Naomi Houston My recent stay at The Harrison Chambers of Distinction was nothing short
Naomi Houston
My recent stay at The Harrison Chambers of Distinction was nothing short of outstanding.
The staff, atmosphere, and unique décor combined to create a truly magical experience. The hotel, boasting historical charm with modern twists, made the stay one like no other. It is a real gem within Belfast City.
Melanie Harrison, the hotelier, has a real eye for detail, and many of her décor pieces and furniture are made by local artists and crafters like Carrie Neely and Gill Morrow. Tables with images of Belfast murals printed on them in the reception/bar, blinds made with prints from a local female artist, old-style portraits, shelves of books and unique teapots. Separately, these items may sound odd, but Melanie’s artistic flair shines through as everything perfectly fits together, creating a wonderfully eccentric space.
Upon arrival, we were greeted at reception and taken to our room. Each room design represents a famous person with links to Belfast, such as C.S. Lewis, Samuel Beckett, Van Morrison, John Lavery, and Seamus Heaney.
We stayed in the Bronte sister’s room, which was absolutely beautiful. Think bay windows, chaise lounge, four poster beds, bathtub in the bedroom, waterfall shower, a bookcase full of Emily Bronte books, old style radiators, vintage look radio, and dressing table. The list goes on. It was like stepping back in time in the best way possible. No TV, just the calming sound of classical FM while lying on the chaise lounge reading a book and people watching out the bay window.
If you’re looking to unwind, this is the perfect place to do it.
The room also had some information on who the Bronte sisters were and how they relate to Belfast; I must say, whether you’re a history fanatic or not, it’s very interesting learning about a person while staying in a room designed to represent them.
The rooms also come with tea and coffee-making facilities, bottled water, and toiletries. Again, I have to highlight the absolutely outstanding attention to detail even when it comes to these amenities. All the products in the rooms were locally sourced: soap, shampoo, conditioner (Field Day Scents), and coffee (‘Wanted Coffee’). The bottled water even had an image of W.B. Yeats on the side of it (An Irish poet and play write).
On the evening of our arrival, we decided to sit in the lounge, admire the artwork, listen to some music, and, of course, have a little drink! There is a variety of drinks to choose from, soft drinks and alcoholic. We opted for a cocktail each, there is a range of cocktails on offer, both of ours were delicious (margarita and French martini). With the warm and relaxed atmosphere of the lounge, and some complimentary nuts and crips, we found we could have sat there all evening.
Now for arguably my favourite part of this entire hotel experience. The breakfast…in BED! It has to be said, I haven’t stayed in many places that offer this service as a dining option. However, The Harrison don’t do things by halves. If you choose to add breakfast to your stay, you have the choice of eating it in the downstairs lounge area or having a tray of breakfast hand-delivered to your room.
I’ll admit that I’m not a morning person, and although many people love being up, dressed, and ready to mingle with people in the morning. I tend to enjoy a slower rise with much less conversation!
Hence, the joy when my attention was brought to a sheet of paper in our room with lots of continental breakfast options. We had to choose our preferred time and write down exactly how much of each item we wanted.
The list was vast. Fresh fruit salad, granola bowls, pancake stacks, meats and cheeses, croissants, and porridge, to name a few. You could also choose from a selection of juices, tea and coffee.
10 am on the dot the following day, we had a knock on our door, and there was our gorgeously presented breakfast tray, carried into our room by a lovely member of staff. Having the option to lounge in my pyjamas and enjoy my breakfast with some music was just what I needed and just another example of how special this place is. It was a perfect start to my day.
The hotel itself is within a four-story townhouse on Malone Road (Expanding this February). There is a shop right opposite the hotel, along with cafes, bars and restaurants, including 3 Michelin restaurants, all within a 5/10 minute walk.
If you are looking to do some sightseeing, the hotel is a short walk from the Ulster Museum and the Botanic Gardens. You could also visit the historic Queens University campus, which is breathtaking.
Entertainment venues are also close by, including The Lyric Theatre, the Crescent Arts Centre, Queens Film Theatre (QFT) and No Alibis, which all offer quality entertainment without having to go into the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
If you would like to go into the city centre however, it’s extremely easy to do so, either using a local taxi firm, which staff are always happy to organise for you. Or you can use local bus services which run quite frequently. I chose to walk from the city centre, it only took 20 minutes and gave me a great idea of what was nearby.
I am always hyper-aware of where I’m walking and cautious of how safe I feel, especially in the evening. I must say, The Harrison is in a very secure and bustling area. I felt extremely safe walking from the city centre to the hotel both during the day and in the evening.
During my stay, I was pleased to learn that the hotel is undergoing an expansion which will premier this Valentines day 2025! The expansion will include 11 new rooms, again with their own unique styling. I got a sneak peek of a few of these, and they are fabulous! My personal favourite being the “stairway to heaven” room which is at the very top of the building. It’s an ode to Led Zeppelin and has a quirky interior with extravagant wallpaper and stunning chandeliers.
Not only will there be new rooms, there will also be a stunning new breakfast room with skylights along the ceiling, allowing you to bask in the sunlight or listen to the soothing sound of the rain while you enjoy your food, without getting soaked!
Another new feature is the lounge. This space has a grand piano and a bar, a vibey area which will host live musicians and provide a social area for guests to mingle, drink, and have some light bites.
The whole hotel is accessible with a lift and wide door frames.
I feel it would be utterly remiss of me not to mention the rich history of the building itself. It was Victorian merchants’ residences in the 1800’s. The Harrison is within two of these houses (before expansion). The first belonging to Mayer, a famous cabinet maker, and the other belonged to the Cleaver family.
John Cleaver was originally from Scotland, he met Edward Robinson when he came to Belfast to work. The two entrepreneurs saw a gap in the market for selling fine locally made goods such as linen. Together they opened the ‘Royal Irish Linen Warehouse’ of Robinson & Cleaver.
Although it closed in the 1980’s, you can still see the Robinson & Cleaver building, which is now home to the Ivy opposite Belfast City hall.
Over 60% of all parcels leaving Belfast to be distributed all over the world in the late 1800s were sent by Robinson and Cleaver, most of which contained Linen.
Cleaver married a lady named Mary Spence. They and their 8 children lived where The Harrison is now. It was then known as Windsor Gardens.
After a few years they moved to a mansion close by on the Malone Road. It was known as Dunraven but was knocked down to make way for the houses on Cleaver Avenue and Cleaver Park.
By the 1930’s, the terrace houses had been converted into apartments. Many of which were inhabited by wealthy, well educated young men.
Local people and young female students at the University playfully called it Bachelors’ Row.
By the 1960’s there were no residents left and all the buildings were occupied by businesses and used for office space.
This was until Melanie came along. In my opinion, Melanie Harrison saved these buildings by turning them into the spaces they are today. She brought their character back to life and pays ode to Belfast’s past through intricate details such as the floorboards which were from Royal Victoria Hospital, and the outside Victorian railings which were from old army barracks.
Every detail has been considered historically, practically and sustainably. There wasn’t a single thing that I asked about that didn’t have a story behind it, and in a day and age where trends and modern minimalism tends to be the norm, it’s refreshing to stay somewhere which sparks your interest and oozes character.
It was a genuinely mesmerising stay.