Named the best place to visit in 2018 by Lonely Planet, Belfast is becoming an increasingly popular getaway for meetings and incentive groups. We check out three hot new openings in the birthplace of the Titanic…

Grand Central Hotel Belfast
Set in the up and coming Linen Quarter, The Grand Central is perfectly located for exploring Titanic Quarter’s history or Cathedral Quarter’s charming cobbled streets, pubs and eateries. Opened in June, the luxury 300-room property is the seventh hotel in the Hastings Hotels Collection, which also features the Europa Hotel and five-star Culloden Estate and Spa in Holywood. Dining options include the vibrant and contemporary The Grand Café, while Seahorse is the perfect spot for a sumptuous afternoon tea or delicious dining and fine wines. But the jewel in the hotel’s crown is The Observatory – a cocktail lounge that claims to be the highest bar in all of Ireland – which combines decadent decor with awe-inspiring views over Belfast and beyond. There are also two meeting rooms – the Blackstaff and the Farset, named after the rivers of Belfast, two boardrooms and the Panorama Suite – an impressive 80-seat reception room.

AC Hotel by Marriott Belfast
Another new opening in 2018, AC Hotel by Marriott Belfast is the city’s newest Waterfront Hotel. Built from the ground up, the four-star development features 188 contemporary bedrooms and is walking distance from key attractions including Titanic Belfast, City Hall, Belfast Waterfront, SSE Arena and the shops of Victoria. With two meeting rooms accommodating up to 40, an AC Lounge, riverside terrace and all-day dining, the hotel is ideal for both business and leisure travellers and when day turns to night the restaurant “Novelli at City Quays” will excite, as multi-Michelin-starred chef Jean-Christophe Novelli brings his flare to the dining experience.

Titanic Hotel Belfast
This boutique property, which opened late last year in the heart of the Titanic Quarter, is set in the former headquarters and spectacular Drawing Offices of Harland & Wolff, builders of Titanic. The hotel features 119 luxury bedrooms with an Art Deco nautical theme and seven heritage rooms for meetings and events, including Drawing Office One, which can accommodate up to 300 guests in a cathedral-like space where many of the world’s greatest ocean liners were designed. Dining options include The Wolff Grill – a refined dining restaurant with views towards the spectacular Titanic Belfast building and historic slipways where Titanic and her sister ships Olympic and Britannic were constructed. The hotel is also home to a permanent collection of over 500 artworks, artefacts, travel posters and photographs transporting the viewer back to the ‘Golden Age of Ocean Travel’.