Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland and the capital. It is served by two airports, Belfast International, 15 miles west of the centre, and George Best Belfast City Airport, which is based in the city centre itself. Every year, more than seven million visitors flock to Belfast, making it by far the most popular tourist destination in Northern Ireland.
There are hotels of every type in the centre of Belfast, a testament to the fact that it offers a staggeringly diverse range of attractions. For some, it is the place for a family break, with adventure centres, museums, galleries and parks more than able to keep the kids happy for a week or two. Increasingly, the city is being chosen to host business meetings and conferences, and the allure of the famous Irish nightlife is enough to attract students from all over Europe.
Hotels in Belfast
This diverse clientele has led to an equally wide ranging hotel offer in Belfast. Depending on your needs, you can crash out in a cheap but comfortable hostel, sample the five star delights of a luxury hotel in the centre of the city, stay in a cosy bed and breakfast nearer to the outskirts or book a cutting-edge boutique hotel in one of the more bohemian districts. For many people, however, Belfast is coming to be seen as the ideal place to book a romantic break.
Romantic Breaks in Belfast
It’s not too difficult to see why more and more couples are choosing a Belfast hotel as the scene for their romantic break. Firstly,l there is the layout and architecture of the city centre itself. Book a hotel on the waterfront or near to City hall and you’ll be able to explore the streets and alleyways of the city centre hand in hand on foot. From the banks of the River Lagan you can stroll past the boutique shops and trendy eateries of the exclusive Lisburn road, explore the dreaming spires of Queen’s University or perhaps pack a picnic and spend the day relaxing in the fresh air and wide open spaces of Ormeau Park.
Romantic Nights Out in Belfast
If you’re looking for a good night out, then you’ve come to the right place, but a raucous pub full of people downing Guinness and singing along with traditional folk songs might not be your idea of romance, so choose with care. Book a hotel room in or close to the bohemian Cathedral Quarter and you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to stylish bars, cutting-edge nightclubs and bijou restaurants offering delicious modern cuisine across candlelit tables set for two. The added advantage of choosing just the right hotel is that you won’t have far to walk back to your room after your romantic night out has ended.
The Romance of the Countryside
Of course Belfast, being in Northern Ireland, is about much more than urban sophistication. Some of the wildest and most striking landscapes in the world are just a few miles away. Book a hotel close to the A55 West Circular Road and you’ll be staying in the shadows of the imposing Divis Mountains. No matter what the weather, a few hours exploring the hills, forests and fields of this part of Belfast will put a spring in your step and the colour in your cheeks.
