The Merchant Hotel

The best part of the stay was the staff. They are exceptional! Courteous and kind and they almost make up for the hotel itself. This is not a 5 star resort, rundown, and very shabby. Our room bathroom was a complete nightmare, shower flooded, pipes would scream with the hot water piping through. Luckily our suite had two sinks so we used the other one. The bathroom floor was stained in various place and the toilet area was simply gross with what we could only surmise were old urine stains. Horrible. Last it’s a busy area and a club across the street started a live show which blasted through entire room through midnight: Maybe she was grand dame once upon a time, but that time is long gone. It needs a drastic refurbishment.

Our stay in The Merchant Hotel was exceptional! From the moment we arrived we knew it was going to be a special stay! Immediately greeted by welcoming staff with a friendly smile! We arrived early as we had made a reservation for Afternoon Tea. Staff kindly stored our luggage and transferred it to our room while we had afternoon tea. Afternoon tea was fabulous! Service impeccable and all the food was divine. Staff were all so friendly and attentive. It really was the staff that made our experience outstanding. They even brought a beautiful cake to mark my husband's birthday. Afternoon Tea in The Merchant feels like such a luxury experience and it exceeded our expectations! We spent some time in the spa, it was small but not busy at all. Very nice and the views from the roof top hot tub were amazing! Our room was clean, comfortable and had all the necessary facilities needed to have a relaxing and enjoyable stay. The toiletries were gorgeous! We had a wonderful night's sleep! We had drinks in the bar before dinner and they were amazing! Really fabulous choice of cocktails and they were delicious. Staff regularly topped up glasses of water and checked in to make sure we had everything we needed. Even though the bar was busy, staff were always available and very friendly. Dinner was in Berts Jazz Bar. Atmosphere was amazing! Food exceptional and staff outstanding! We had such a lovely meal, faultless! Breakfast the next morning was perfection. Once again, staff were exceptional. Choice of food was great and everything was cooked perfectly! Overall, we had an amazing stay. We had booked an overnight with breakfast and dinner package was very good value for money. We cannot wait to stay again!

Outstanding room and property overall,as well as service from the front desk to the Great Room restaurant and the bellmen, one of whom, John Mac, was especially helpful in recommending restaurants and retrieving our car. The hotel is also in a great location for restaurants and even a by-the-slice pizza pop- up across the street. And, best of all there is a cabaret onsite with live Jazz music and good food called Berts. We highly recommend this hotel for tour stay in Belfast

Don't stay at the weekend. The noise level from the music at the outdoor bar across the street was horrendous. It was like nightclub level. Finished at 1.30 and the music was so loud we couldn't hear even the TV. Which was my attempt to drown it out. Spending the next day on 5 hours sleep is not worth it, no matter how nice the hotel is. Especially considering the cost. No compensation offered by reception

We stayed at the Merchant as part of a group trip. Our room was spectacular, larger than our first apartment. Art Deco in style. The spacious bathroom had both a large shower and a separate tub. Hot water came fast with good pressure. We had a corner room so there was a lot of light. One drawback is the noise from the local bars on the street below. Luckily we were on the 5th floor, which helped damper the sound. We had one dinner at the hotel restaurant that was very good. Breakfast was okay, but pricey for what was served. The location is in the heart of Belfast, easy walking distance to numerous pubs and shopping.

Father's Day dinner. Starter: Crab - 4.5/5 Terrine - 4/5. Asparagus - 5/5. Main: Fish - 5/5. Chicken - 4/5. Dessert: Mousse - 3/5. Profiterole swan - 3/5. Tart - 5/5. Wine - 5/5. Aperol spritz - 4/5. Espresso martini - 2/5. Rhubarb gin - 4/5. Service: 5/5. Restaurant decor: 5/5.