The Gregory Hotel Belfast, Overpriced and Poor rooms

I am surprised there is now something there. We had booked this for September 2020, a trip that Covid quashed, amazingly no deposits anywhere lost. We were able to put this entire trip back together for April 2022, and found that the Gregory was no longer in existence. We stayed at the Malone Hotel just down the block, property was excellent. We noted that the Gregory was closed up and in disrepair, and awaiting some kind of investment to reopen something.

I would imagine that what is there now, while it has kept the name, is NOT the Gregory Hotel as recommend in earlier Ireland/UK books. There are numerous restaurants a few blocks away north from either end of the block, and it is only a mile or or a short bus ride from the center of Belfast.

Management did seem to be new. About 4-5 of the restaurants that had been in the area previously were shown as permanently closed There was one good pub restaurant 3 blocks away that was difficult to get into and we found an ok Chinese restaurant nearby

We visited Belfast a few years ago and found it quite depressing. Many storefronts closed, few people walking around, definitely not crowded with tourists. If the titanic museum wasn’t there, I believe it would be worse.

I agree with your thoughts on Belfast. The Titanic Museum is fantastic but the City is still mired in post industrial and post Troubles issues. Derry was wonderful and quite upbeat. Was astonished to find out that Belfast still has many gates between Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods and they are still locked each night at 7 pm

I found Belfast to be quite pleasant. Admittedly I wasn't there for long but what I did encounter was nice enough, certainly didn't find it depressing or run down however I stuck solely to the city centre, I suspect if I'd have headed out towards the residential areas things may have been different.

I haven't been to Londonderry so I can't compare the two.

Yeah, we saw the gates that get locked in the evenings between the neighborhoods. Very depressing to us of Irish descent.

I was in Belfast in Aug 2019 and loved it. The streets were busy and vibrant and I loved the chatty people I met, all except for a grumpy HOHO guide. I imagine that it’s still struggling to recover from the Covid shutdowns, what a pity.

Rick’s Website offers Ireland guidebook updates, which include the following for Belfast:

The Wellington Park Hotel is likely no longer open to the public, and we no longer recommend it.

I wonder if the Gregory, even though it’s not “likely no longer open,” might also get its recommendation rescinded? Or, maybe it won’t be renewed, in future editions?