Dream Pods City Center

The room was spacious and comfortable, with a huge bed and a great shower. It was also very clean and recently renovated. There aren’t bedside tables, which is a shame, but there are plenty of sockets, including USB ports, plus tea and coffee making facilities. The place feels like hotel rooms despite being set up as serviced apartments, so you need ID and a card for the deposit hold. Use a credit card if you don’t want cash tied up while the bank releases it. It’s a cheerful, affordable spot in a great location, and I’d happily come back.

We booked accommodation for 14 people eight months ahead, then got an email cancelling it just nine days before arrival. After looking into what happened, it was clear they had made the mistake, despite trying to blame booking.com, and they wouldn’t admit it. They offered no replacement place and were extremely unhelpful. Now we’ll be left without accommodation in Belfast with only nine days to go. If I could give zero stars, I would.

The city centre location was handy and the price was low, but the stay had a few problems. Our walls were paper thin, and there was no room cleaning during our visit. When we asked for tea and coffee to be topped up, we were told to get them from the nearby Tesco. A staff member cleaning next door later gave us teabags, shampoo and other toiletries. At check-in they first insisted the last room was wheelchair accessible, but when we pushed back, another room suddenly turned up.

The room wasn’t ready when we arrived to check in, which was disappointing. They also require ID, collect data and take a £50 damage deposit. It’s a brand new budget hotel with a modern look, but some details haven’t been thought through, like the kettle cable not reaching the nearby sockets.