Malmaison Belfast

We had afternoon tea for two today, and an extra guest joined us for lunch. Even though we’d booked for 2.30, the afternoon tea took nearly 30 minutes to arrive. We had a voucher bought at Christmas and I’d been looking forward to this, as I haven’t had afternoon tea for a while and don’t get out very often. It was disappointing, 6/10. The hot food was tasty: a slider, panko crumbed brisket, crispy chicken strips and a tuna tartare taco. But the rest was a letdown. The scones were so hard I couldn’t get a knife through them. They were taken back and replaced, but the new ones weren’t much better. The desserts left a lot to be desired: the creme brulee seemed to have been torched in the morning, with no crispy top; the cheesecake was unclear; and I wasn’t sure what the brownie topping was. It all tasted possibly frozen, along with the orange-style meringue. I ordered a cappuccino first, and it was probably the worst coffee I’ve ever had. It was half a cup at best from what seemed to be mainly a bean-to-cup vending machine. For afternoon tea I expected better, like something freshly made by a barista. We weren’t offered more coffee, and I had to ask to place another drinks order. It wasn’t busy, and it’s certainly not as good as it used to be. The attention to detail was poor, the coffee needs urgent attention, and the tables felt a bit small for all the food.

I booked without doing any research and was delighted with the choice. Everyone, from check-in to the bar staff, was excellent at their job. The room was faultless, clean and spacious, with a mini fridge, which should be standard in rooms. On Sunday night in Belfast, I was surprised to see many bars closed at 10. Thankfully the hotel stayed open until 11 and even went around to offer each customer a final drink. That should be standard too, but sadly isn’t. I’d be delighted to stay here again.

I’d never heard of Malmaison before our group lunch today. The place was very nice, and the staff were helpful. The vegetables and roasting Potatoes were great, but the turkey and whatever it was served on weren’t to my taste. Cranberry sauce was put on top, which I avoid. I’d normally expect it on the side, and it would have been much better that way. Such a shame, because the meal could have been so much better.

Sunday lunch was a joy, with a top-notch sirloin roast, excellent service and good value. The bar was lovely and reasonably priced, and Shelby the bar manager was a delight and a real asset who made our stay better. The location was handy too, with bars and restaurants a 4min walk away and a taxi to the airport costing £10. Yes, I’d stay again. We booked standard rooms because of the hotel’s name and location. The sleeping areas were comfortable and clean, though the bathrooms weren’t as good, and noise from generators disturbed us at night. The rooms also needed more attention to detail: there was little toilet roll, only one towel, no water in the fridge, and tea, coffee and cups weren’t replenished. Over the 3 days, the room was attended to only once.