I recently took a weekend break in Belfast and stayed at the 4 Star AC Hotel by Marriott in Belfast. The room is nice enough for a city hotel and is relatively well equipped. The breakfast is also okay and the location is great for sightseeing. Just a few minutes walk from the city centre and within walking distance of the Titanic museum. However, the cost was surprisingly high for a 4 star hotel in a small city like Belfast. So please read my review to find out if the AC Hotel Belfast by Marriott is worth staying at.
The AC Hotel Belfast
AC Hotels were founded in 1997 by Antonio Catalán in Madrid. Marriott acquired the hotel chain in 2011 and since then they’ve rebranded as AC Hotels by Marriott, with over 175 destinations worldwide. Their main hotel design ethos is “Form & Function”. So most of their hotels do feel pretty modern and chic. But personally based of my experience at the AC Hotel Belfst I found it to be a bit soulless. Just a sterotypical city/business hotel.
The AC Hotel Belfast has three room types: Standard Room, Superior Room and a One Bedroom Suite. I couldn’t figure out what the difference between a Standard and Superior Room is though. Possibly just the Superior is on a higher floor. We just stayed in a Standard King Room which was on the third floor with a view of the river.
It’s hard to estimate the exact cost I paid for two nights here as I booked through British Airways as a flight + hotel package. But I paid £704 for the return flight and 2 nights for 2 people. So assuming the flight cost about £150 return per person then the hotel was around £400 total. That’s roughly £200 per night, an amount which is similar to when I checked their website below. Admittedly this was a bank holiday weekend so prices were probably higher than usual. But £200 for an average 4 star hotel in Belfast seems a bit steep. Especially considering in Vietnam I paid just £150 per night for the brilliant 5 Star Pullman Danang Beach resort which I also reviewed here.
This AC Hotel Belfast does have a great location though. Situated right on the riverfront, within easy walking distance of both the city centre and Titanic museum. Whilst not as centrally located as some hotels like the famous Europa Hotel (most bombed hotel in the world) it is still a good place for tourists. Right outside the hotel they also have one of the “Glass of Thrones” instalments. These are Game of Thrones themed glasswork dotted throughout the city:
The Room
The Standard King Room we stayed in was quite nice. The highlight was the large bed, which didn’t come without its issues as I’ll mention in a bit. The room itself was large, with a table and chairs for seating. There was also a leather bench/luggage shelf. perhaps best of all was the view over the Belfast riverfront. Certainly not something I’d pay extra for, but a nice bonus to have. Overall the room felt well finished and clean.
The bed was very large so good for two people. It was also comfortable, but there were a few issues… Firstly, as you can see from the picture above, the pillows were tiny. Usually on such a wide bed I would at least expect the pillow width to be somewhat similar. Also the pillows were far too soft for my liking (but that’s more a personal preference). Finally the bed was pretty creaky and the cleaners clearly don’t pay much attention to the underside, which had a thick coating of dust. But besides that there’s nothing else worth complaining about.
Amenities-wise the room does quite a good job. You have all the standard feature like an ironing board, safe, coat hangers, mini fridge etc. You’ll also get a kettle and a good stock of tea and coffee. Then thoughout the room there are plenty of power sockets and usb ports. So for a 4 star city hotel I’d say they have done a relatively good job of kitting out this room with everything you might need.
Bathroom
The bathroom on the other hand was average at best. The shower was large and well stocked with shampoo, shower gel and conditioner. It also had a rain shower as well as handheld shower head. Though they definitely need to clean it up a bit as there was mould starting to grow in the corners. The sink and toilet were both fine though and they provided plenty of towels.
Breakfast
To start with they have a selection of juices (orange, pineapple, orange) and a coffee machine. There’s also tea and hot chocolate available.
The highlight for me was the cooked breakfast. It wasn’t anything special, but was better than everything else on offer. That said, it was just a solid full English breakfast selection and everything was cooked well so you can’t really go wrong with that.
Whilst the cooked section was fine, the cold selection was a bit disappointing. To the right you can see their selection of cheese, fruits and yoghurt. I was expecially disappointed by the fruit. The entire selection consisted of just 3 types of melon and nothing else. It was also not fresh at all. So if you’re someone like me who doesn’t like melon then you’re out of luck.
Finally, there is also cereal, a selection of pastries (which were quite good actually) and some bread. The seating area, as you can see below, is comfy and modern. They also did a good job keeping it clean. And you’re exposed to quite pleasant views of the Belfast riverfront.
One strange thing they included was a breakfast menu at the table which simply listed what was available at the buffet. This would make sense if they offered table service. But considering everything is buffet then I don’t know why they bothered. You even have to get drinks yourself so the menu just seems pointless to me.
Other stuff
There is a (very) small gym open 24 hours a day, and the view overlooks the river which is nice. They offer a very limited range of equipment but it’s better than nothing I guess. Besides that there’s nothing else worth noting really. There is a nice waiting area/lounge if you arrive early. Which has a tv and a few computers to use. There is also a conference centre (which I obviously didn’t use).
Final Thoughts
Overall the AC Hotel Belfast was… fine. The location is great for sightseeing. The room is spacious and has a big comfortable bed. The breakfast was also just okay, with a good selection of pastries and hot food, but severely lacking in fruit and other cold foods.
The hotel was mainly let down by the creaky bed, small soft pillows and mouldy shower. That and the almost extortionate price of close to £200 per night means I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the AC Hotel Belfast. Though I also wouldn’t outright advise against staying here. It’s just a very average and expensive city hotel.
More from me…
Please feel free to check out other related posts I’ve written:
- The Intercontinental Saigon – 5 Stay luxury in Vietnam’s biggest city
- The Pullman Danang Beach Resort – Perfect location for a trip to Da Nang & Hoi An
- Singapore Airlines Economy from London to Singapore – As Good as People Say?
And if you fancy earning some fantastic rewards and Avios points through American Express, please use my referral links below:
- The Platinum Card – You Receive 65,000 Membership Reward points and a £200 travel credit after spending £6,000 in the first 6 months (for a limited time until June 2023): https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/fREDEGgRA5?CPID=100493012
- British Airways Card: You Receive 8,000 Avios after spending £1,000 in the first 3 months: https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/fREDEG42lN?CPID=100503089