The Merchant Hotel, Belfast, The Rita Duffy Room

We stayed here the night of our wedding and everything was taken care of for us with our luggage already in our room ready for us to arrive. Whilst booking our stay many months before, we had been offered and accepted complimentary late check out (1pm) due to the occasion, and we were very grateful of this. Shortly before our stay we emailed to confirm details and were informed we were now not getting complimentary late check out until 1 but after a few emails back and forth, they could facilitate to 12:30 which we agreed to. The following day 12pm sharp and again at 12:20 there were knocks on our door encouraging us to get out. Not really what we had expected from the Merchant, especially for a hotel that prides it self on its luxury service and experience.

It looks great, but.. The merchant is in a very noisy nightclub area where music and partying goes on until 3am so be careful where you stay if you want to sleep. I've stayed here a number of times since it opened, but it's deteriorated from a leading 5 star hotel to a wedding venue and night club. If you're here to party late you'll be OK, if you want to sleep, forget it. There's a loud wedding party inside and a loud night club out the window. The rooms are getting tired, for a 5 star hotel, and the magic is fading. There is plenty to like but be very careful when booking to get a quiet room. It's a shame because the staff are trying and the drunken idiots in the corridors are not their fault, but the loud music to 3am outside could be stopped if they wanted as the nightclub belting out the late music of its open back doors next door is owned by the same group as the hotel. The staff say they want to do something about the noise but unfortunately the manement dont. The bar and restaurant staff are excellent. But if you can't sleep, it doesn't make a quality hotel. Edit. I hoped it was just Friday and Saturday but it's 00.45 on the Sunday night and there's music belting out and people screaming in the street. The desk says it could go on to 3am again. Unfortunately, the development of the cathedral quarter in to the temple Bar Belfast has tainted what was a special hotel and what was meant to be a special weekend for us. If you like your sleep be very careful as to where you stay.