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The Merchant Hotel

Ireland, The North, Co. Fermanagh

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The Hotel

The Merchant Hotel has been awarded AA Hotel of the Year for Northern Ireland at the prestigious national AA Hospitality Awards.The five star Merchant Hotel in Belfast is a harmonious blend of Victorian grandeur and Art Deco inspired sleek modernity. Situated in the heart of Belfast city centre’s historic Cathedral Quarter, the grandeur of the original Grade A listed building is complemented by an elegant Art Deco inspired wing with a multitude of exciting amenities. These include a stunning luxury spa, a rooftop gymnasium with panoramic city views, a dedicated meeting and events suite and a fabulous jazz bar. The Merchant Hotel is also home to the exclusive fashion boutique, Harper. As Northern Ireland’s only stockist of Valentino, Celine and Christian Louboutin of Paris, Harper at The Merchant Hotel is a must visit for every fashionista.Due to its prime location, The Merchant Hotel is a short distance from a host of visitor attractions including Victoria Square Shopping Centre, the Ulster Museum, City Hall, the Titanic Quarter, the Waterfront Hall and the Odyssey Arena. The Merchant Hotel is just 2km from Belfast Central Railway Station and main bus stations, 5.6km from Belfast City Airport and 28km from Belfast International Airport.

Rooms

Well appointed and sumptuous, all guest rooms at the five star Merchant Hotel feature bespoke furnishings and original works of art complemented by the very best in 21st century technology.

Luscious velvets and silks, specially designed rich wool carpets, spacious en suites and a host of in-room amenities all add to the comfort and opulence of a stay at The Merchant Hotel.

Dining

  • Fabulous jazz bar.
  • Wine and Cocktail bar.
  • Buzzing location
  • Spa & Gym
  • Wine & Cocktail Bar

Courses

The golf course at Craigavad was originally designed by perhaps the greatest golf course architect ever, Harry Colt.
The layout consists of two loops, the first an outer clockwise circuit, finishing at our signature hole the par three 11th, the homeward inner loop in contrast, anti-clockwise.

Course Highlights

  • Oldest golf club in Northern Ireland

 

Royal County Down is located in one of the world’s most naturally beautiful links settings in the Murlough Nature Reserve. Against the magnificent backdrop of the Mountains of Mourne, the links stretches along the shores of Dundrum Bay, zigzagging back and forth to provide a different vista from virtually every hole.The narrowest ribbons of fairways thread their way through as impressive a set of sand dunes as could be imagined. The fairways are surrounded by purple heather and golden gorse, so beautiful to look at but so punishing for any who may stray from the prescribed path.The ‘bearded’ bunkers are world famous and feature overhanging lips of marram, red fescue and heather. The greens are fast and many are domed, rejecting any shot lacking conviction. This is a true test of any player’s command of the traditional bump and run, the preferred way to play any links.The ninth hole is one of the most photographed holes in world golf. A 486 yard par 4, it is played from one side of a huge mound down to a fairway some 60 ft below and 260 yards from the tee. From the bottom of the slope the second shot is played over two bunkers to a raised green.The finest of all links courses, it offers a stern challenge from the championship tees. The record is 66 set by Ireland’s first golfing superstar, Jimmy Bruen, in 1939.From the stableford tees it offers golfers of all standards the opportunity of playing a truly great course with dramatic panorama of the surrounding mountains and coastline.

Course Highlights

  • Magnificient scenery
  • One of the top courses in Northern Ireland
    45 minutes drive from Belfast

Royal Portrush Golf Club is home to one of the best and most challenging links golf courses in the world, theDunluce Links, and the hidden gem, the Valley Links. The only club in Ireland to have hosted The Open Championship, Royal Portrush is a members club which welcomes visitors all year round to face the challenges of its courses and to brave the testing conditions

Dunluce Links

Championship CourseThe Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club ranks amongst the world’s greatest courses. Voted Number 12 in the world by Golf Magazine, it is a masterpiece of golf course architecture. Unimaginable rough and testing greens, combined with the unpredictable weather of the roaring North Atlantic make this course an admirable test for even the most seasoned golf aficionado.

Valley Links

The Valley lies between the East Strand and the Dunluce golf course in Portrush. As its name suggests, the course is situated between the huge sand hills immediately along the Atlantic shore and the higher ground on which the Championship course is laid out. That is not to say the holes of the course are routed over anything like plain, level lying land, far from it, as the Valley has more than its fair share of the humps, hollows and undulations to be found on any links worthy of the name.

Course Highlights

  • Fantastic course, one
  • not to be missed
    Coastal views

Malone is a fine championship course situated on 330 acres of undulating wooded parkland. Its 27 holes of secluded gently undulating parkland countryside is just 5 miles from Belfast City centre. The centre piece of the course is the beautiful natural trout lake which extends for some 27 acres. The course is a real challenge with mature trees shaping many of the holes with the lake first comes into play on the 13th. Beware the 15th where the tee shot to a tricky undulating green is over water all the way. Also the 18th is daunting where almost any ball to the right of the green is water bound. Navigate the course here and get a taste of what you can expect when you play!

Course Highlights

  • 330 acres of undulating wooded parkland
  • 27 holes
  • 5 miles from Belfast City centre

Castlerock Golf Club, is a classic links course set amid towering dunes. Situated on the Causeway coast and only a 20 minute drive from both Royal Portrush Golf Club and Portstewart Golf Club, Castlerock is a more than worthy neighbour to both of these great Irish links.A round at Castlerock will test every department of your game. The 200 yard par three signature 4th hole, called “Leg o’ Mutton”, requires a tee shot struck over a burn, with a railway track lurking to the right. Great courses offer great closing holes and the short par four 18th at Castlerock is no different. Even with a good drive on this slight dogleg, due to the contours of the fairway, you are often left with a relatively blind approach to a tricky plateau green.

Course Highlights

  • 20 minute drive from Portrush
  • Links course

Founded in 1894 and redesigned by Willie Park jnr in the 1920’s this championship links course received its greatest makeover with the purchase of land known as “Thistly Hollow” in 1981. This enabled the club to build a stunning new seven holes through towering dunes and fabulous and natural links land. Designed by local school teacher Des Giffin the Strand Course is the jewel in the Portstewart portfolio.Portstewart has played host to many major Amateur and Professional Championships over the years including most recently the British Girls Championship in 2006. Portstewart Golf Club is proud to offer 54 holes of golf spectacularly set on Ulster’s famous Causeway Coast with something for every golfer.

The Strand – par 72
A true championship links course,The jewel in Portstewart’s crown

The Riverside – par 68
Includes 9 new holes running down to the river – a perfect day out for the society golfer

The Old Course – par 64
Along the rocky shore east of Portstewart where the Club was founded in 1894

Course Highlights

  • 54 Holes
  • Links course
  • Breathtaking views

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The Merchant Hotel

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