A landmark in Belfast, the Europa is a monument to the resilience of the city in the face of the Troubles. The most bombed hotel in Western Europe, it was targeted 11 times by the IRA starting in the early 1970s and was refurbished every time; today it shows no signs of its explosive history. Indeed, even with this track record, President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, chose the hotel for an overnight visit during their 1995 visit—for 24 hours the phones were answered with "White House Belfast, can I help you?" The president's room is now called the Clinton Suite and contains memorabilia from the presidential stay. In 2008 the Europa was outfitted with an Italian marble lobby and expanded to 272 rooms including six suites. It is owned by affable Ulster millionaire and hotel magnate Billy Hastings.
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