Go all out on your next getaway by staying in one of these luxury hotels in Northern Ireland. We’ve handpicked these as when it comes to write-home-worthy accommodation or indulgent amenities, these places take it to the next level. You’ll find bubbling outdoor hot tubs, penthouse suites with sweeping city views and atmospheric restaurants serving up mouthwatering local produce.
A pampering getaway: luxury hotels in Northern Ireland
With natural wonders like the craggy Causeway Coast and cultural gems such as the waterfront Titanic Quarter in Belfast, there's plenty to discover in Northern Ireland. All you need to do is choose your stay, from sophisticated city break to serene countryside retreat.
A luxury hotel in Northern Ireland located in the centre of buzzing Belfast
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The Fitzwilliam Hotel is a lavish haven in the middle of Belfast. Rooms use geometric patterns and glass accents to create a sense of modern grandeur. In a City View room, you can gaze out at the twinkling lights or the first rays of sun from the top floor. There’s no better way to start the morning than curling up on the jewel-coloured sofa with a fresh Nespresso coffee and watching the city wake up.
Sate your appetite at The Restaurant, awarded two rosettes by the AA. Settle yourself into an intimate booth of supple scarlet leather and feast upon satisfying dishes like hearty salmon risotto, tender beef served with earthy celeriac and tangy mustard or venison accompanied by sweet fig and fluffy potatoes.
The Bar provides a warm and cosy atmosphere for after-dinner drinks. Here, lighting fixtures with burnished copper create a hip, industrial-inspired vibe. Sit back and unwind with a cocktail – try the Pear Drop, which mixes vodka with citrus fruit juice and elderflower.
The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast
Belfast
Luxury hotels in Northern Ireland: a rural haven
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The peaceful Culloden Estate and Spa is surrounded by 12 acres of rolling private gardens and parkland. Its hillside position – perched by the rugged white cliffs of the County Antrim coastline – means sparkling sea views from many of the executive rooms and suites. Experience serious softness with premium beds and crushed velvet soft furnishings.
Indulge in some ‘you-time’ at the spa, which uses luxurious ESPA products to deliver soothing, therapeutic treatments from massages to facials. Lie back in a treatment room (decorated in soft taupes and bathed in candlelight), and treat yourself to an ocean wrap, which uses marine mud to purify and nourish the skin. Soak away your cares in the Jacuzzi and marble steam room, or finish off with a few laps in the pool.
For an informal dinner, head down to the hotel’s traditional Irish Pub, the Cultra Inn. Beneath original dark wood beams, sink to a tartan upholstered armchair and tuck into dishes that showcase local ingredients, like fresh hake served with salty samphire and a fragrant crab cake, followed by a pudding such as tart lemon and sweet honey crème brûlée. Feeling spoilt yet?
Culloden Estate & Spa
Holywood
An Art Deco aesthetic at this luxury hotel in Northern Ireland
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Every inch of The Merchant Hotel, located in Belfast’s atmospheric and historic Cathedral Quarter, exudes elegance. Take the Great Room Restaurant, for example, which features an original, ornate cupola, grand Victorian pillars and luxuriant gold gilding. It’s the ideal setting to treat yourself to refined dishes like succulent, juicy beef rib, served alongside herby artichokes and a rich jus.
This sense of opulence is matched by the rooms, which embrace period Victorian or snap-worthy Art Deco styles. The latter feature elegant marble bathrooms with freestanding baths and furniture created by iconic designers, such as Corbusier. You’ll sleep soundly at night thanks to black-out curtains. Celebrating a special occasion? Keep a bottle of champagne cold in your handy in-room fridge.
One of your stops is certainly the spa, where you’ll enter a quiet haven of peace and quiet. The sauna and aroma steam room warm up your limbs and help detoxify skin. Get your circulation going by alternating them with the ice fountain then chill on the thermal loungers. Treat tired muscles to a refreshing peppermint and sugar scrub, which slowly buffs away skin cells to reveal a healthy, glowing complexion all over.
The Merchant Hotel
Belfast
A riverside luxury hotel in Northern Ireland with a spa village
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Your first stop at the countryside oasis of the Galgorm Resort & Spa is the thermal spa village. Its close-knit outdoor network of bubbling warm pools, is the place to sit and unwind as you watch the sun set over the hotel’s 163 acres of flower-filled gardens and parkland. Afterwards, brave the snow cabin with its -10°C ice crystals and snowscape to rejuvenate body and mind. There’s also an indoor pool for a few laps before breakfast and a Celtic sauna to help you detoxify. Or you can just relax in the hot tub!
There are four restaurants to choose from at the Galgorm Resort & Spa. Fratelli specialises in authentic Italian fare, so dig into flavoursome dishes like pizza, topped with spinach, mozzarella and egg, or linguine coated with a garlic and white wine sauce. There’s nothing better than a Chianti for the full Italian experience.
