The Merchant Hotel, Belfast, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Merchant Hotel is a five-star hotel at 16 Skipper Street in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter, set in the grand Victorian building that once housed the headquarters of Ulster Bank. It is worth a look even if you are not staying, for its ornate stonework and for the ghost story that has followed it in recent years.

The story behind it

The building began life as a bank, not a hotel. Built in the 1860s in an ornate Italianate style, it was designed to show off the wealth and confidence of Victorian Belfast, then a booming port and industrial city. After the bank moved out, the building was restored and reopened as a luxury hotel, keeping much of its grand character.

Its best-known legend is a modern one. According to the hotel's own telling, the Dublin-born singer Samantha Mumba once rushed down to reception during a stay after claiming to have seen a ghost in her room. Staff moved her to another suite that night, and the hotel has described it as its first reported haunting. It is a story, not something that can be proved, which is part of its charm.

What to look for

• Look up at the facade on the corner of Skipper Street and Waring Street, where the carved stone detail shows the building's banking origins.
• Notice the scale of the entrance and the steps, which were made to impress customers in a way modern hotels rarely are.
• Take in how the building sits among the older streets of the Cathedral Quarter, with brick warehouses and narrow lanes close by.
• If you go inside as a guest of the bar or restaurant, look at the grand interior spaces, which still feel like a Victorian banking hall.

Tips for your visit

• You can see the exterior from the street at any time, and ten minutes is plenty for the facade and a few photos.
• Go in daylight for the best view of the stonework, then return after dark when the area feels more atmospheric.
• It is a working hotel, so entry beyond the lobby is for guests and customers of its bars and restaurants. Check current opening hours before planning a drink or meal.
• The Cathedral Quarter around it has pubs, street art and St Anne's Cathedral within a short walk, so pair it with a wander through the neighbouring streets.

See it on a quest

Ghosts of Belfast: Haunted Walking Tour & Escape Game suits this stop well, given the hotel's ghost story. You reach the hotel on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Belfast is a good pick if you like a darker, puzzle-led way to see the city. You walk between real places, hear about each one as you get there, and solve a puzzle in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Lucky Treasure Hunt: The Golden Shamrock in Belfast is a lighter treasure-hunt option that also passes this corner of the Cathedral Quarter. You explore on foot at your own pace, the app tells you about each place, and a puzzle waits at each stop. One ticket covers the whole group.