgraded to a Mountain View Suite on the 21st floor with a sweeping vista across the city to Cavehill.
Luxurious meets cosy here, all mellow tones and rich textures with a super-king and super-comfortable bed and lavish bathroom stocked with ESPA goodies. We also have a separate large space with kitchenette, dining and living areas, so our own swish apartment at the city’s best address.
Two floors up is The Observatory Bar, a new jewel in Belfast’s crown as the highest cocktail bar in all Ireland. From its windows, you have a panorama of landmarks, from City Hall and the yellow Harland & Wolff cranes that mark out the Titanic Quarter to the brooding Belfast Hills. Mixology is serious business here, with a fantastic range of local and global gins and Irish whiskeys, while signature cocktails are named after local landmarks.
“Mixology is serious business here – signature cocktails are named after city landmarks”
We discover that references to Belfast heritage are woven throughout the hotel – from the seahorse logo, first used by merchants and then adopted as a symbol of a great maritime trading city to the delicate framed Irish linen panel in our suite.
There are many lovely public spaces to drink in subtle details, but we particularly enjoy the double height lobby with Art Deco-style Grand Café off to the side. This meeting point gives the hotel lobby a buzz and great people watching opportunities, as business meetings give way to afternoon teas and evening trysts.
You can see why it’s a popular spot with the locals as soon as you step out onto the street, for you are in the heart of things. And this is such a walkable city. A short stroll takes us down historic streets full of quirky shops and cafes.
We stop to explore Avoca, packed with gorgeous Irish textiles and produce, and then tour historic St George’s Market where crowds come for crafts, food and live music from Friday through to Sunday.
After dark, Belfast is about fun – people here dress up to head out on the town. We start by heading round the corner from Grand Central to the glitzy bar of the Europa Hotel, another great city landmark, before checking out the UK’s only National Trust-owned pub opposite.
If you only have time for one Irish pub in Belfast, then make it The Crown Bar – a perfectly preserved slice of Victoriana with its ornate entrance, cosy snugs and original gas lighting. If you have time for two pubs, step through the door of Robinsons next door – another magnificent time warp experience with its richly tiled floor and lustrous bar.
For any weekender, Titanic Belfast is a must-see, picking up numerous awards and plaudits since it opened in 2012. It’s not hard to see why, as this dramatic liner-like building tells the compelling story of both the great ship and the powerhouse city that built her – it’s a profoundly moving journey through Belfast’s people and past. Two hours is all we have as we have a dinner date, but we promise ourselves we will return on our next visit.
“We feast on local fish and seafood, duck and venison, not forgetting a memorable sorbet”
We already know the food in Grand Central is good as our Irish breakfasts have been a treat. But dinner at Seahorse Restaurant takes things to a whole new level. Tasting menus don’t always hit the spot for me, but this one is pitch perfect on taste and balance.
As with every Hastings Hotels menu, provenance is central, and so we feast on local seafood, duck and venison, not forgetting a memorable sorbet. Final plate – a light-as-air soufflé – is, to our surprise – not a course too far.
With the warm afterglow of a deeply satisfying and perfectly proportioned meal, we catch the lift back to our sky-high suite overlooking the glittering cityscape.
Grand Central really is the top spot, the place to see Belfast – this city of rich heritage and bold reinvention – in a whole new light.
The Grand Central Hotel Belfast – grandcentralhotelbelfast.com
Grand Central Hotel photos: Jack Hardy
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