Introducing Titanic Hotel Belfast – a date night with a difference.
As I have come to realise, when you and your partner work full time and have a hilarious but demanding toddler, the opportunities for a spontaneous getaway are few and far between (and when it does happen it needs to be planned with military precision).
When the invite to visit Titanic Hotel Belfast dropped in my inbox, I jumped at the chance – it sounded like something different to your average hotel stay and I had heard from friends that the nearby museum, Titanic Belfast, was well worth a visit.
With the date in the diary weeks in advance, grandparents on board to mind our little boy and a dog sitter for our puppy, we set off for a one night jaunt to Belfast which I would describe as one of Ireland’s most welcoming and atmospheric cities.
From the moment you walk into the lobby at Titanic Hotel Belfast located in the city’s Maritime Mile, you can see the effort made to bring its visitors on a journey to discover the Titanic. The building previously housed the Harland & Wolff Headquarters, once the largest shipyard in the world.
This means that the entire White Star Line fleet was constructed on the slipways outside, including the Titanic, and you can feel the weight of this major historical moment once you step into the hotel.
Soak up the history
The listed building is now a boutique hotel where around every corner you’ll find unique artefacts, colourful artwork, and memorabilia while the vaulted ceilings, checkerboard tiles, hanging ship lanterns and Art Deco furniture evoke the ship’s iconic design.
The beautiful Villeroy & Boch tiles that surround the hotel’s main bar are identical to the tiles used for the swimming pools and First Class bathrooms on the Titanic.
The drawing offices, where the main bar is now located, make for a wow moment as the three-storey high barrel-vaulted ceilings are the only surviving example of this type of shipyard architecture in the world. Steeped in the history of the luxury liner that met an untimely end, this spacious room gets incredible light while the vast windows overlook picturesque views of Belfast’s Cavehill.
Visit Titanic Belfast
A visit to Titanic Hotel Belfast is not complete without taking in Titanic Belfast, a museum dedicated to telling the tragic story of the Titanic. From its beginnings in the Harland & Wolff shipyard, its voyage from Southampton, the devastating moment it hit the iceberg, the stories of those who perished and who survived, and the quest to uncover the wreck of the Ship of Dreams.
The immersive exhibitions include The Shipyard Ride – where you take a cable car to see the immense heat of riveting steel at work while listening to real life accounts of the people who helped to build the ship – and the Sinking, an eerie room which lists the names of every man, woman and child who lost their lives in the April 15 tragedy.
While you might think you already know the story of the Titanic, you’ll think differently after a visit to this unique museum which gives an important voice to all those associated with the ship. It is an authentic storytelling experience and you could spend hours pouring over the detailed exhibitions.
Dine in the Wolff Grill
After a lengthy visit to the museum, we worked up quite the appetite and were more than ready to head to the Wolff Grill for our dinner booking. The waterfront restaurant is a relaxing space with a mix of cosy booths and spacious seating. Fish plays a big part on this mouthwatering menu with pan seared scallops, seafood arancini, and salt and chilli prawns. I would highly recommend the scallops and prawns and I want to go back for the arancini… if you know you know!
For our mains, we both opted for steaks – I had the 8oz fillet while he had a 12oz sirloin cut. Both were cooked to perfection and came served with our sides of choice – parmesan truffle fries and a baby gem, Cashel Blue cheese and walnut salad which resulted in the most delicious mix of flavours and a dish I can’t wait to recreate at home.
We rounded the meal off with a sticky toffee pudding to share – the salted caramel sauce was a highlight! It was the perfect dining experience – the food was so fresh and flavoursome, the staff so welcoming and friendly and for a couple on a rare child free night away, it was the ideal way to relax and unwind together. Don’t sleep on the cocktail menu – the espresso martini was the ideal antidote to a night of broken sleep with a teething toddler.
Stay in an Executive Room
We stayed in an executive room where the views of Belfast from the floor to ceiling windows are breathtaking – the iconic yellow Harland & Wolff crane dominates the city skyline and you could spend all day watching the hustle and bustle of people coming and going on the busy pavements below.
An uninterrupted night’s sleep in a hotel bed complete with cloud like pillows and air conditioning set to the perfect temperature is reason enough for me to rate the night away as 10/10 but I also have to give a nod to the bathroom, which features a bath and shower, and the LED lighting in the bathroom mirror amped up the getting ready experience considerably.
Discover the Titanic Hotel Family Experience
While I experienced Titanic Hotel Belfast as an enjoyable getaway for parents sans baby, the hotel has just launched a family package which is worth considering if you’re planning a staycation this summer. The Titanic Hotel Family Experience is designed to please both parents and little adventurers with several thoughtfully designed details.
Available for one, two or three-night stays, the package includes overnight accommodation in a family room with breakfast each morning in The Wolff Grill. There are special treats for the kids including activity books, a Captain Smithy Bear (the hotel’s official teddy bear mascot) to take home, and a sweet bedtime snack.
You can take the opportunity of the prime location to discover Titanic Belfast, SS Nomadic, W5, HMS Caroline, the Maritime Mile and the family friendly activities Belfast has to offer before returning to the hotel for dinner in the Wolff Grill.
The Titanic Hotel Family Experience is priced from €300 per room. The package is based on two adults and one child sharing, with options to customise for different family sizes. There is free 24-hour cancellation and no booking fees.
This writer experienced Titanic Hotel Belfast while on a press trip.
