What’s the vibe?
If you recoil at the thought of staying in a grey, identikit chain hotel, then The Harrison Chambers of Distinction could very well be your refuge of choice. This boutique Belfast hotel feels like the bowels of your mad auntie wardrobe (in the best kind of way), crammed with a cornucopia of leopard-print paraphernalia, crystals and trinkets. At The Harrison, no two rooms are the same, and each is named after a person of distinction who has a close connection to Belfast and Northern Ireland. You may find yourself with the keys to the Ruby Murray suite, listening to music on the retro record player as you sink into the four-poster bed. Or equally soaking in the freestanding tub in the Hans Sloane suite while you lock eyes with the wallpaper behind, decorated with perky-bottomed cherubs.
There are 13 rooms to choose from, split into Aristocrat Suites complete with king size beds, Gallivanter Rooms with double beds and smaller Bohemian Rooms for solo guests (with the suggestion you can sneak in a lover if you so desire). It’s worth noting there’s a considerable difference between the bedrooms at each echelon – so we recommend splashing out on a suite if you want a guaranteed in-bedroom rolltop bath, breakfast delivered to your boudoir, and bay window views that don’t look out onto a car park.
With a hotel this visually stimulating, you could easily spend hours stepping through its Narnia-esque wardrobes and running your fingers through tasselled lampshades. But you’re in a prime location to explore the city of Belfast, with Queens University, the Botanical Gardens, and well-stocked charity shops at your doorstep. So lace up those boots and sniff out the nearest Guinness.
Eat and drink
Breakfast is served in the bar and lounge area downstairs or in your bedroom if you’re sleeping in the suites. It’s a simple continental selection of eggs and soldiers, pastries, and charcuterie, washed down with tea, coffee and juice. If you’re still left peckish after your slices of buttered wheaten bread, pop down the road to the French Village Food Store for a gallic selection of almond croissants, pain au chocolat and, er, fennel sausage rolls.
The bar and lounge area at The Harrison
Bay window view from the Bronte Suite
There’s no better place to top up your iron levels than in Northern Ireland, with its abundance of Guinness, so set your coordinates to a pub, get a stout in you and keep anaemia at bay. One of our favourites is the Duke of York in Belfast’s Commercial Court, which has a well-stocked bar and vintage printing press at the back of the pub.
For lunch or a casual dinner, pop into Coppi – a Venetian-inspired cicchetti bar helmed by husband and wife duo Andrea and Tony O’Neill that’s located in St Anne’s Square in Belfast Cathedral Quarter. While fritto misto and braised beef arancini are hardly Gaelic, they’re prime fuel after a day stomping around the city.
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Another restaurant tucked away in the historic backstreets of the Cathedral Quarter is Michelin-starred The Muddlers Club, named after a revolutionary secret society linked to the United Irishmen who met there more than 200 years ago. On the menu is elevated but uncomplicated food that spotlights the best in-season Irish produce like white turnip, courgette flowers baby leeks, Kilkeel scallops and Wicklow venison.
What’s nearby?
The Harrison’s location in the university area means its charity shops are well stocked with all kinds of great-value clobber that warrants a browse. When you’re not trying on sweater vests and oversized sunglasses, head to No Alibis, a quirky, independent bookshop in the Queen’s Quarter. Based on Botanic Avenue for a quarter of a century, this gold mine of bound paper stocks everything from Irish literature and mystery fiction to books on history and politics.
If you’re scouting out culture, the free Ulster Museum is just a seven-minute walk from the Harrison. It is home to sleek exhibitions on the history, art, and ecosystems of Northern Ireland. For those who want to learn more about ancient Ireland or The Troubles, this is the place to go. The museum is located within Belfast’s Botanical Gardens, so once you’ve finished perusing the exhibitions, saunter around the enormous glass greenhouses bursting with waxy, mysterious-looking photosynthesisers.
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In a new era of tourism since the plight of the Troubles, Belfast’s increasingly hip array of restaurants, third-wave coffee shops and galleries are becoming a huge selling point. However, the biggest appeal of Belfast will always be its people: unfailingly warm and ready for a chinwag.
Rooms from £100 per night; for more information visit chambersofdistinction.com
