The hub of the North: Belfast is Buzzing!
If you’re looking for an affordable weekend break, the bustling city of Belfast offers hotels for everyone at a price suitable for even the strictest of budgets. From live music to museums, fashion to food, it’s where history meets hospitality, and it’s right on your doorstep. Bursting with breathtaking scenery and a culture like no other, it’s no wonder Northern Ireland is quickly becoming a prime destination for holidaymakers. With more than 150 hotels in the Belfast area, finding accommodation is simple and trivago narrows down your search by bringing the best available offers to you in seconds.
Why N.I.?
Nestled close to Northern Ireland’s east coast, Belfast or Béal Feirste is a capital city rich in history and culture, which thanks to a new era of regeneration has become one of the UK’s top destinations over the past decade. The city is alive with the latest music, fashion and art trends, whilst maintaining that distinctly Irish feel with a plentitude of pubs, traditional music, warm hospitality and of course, it’s famous hearty food. Like the country itself, the city of Belfast may be small, but it has a big heart, proven by over 9 million tourists who visit the city each year. And for every individual visitor, there is a hotel in Belfast designed to suit their individual requirements.
In this popular tourist destination located just 30 minutes from Belfast International Airport you can be sure there are hotel options to suit every need- if you’re looking for luxury accommodation check out Belfast’s very own 5-star Hilton Belfast or the 4-star Fitzwilliam Belfast to make your trip an unforgettably pampered experience. For the more budget conscious traveler, the city centre is dotted with many affordable lodgings and hotel rooms such as a centrally-located Days Belfast, which is also perfect for those preferring to spend their holiday discovering the Capital with its many sights commemorating Northern Ireland’s historic past.
All Aboard! Things to do during your stay in Belfast
The abundance of activities and events that Belfast has to offer all year round makes it one of the UK’s premier entertainment destinations. The Titanic Experience Visitor Centre is Northern Ireland’s most highly anticipated new enterprise, attracting over 650,000 visitors within its first nine months. However, Belfast is brimming with local sights, including City Hall, situated directly in the centre of town, which demonstrates a prime example of the beautiful Baroque architecture to be found in this historic city, as well as Queen’s University Belfast, one of the UK’s oldest universities founded in 1810.
In the North of the city, take in the views of the waterfront in the Titanic Quarter, an area of recent regeneration built on the site of the now-closed Harland and Wollff, and named after the shipyard’s greatest product. Opened in Spring 2012, The Titanic Experience Visitor Centre was recently awarded and officially recognized as a 5-star tourist attraction in early 2013. Here, Titanic enthusiasts and families alike can enjoy journeying through time from the manufacturing of the ship at Belfast’s famous shipyard to the aftermath of its famous maiden voyage, learning in depth about the exciting history of the world famous “unsinkable” ship. Many of Belfast’s hotels are located nearby including the beautiful Malmaison Belfast allowing you to explore, at your own pace, through a city which was once a vital UK industrial hub for linen, rope-making and of course, shipbuilding.
Sightseeing tours are also available all year round helping visitors to digest the city’s interesting past and gain a new understanding of the events during Northern Ireland’s most tumultuous decades, from those who experienced it firsthand. The political turmoil, particularly the events of The Troubles, are a significant part of Belfast’s history and are not shied away from, but rather embraced as part of the fabric of a country rebuilt.
Join the party! See your favourite artists at one of Belfast’s top venues!
Belfast is fast becoming one of Europe’s top destinations for new and popular music. In 2011, the city was host to MTV’s European Music Awards, which saw stars like Lady Gaga , Justin Bieber and Coldplay flocking to grace the stage of the Odyssey Arena, which was televised to a worldwide audience. Both Tennants Vital and Belsonic music festivals are held annually each summer, both bringing three days of outdoor festival fun to the city, as well as impressive line-ups which have previously included Kings of Leon, The White Stripes, and Northern Ireland’s very own Snow Patrol. Performers frequently stay in the upscale Europa Hotel so if meeting the rich and famous is part of your ideal weekend break then these hotel rooms prove the perfect option for you! Otherwise, the Ramada Encore Belfast City Centre in the city’s Cathedral Quarter offers fantastic rates all year round to make good accommodation affordable and available for those on a more limited budget.The people of Belfast love their live music, and are praised by many artists for their captivating enthusiasm, so expect to find a party around every corner in Northern Ireland’s capital city. From pop to folk, rock to classical, there is music to suit every taste.