Merchant Hotel, Grade A listed hotel in Cathedral Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Merchant Hotel is a Victorian stone building with ornate facades and grand columns, located at the corner of Skipper Street in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. Inside, the rooms are divided into two styles, Victorian Splendour and Art Deco Decadence, each with its own distinct look and feel.
The building was put up in the nineteenth century as the headquarters of Ulster Bank, at a time when Belfast was a major banking center. In 2006 it was converted into a hotel, completely changing its purpose while keeping its original structure.
The ground-floor restaurant is built around a large chandelier that draws the eye and showcases regional craftsmanship. Guest rooms are named after Irish writers, making the connection to the literary tradition of the region something visitors can notice directly.
The hotel sits in the Cathedral Quarter, within easy walking distance of the city center and several nearby points of interest. Visitors who want to see both room styles should keep that in mind when booking, as the Victorian and Art Deco sections occupy different parts of the building.
The hotel bar was named World's Best Hotel Bar in 2009 and then World's Best Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail in 2010. Winning both titles in the space of two years brought a global spotlight to a bar in what many considered an unlikely location.
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