Belfast’s Grand Central Hotel Awarded Five-Star Rating
Hastings Hotels is delighted to announce that the Grand Central Hotel Belfast has been awarded a five-star rating by the AA. The AA’s inspector’s report praised the hotel’s ‘5-star service delivered by a friendly and engaging team’ and said ‘first impressions of the Hastings Grand Central are excellent, with a well-kept fascia in a highly accessible location. The diverse, spacious and versatile public areas present extremely well, having benefited from some serious investment. Bedrooms and bathrooms are equipped and furnished to a high standard.’
Founded over fifty years ago, Hastings Hotels is Northern Ireland’s premier hotel group. The Hastings portfolio has six luxurious hotels of character and distinction, each set-in key locations across Northern Ireland.
The Grand Central Hotel Belfast is more than just a hotel, having opened in the summer of 2018. The original Grand Central was built in 1893 and was the thriving hub of Victorian Belfast as well as the finest hotel in Ireland. Winston Churchill, the King of Belgium, Al Jolson, Mario Lanza and the Beatles were all guests who enjoyed its luxurious hospitality. After an investment of £53 million, Grand Central Belfast is Northern Ireland's tallest hotel.
The Seahorse Bar & Restaurant has also been awarded an AA Rosette which is given to restaurants that achieve standards that stand out in their local area, serving food prepared with care, understanding and skill and using good quality ingredients. The Seahorse Bar & Restaurant is the hotel's fine dining option which offers afternoon teas and exquisite food for breakfast and dinner.
The Grand Central Hotel Belfast is the second in the Hastings Hotels collection to be given a 5-star rating, joining sister property the Culloden Estate & Spa. To celebrate this huge milestone for the hotel, Hastings Hotels has launched two luxury new packages for all of their guests staying at The Grand Central Hotel Belfast - see further details below.
Stephen Meldrum, General Manager of the Grand Central Hotel Belfast said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded a five-star rating by the AA and I would like to pay testament to every single member of staff as it is because of them that this recognition has been made possible. It is great, not only for Hastings Hotels but also for tourism in Northern Ireland as we continue to produce a first class offering both in terms of the product and the people.
When we opened the doors of the Grand Central in June 2018, we wanted to bring a different experience to Belfast and we have achieved that. From the very beginning, we have provided a 5-star proposition, so it is fantastic for this to have been made official. We offer first-class service, luxurious accommodation and a fabulous selection of dining options serving an array of culinary delights using the very best of local provenance. And the pièce de résistance is the Observatory on the 23rd floor, which is the tallest cocktail bar in Ireland offering breathtaking views over Belfast and beyond.”
To celebrate its five-star rating, the Grand Central Hotel Belfast has launched two new packages – the Bollinger Celebratory Overnight Stay with a ‘Demi’ bottle of chilled Bollinger delivered to your room on arrival and breakfast the following morning and the Observatory Celebratory Experience with a table for up to four people in the Observatory to enjoy a bottle of Bollinger, mixed charcuterie and cheese selection served with bread and tapenade.
