The Regency

The Regency

By three in the afternoon, when check-in opens, The Regency's restored Georgian terrace in Belfast's Queen's Quarter already has an address worth walking from: the Crown Liquor Saloon, the Lord Kelvin Statue and the Monument to the Unknown Woman Worker are all within reach on foot. This is a small apart-hotel, just thirteen rooms, and it shows in the pace rather than the size: many of the rooms come with their own kitchen, dishwasher and microwave, so a stay here runs less like a hotel booking and more like borrowing someone's very well-kept flat, with concierge service, laundry and dry cleaning on hand when the self-catering illusion wears thin. Garden and outdoor furniture give the terrace somewhere to sit outside; a fitness room and a restaurant cover the basics without pretending to be more. Business groups get a conference hall and meeting rooms; tourists get a tour assistance desk and currency exchange at reception. What sets it apart from the rest of the Quarter's boutique addresses is a Michelin Key, the first awarded to any hotel in Northern Ireland, earned for cooking and service rather than square footage. It suits travellers who want a kitchen of their own and someone at the desk who knows the neighbourhood, not a resort experience. It does not suit stag or hen parties, who are turned away outright, and a refundable GBP 250 cash deposit at arrival is a reminder that the owners protect what they have restored. Thirteen rooms, one Michelin Key, and a Georgian crescent restored from dereliction. A thirteen-room Georgian townhouse in Belfast's Queen's Quarter, walking distance from the Crown Liquor Saloon, with kitchens in many rooms and the first Michelin Key awarded in Northern Ireland. It suits travellers who want a kitchen and a concierge, not stag or hen parties.