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Located in South Belfast’s fashionable BT9, this family-owned and run hotel is a much-loved Belfast institution. Its location is in the centre of Queen’s University studentdom, but it’s also very much a daytime business hotel. The large over-stuffed sofas of the Arts Café are the ideal location to people-watch at any time of the day and a good range of local cuisine is served in the Piper Bistro. It is close to the Ulster Museum and 10 minutes from Belfast City Centre. Weekend nights are lively outside “The Welly” with students socialising at two adjacent bars, known colloquially as The Bot and The Egg, but families are also very much part of the Wellington Park’s clientele.
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The Culloden is a 10-minute drive from the city centre, on the City Airport side of Belfast. It was once the residence of a bishop and has the beautifully appointed gardens and stone-built elegance that one might expect from such a pedigree. Stars like its secluded grandeur and it knows how to cater for its five-star clients. It is just the place to take afternoon tea or an early evening gin and tonic on the terrace overlooking the manicured lawns, which sweep down towards Belfast Lough. It’s a favourite hangout for the Gold Coast ladies who lunch and live in the nearby mansions of North Down. The Culloden is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group and its Helipad and Elysium Health Spa rubber stamp its celebrity status. It’s just the place for a romantic dinner or clandestine meeting, but also has an up-to-the-minute conference centre for more everyday professional encounters.
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Hilton is Belfast’s only five-star hotel in the city centre. With its location adjacent to the Waterfront Hall its bar tends to be the watering hole for the theatre and concert crowd, as well as visiting artistes. It manages to cater well for both business and leisure in a sleek modern environment. It is within easy walking distance of the city centre, but the up-and-coming riverside area can still be a little isolated at night. Executive bedrooms have Hilton Lounge Club facilities. There is a Living Well health club with pool, gym and health and beauty salon. The Sonoma restaurant has an ideal location overlooking the river, offering the best night-time view of the new Belfast.
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Opened in autumn 2004, the Radisson SAS has already set a new record with its Suite 7, which is the largest one-bedroom suite in Belfast. Well-placed as a media hang-out halfway between the BBC and UTV studios, it is situated on the old Gasworks site, which is tipped by insiders to become the techno-park of Ulster. Business facilities surround the site by the river, close to Central Station. The Radison SAS is just a five-minute taxi ride from other entertainment locations.
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