4 Best Hotels in Central District, Northern Ireland

Living up to its claim to be "a hotel that dares to be different," this transformed 19th-century grain warehouse incorporates trendy decor choices, modern facilities, and elegant finishes, all the while retaining original details like cast-iron pillars, wood beams, and giant portholes (inside) and gargoyles (outside). The Chez Mal bar with moody neon brass birdcage lighting is appointed with suede chaises longues, mustard-colored sofas and chairs, and retro furnishings. Cocktails reflect the story of Napoleon and Josephine and are created by their own "Malchemists" (hotel version of mixologists). Rooms contain flat-screen TVs and DVD players, as well as comfortable beds with Egyptian-cotton linens in soft colors.

The former drawing office headquarters of Harland & Wolff shipyard where the RMS Titanic plans were created has been repurposed with panache and is now a stylish hotel that honors its nautical heritage. The long, three-story office block in brick and red sandstone—one of Northern Ireland's most historic buildings and the oldest remaining structure of the shipbuilding industry—was built in stages between 1906 and 1922; it closed in 1989 and stood derelict for three decades before re-opening as a hotel. Bedrooms, in elegant creams and grays, range from standard doubles to a superior suite and come with Art Deco furniture and nautical themes such as hanging ship's lanterns, riveted door panels, and maritime artwork. The beds are dressed in Egyptian cotton with natural-fiber pillows. Rooms have stunning views of either the new Titanic Building, which fills your window or, on the other side, the shipyard's giant yellow cranes. Dining options include the Wolff Grill, or Drawing Office, as well as the Titanic Bar and Grill, where you can enjoy a Titanic Caesar salad (£10) or White Star chicken burger (£12.50). In the long main bar, alongside yucca plants and eight specially commissioned paintings of liners on the walls by the celebrated local artist Colin Davidson, you can drink in the atmosphere created through striking skylights as you sip a Millvina Dean cocktail (£11.50), named in honor of the last survivor of the sinking, who died in 2009. The bar is lined with cream and blue tiles—exactly the same as those that adorned the doomed liner's swimming pool—incredibly, a batch left over turned up 100 years later and was put to use. Look out, too, for the exquisite replica model of the liner in a glass cabinet at one end of the bar. In the ornate Presentation Room on the first floor, where plans were shown to clients and that overlooks the drawing office, visitors are free to wander around and admire the artifacts and furnishings. The building exudes the legacy of Belfast’s industrial heritage—even the telephone exchange, which received the first communication of Titanic hitting the iceberg, has been retained. A guided Discovery Tour from Titanic Belfast incorporates a walk through the hotel's public areas, but you may wish to come back and spend more time; if so, allow at least an hour to absorb the immaculate conservation work. Ask at hotel reception for the free art and heritage self-guided trail leaflet that outlines the history of the building.

This centrally located hotel takes its trendy vibes (and name) from the "King of Cool," Steve McQueen, and delivers a no-frills experience with compact rooms. Back in the 1970s at the height of the Troubles, the thought of opening a hotel in Belfast and calling it the Bullitt would have been greeted with dark humor. But since it opened in 2017, the hotel has been a hit with locals and visitors. Rooms, although on the small side, are named in three sizes: Dinky, Comfy, and Roomy have king-size beds, bathrooms with rain showers, and a daily "grub to-go" bag with fruit, granola, and OJ. Beds in the extension, opened in 2018, are twins and doubles. Much to guests' amusement, the elevator delivers announcements in the Belfast vernacular: "Ground floor, so it is." The Bullitt boasts the babel rooftop bar and garden (for cocktails and the famed Typsy Tea), a ski-themed Baltic bar, an espresso bar, and a 58-seat restaurant, Taylor & Clay, named in honor of Steve McQueen's San Francisco address in the 1968 movie from which the hotel takes its name. McQueen himself entered lore when a woman tried to make off with a giant framed print of the star, valued at £15,000, from the bar shortly after the hotel opened. When it wouldn't fit into her car, she abandoned it on the street. The picture has since been secured firmly to the wall to prevent a repeat of the incident.

A 10-minute stroll from the city center, the Clayton has a lively bar and restaurant, Avenue 22, but if you wish to venture out, there's a great choice of restaurants, bars, and cafés nearby. The hotel has a variety of good-value packages, one of which includes two night's B&B and tickets for a Game of Thrones bus tour along the Antrim coast.