The Malone Hotel

On our recent Sunday visit, the open-plan bar and lobby looked much better than when we'd stayed before, after the bar area had been opened out into the lobby. We met friends coming from different local areas, had a nice lunch and a few comfortable drinks afterwards. The company was excellent. Food was average to good, and all the staff we dealt with were friendly and helpful. But it might help if they knew the menu: although only two tables were eating Sunday lunch, about 30% of the starters were unavailable. One dish arrived as a similar substitute after the ordered item had run out. The rooms were well enough appointed on our previous stay, but service was hit and miss then. I'm older now and everyone looks about 12, but I still expect bar staff, waiters and reception to be competent. At times they weren't especially attentive or interested in helping. I also remember an earlier bar visit when half the beers were unavailable, including Guinness, and we were told they wouldn't arrive for another week or so. That's not great when staying several days. This time we had no such beer issue, so maybe we were lucky or maybe they'd sorted it out. The missing starters did feel like deja vu, though. The reception and bar look very nice, but the restaurant is average and I still find the staff a little undertrained and things somewhat disorganized.

My husband and I love this hotel. The rooms are beautiful and spacious, and the food is great quality. Staff are welcoming and friendly, and it's close to the places you'd want to go in Belfast.

The staff were brilliant, and we had a really tasty, fairly priced meal in the bar. Our room was spotless and roomy, with a very comfortable bed, lots of sockets and a superb, well-equipped bathroom. The city centre is about a 30-minute walk: turn left outside, then left at the end of the road and follow it down. There’s also a bus at the end of the road that goes straight in. We’d happily recommend the hotel and will definitely come back.

Jemma and Ricky deserve a special mention. They were so friendly and dedicated, and their support made a real difference to our university formal at Malone Lodge Hotel, Belfast this March. The whole team helped us plan, organise and set everything up, so a process that could have been stressful felt manageable. On the night, everything ran smoothly and we could just enjoy ourselves. It was clear how much work had gone on behind the scenes. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Malone Lodge Hotel for events. They really go above and beyond. - QUB’s Spanish and Portuguese Society.