SHEILA WAYMANstays at the Ramada Encore, Belfast
PLANNING A trip to Belfast for a night-time event at the Odyssey Arena, we wanted to book a hotel within walking distance. The Ramada Encore, just across the River Lagan, seemed to fit the bill – although the three youngest members of the group protested that it could hardly be a “proper” hotel if it didn’t have a swimming pool.
A network of busy roads lies to the front of the hotel, which backs onto the much more peaceful, pedestrian-friendly cathedral quarter. Free parking for guests is available in the multi-storey car park around a bend.
We came in from the pouring rain several hours before the 3pm check-in time but that wasn’t a problem and a friendly receptionist immediately provided us with key cards.
The bare wooden floor and good work space in the airy bedroom evoked the feeling of a smart, modern university residence. The fibre-optic bedside lights and en suite wetroom with power shower reinforced the very contemporary feel of the hotel, which opened only a year ago. Noticeably well soundproofed, the room had a pleasing, fresh ambience – helped, perhaps, by the newness of the place and the limited use of soft furnishings.
Since we had chosen the hotel for its proximity to the Odyssey Arena, it was equally convenient for a visit to the W5 interactive discovery centre at the same complex. We had less than three hours to spend there but a family could happily stay all day at what really is a “must see” for any child on this island.
For an early evening meal, the menu served in the hotel’s brightly coloured Hub Bar and Lounge looked more than adequate. A similar if more extensive menu in its SQ Bar and Grill did not entice us to pay a premium for sitting behind a partition in the same open, L-shaped area served by the same kitchen. The food in the bar surpassed expectations.
My main course of tagliatelle, wild mushrooms, spinach and parmesan was the best pasta dish I have tasted outside Italy. And the sausage connoisseur among us rated his choice from the children’s options very highly.
Unfortunately the service did not match the culinary high standard. In the first bill presented I spotted an extra main dish we did not have. It was removed in the revised bill, but then I noticed an overcharge for the tagliatelle, which the charmingly apologetic waiter puzzlingly attributed to a mix-up over the origin of the mushrooms.
The third and correct bill, at £48, was €20 cheaper than the first and certainly represented good value for a satisfying one-course meal with drinks for two adults and three children. But as we were waiting for the bill to be sorted, we could have done without an over-zealous member of staff spraying our table with disinfectant.
That feeling of slightly shambolic organisation was repeated at breakfast the next morning. While the cooked fare was served from a counter in the SQ restaurant, the remainder was entirely self-service in a cramped cul-de-sac area between the restaurant and kitchen.
It is probably fine at quiet times but in a rush just before the 10am weekday close of breakfast, children and adults were getting in the way of each other, trying to help themselves to juice, fruit, cereal and pastries and work out how to operate the hot drink dispenser and toasting machine. The arrangement did not seem adequate for a 169-bedroom hotel – but perhaps, it is banking on a percentage of guests taking the room-only option.
- Go Overnights are reviewed anonymously and paid for by The Irish Times
WhereRamada Encore Belfast, St Anne's Square, 20 Talbot Street, Belfast. Tel 028 90 261800 (048 when ringing from Republic).
WhatContemporary, city-centre hotel.
Rooms169 – twin rooms, double rooms and family rooms with a sofa bed.
Best ratesRoom only rate for double/twin booked in advance £59.46 (€72). Special packages include a "W5 family break", covering two nights BB and a day pass to W5 for a family of four, for £180 (€218).
Restaurant and barSQ Bar and Grill and the Hub Bar and Lounge.
Child friendlinessChildren welcome.
AccessibilityUp to seven bedrooms available for wheelchair users.
AmenitiesFree wireless internet access in public area; in rooms, pay-for broadband, flat-screen TVs.