35 Best Hotels in Northern Ireland

Since the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 2012, this country house has enjoyed unparalleled success by re-creating the liner's "last meal," a highlight of any stay here. Run by the hospitable Bernadette and Conor McClelland, guest rooms are airy, each with garden views. The liner sailed down Belfast Lough, passing Rayanne House, and the restaurant has been mocked up to look like the dining saloon. The sumptuous menu—stretching to nine courses and costing £69—includes champagne-laced asparagus, a Bushmills whiskey soup, rosewater sorbet, and filet mignon topped with foie gras and truffles. Golf addicts want to book "Rory's Room," named in honor of Rory McIlroy and filled with memorabilia. Holywood's world champion golfer learned his skills at the local club.

A country estate serves as the model for this modern deluxe resort on 155 acres straddling the banks of the River Roe—the place is relatively large and impersonal, although the lobby is welcoming and guest rooms have simple, clean-line beds in woods and rich earth tones. The 15 family-suite furnishings move a bit up the ornate scale with canopy beds and velvet armchairs and were refurbished during 2019 in neutral stone colors. Green's restaurant is formal and international; the Coach House brasserie is a relaxed place where golfers congregate; and O'Cahan's bar takes its name from a local chieftain besieged on a riverside promontory, whose Irish wolfhound leaped an impossible chasm to bring relief—doubtless an inspiration to golfers flagging at the ninth. For those who need pointers, there's an on-site golfing academy providing the latest technology with custom fitting swing analysis, and floodlit driving range. The spa comes with 12 treatment areas and a meditation chamber. The health club is great for families, with an indoor heated leisure pool and kids' pool.

This Victorian guesthouse on a tree-filled avenue in residential South Belfast, about 20 minutes south of the city center, is a friendly option. Light-filled, spacious rooms decorated in calming creams and whites have modern comforts. Fresh flowers and daily newspapers top the coffee table in the residents' drawing room. Although Roseleigh is much renovated, the stained-glass windows, elaborate fireplaces, and period cornicing on the ceilings point to the late-Victorian origin of the house.

This elegant Italianate building, built in 1895 for the Provincial Bank of Ireland, has contemporary bedrooms over five floors. It's worth asking for an upper-floor room, as some have views over the old City Walls or the River Foyle. For diners, the restaurant matches the hotel's overall elegance, with a modern Irish menu. The all-you-can-drink weekend brunch at £28, including as many Bellini's, bloody Mary's, mimosas, and glasses of prosecco as you can put away in two hours, is an attractive offer (if you're not planning to drive later).

You don't get much more downtown or contemporary than this fashionable boutique hotel (a former post office) right behind City Hall. A Neoclassical facade hides a serene interior with Jospers Grill Room serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Jospers was extended and renovated in 2019 and seats up to 150, and the new Doffer bar and elegant Linen Lounge was added next door. It's not uncommon to see trendy young office workers hanging out here after work on Friday when there is frequently a live band playing. The bedrooms are minimalist-Asian in style—with king-size beds topped with white duvets, and soft armchairs to sink into. There's a Time for Tourists two-night special; lovers should opt for the Date Night package that offers a rose-petal turndown, chilled champagne, chocolate truffles, and a three-course meal in Jospers (£185) and other special offers such as a Valentines Day package start as low as £99. It also offers other packages including tickets to sightseeing taxi tours of some leading visitor attractions.