The Drawing Room HourNotebook No 78November 2025
Belfast's grandest room, used the way it was meant to be.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
The Merchant Hotel’s Great Room, with its towering Victorian dome, is Ireland’s most elegant dining space, yet it never feels stuffy. We always suggest the afternoon tea over dinner for a first impression; it offers a more relaxed way to appreciate the setting. Afternoon light filters through the stained glass, illuminating the room’s original details.
Adare
For your stay, choose a heritage room to fully experience the building’s Gilded Age character, distinct from the hotel’s modern wing. Afterwards, a short stroll leads to the Duke of York, a traditional pub where Belfast’s energy hums and its more recent history is etched on the tavern walls. This combination frames a proper Belfast evening for us.
When your itinerary allows two nights in Belfast, these are precisely where those evenings ought to unfold.
Continue reading
The Ireland Edit Way
Cut the itinerary in half, then cut it again. The letter we send before every first visit.
Every hotel change costs you half a day. Luxury, in Ireland, is staying put.
Six questions we apply before booking any room in Ireland. The November test, the dinner-twice test, the landscape-over-room test.
To understand Ireland, stop looking at the castles and start looking at the kitchen table.
From the notebook
Collected notes. A few times each season.