Much of this is being done by Irish entrepreneurs—variations of their Victorian forebears but without the pocket watches. Bill Wolsey, owner of The Merchant Hotel, Belfast’s most splendid stay, also has four engaging pubs and a hip hotel, Bullitt, with an elevator which announces its floors not with a robotic GPS voice but with the Belfastian, “This is the second floor, so it is.” Willie Jack has the legendary Duke of York, along with three other bars in the vicinity and a private whiskey museum. He prefers the old name of Half Bap to the Cathedral Quarter, calls himself a street cleaner and barman, and wants to cover the walls of the city with art.
Anthony Kieran, who was nearly blown to pieces in South Armagh, came back from the US when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, sold used cars, and, with the money he made, turned a derelict terrace into the exquisite apartment hotel The Regency. Melanie Harrison likewise returned from elsewhere to open The Harrison Chambers of Distinction, a cornucopia of irreverent art, literature, and communal chat.
This is an entrepreneurialism untainted by the boardroom or design studio. It is local, individualistic, committed, and often, witty. From Féile an Phobail (the West Belfast Festival) in the Falls to Banana Block, with its raves and mushroom-growing, in the east, there’s the sense of a city discovering itself in a new reality. The conflict was a strain and left grief, but it is also stitched into this awakening. You can have a very good and very unusual time here. A taxi driver enthused to me about what a great place it is to raise children.
Where to stay
The Merchant Hotel, which was restored from an Ulster Bank building, stands out for its opulence and attention to detail. Comprising art deco and Victorian wings, it’s a world in itself, with three restaurants, a cocktail bar, a hot tub on the roof, and Bert’s Jazz Bar. At The Regency House, Anthony Kieran and his wife, Andrea, have created five beautiful residences full of surprising personal touches (a vinyl collection, musical instruments, etc.), with a concierge service. Eight new suites, a wellness center, and a members’ club are due to open later this fall.