Spacious rooms await you at the end of the day. Decorated in soft neutral tones and featuring premium mattresses, they’re the ideal place to relax and unwind. Bathrooms are crafted from marble for an elegant feel, with a separate bath and shower.
Galgorm
Ballymena
Luxury hotels in Northern Ireland: warm and welcoming
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Deep in the County Down countryside, you’ll find the peaceful and friendly Blackwell House. The interiors here perfectly balance decadence with an informal country retreat. Expect crackling fireplaces and centuries-old antiques, as well as modern conveniences like iPod docks plus a book and DVD library.
Rooms here are designed to be comforting and homely, amped up with an extravagant edge. Oversized fabric headboards, brocade textured wallpaper and plush soft furnishings create a tactile and comfortable place to rest. Some even feature period four-poster beds. In the Colonial Room, sink into the soft leather armchair before the toasty fire. The super king-sized bed is topped with 600-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets for snooze-inducing softness.
Mark a birthday or anniversary in style with afternoon tea. Indulge in freshly baked scones slathered with silky clotted cream and jam, washed down with a cup of fragrant tea or bubbling prosecco. The hotel’s homely restaurant uses family recipes and local ingredients and serves a hearty breakfast every morning.
Blackwell House
Banbridge
A lakeside lodge stay at this luxury hotel in Northern Ireland
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Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel and Lodges combines understated luxury with a welcoming, home-away-from-home feel. Self-catering lodges sit on the banks of Lough Erne, with private outdoor decks for you to savour the morning sun with a fresh cup of tea. Two en-suite bedrooms make them ideal for getaways with friends, and each has a sleek kitchen for whipping up breakfast before a day of exploring.
If you’d prefer to be cooked for (you are on holiday after all), head to the Kove Restaurant. The lake glistens outside the window as you tuck into dishes made using spectacular local ingredients, such as flavoursome smoked chicken with spicy and crunch satay sauce, or salmon cured with peaty whiskey and served with fragrant salsa.
Follow the gentle aroma of essential oils to the spa. Nothing beats a sunset hot tub session, especially with views like this – lie back in warm bubbles as the sun sets over the lake. If you’re in need of some TLC, browse the extensive list of treatments, from nourishing body wraps to deep tissue massages to tease out those aches and pains. Finish off in the steam room or sauna (you can save laps in the indoor pool for tomorrow).
Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel & Lodges
Enniskillen
A 5-star luxury hotel with a Thai spa in Northern Ireland
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The refined Lough Erne Resort is the place to disconnect from the everyday. What better place to start than the hotel’s tranquil, Thai spa? Begin in the steam room, which releases nature-inspired aromas for a sensory experience. Next up, a Thai massage is just the thing for overworked or tired muscles. Hop into the Jacuzzi for warm bubbles and refresh in the tropical rain shower. There’s also a light therapy sauna for healing.
Choose a lake view room to gaze on the green landscape outside your window (which includes the sparkling Castle Hume Lough and sports-lovers’ paradise, the Faldo Golf Course). Interiors celebrate the traditional, with heavy drapes to block out the light and plush tapestry armchairs. If you’re craving a relaxing evening, slip into your free-standing clawfoot bath, pop on a podcast and drift away.
For dinner, head to the Catalina Restaurant, which is the first in Ireland to have been awarded three AA rosettes. With strong relationships to celebrated local suppliers, the menu here showcases the delights of Irish cuisine. We’re talking tender, rich crab from Kilkeel served with soft scallops and tangerine jewels of fresh orange.
Lough Erne Resort
Enniskillen
Boutique chic at a luxury hotel in Northern Ireland
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One of the (many) highlights of the 4-star Enniskillen Hotel is Beckett’s Dining Room. In this small and intimate space, you’re encouraged to linger over your food, which is prepared using some of the great produce Northern Ireland has to offer. Dig into innovative dishes such as tender pork cheek with garlic and crunch crackling, or tangy goat’s cheese alongside sharp apple and the subtle crunch of granola.
Every detail of the rooms has been designed to make your stay unforgettable, from refreshing rainfall showers to get you going in the morning to soft towels and even softer bedsheets. Superior rooms have plush leather headboards and eye-catching artwork for major style points. There’s a mini fridge too, with still and sparkling water and plenty of space for you to stock it up.
Heading out tonight? Make for Wilde’s Lounge, named after Oscar Wilde. Let the master bar-tenders mix you up a cocktail from the menu – those with a sweet tooth will love the indulgent Salted Caramel Martini, or if you’re craving something refreshing, go for a zesty Frozen Margarita.
The Enniskillen Hotel And Motel
Enniskillen