In the early days of tourism on the island of Ireland, the humble Bed and Breakfast was championed as a way of getting around the country without hurting your pocket. Thankfully, this hospitable tradition still persists today and a stay at a B&B in Northern Ireland is not only a cheap accommodation option, it’s also a great way to meet locals, sample great food and find out more about the community around you.
B&B in and near Belfast
Although Belfast has seen a boom in hotel building in recent years, there are many, many fine B&Bs to choose from across the city.
Ravenhill House (4*) is a beautifully restored Victorian house located two miles south of Belfast City Centre. Rugby fans will recognise the name. This spot is but a drop kick from the famous Kingspan Stadium, formerly known as Ravenhill. Olive and Roger Nicholson provide large comfortable rooms and a top-notch Ulster Fry for early risers. It is a short trip into the city centre.
Not too far from here you’ll find Maryville House (4*). This is a dainty little spot with beautifully laid out boutique accommodation as well as funky loft and attic rooms. In addition to serving breakfast for every sort of visitor, they also offer a tasty lunch menu and afternoon tea.
Twenty minutes from Belfast International Airport, the Causeway Coastal Route and Belfast, Ballylagan Organic Farm Guesthouse (3*) is the perfect place to start or maybe finish your adventure in Northern Ireland. With four big and bright bedrooms and a hearty breakfast in the morning, you’ll have a spring in your step by the time you start your day - whichever direction you’re going in.
Feather-down quilts and big breakfasts in County Down
A little further south, Bay Tree Cottage offers an escape to the country in your very own cottage. It’s just three kilometres from the historic Georgian village of Hillsborough, close to Belfast, Lough Neagh and the Mourne Mountains. Wake up and step outside the cottage grounds and have your breakfast on the lawn before deciding which way you want to go that day.
Treat yourself in County Tyrone
Grange Lodge Country House (4*) sits on acres of beautifully manicured lawns and gardens in South Tyrone. In fact, the lawns are so carpet-like that you can play croquet (an Irish game by the way). The gardens reflect the care that is taken in the bedrooms and dining areas and there is a clean and comfortable warmth about this spot.
That feeling is enhanced by the host’s ‘Cook with Norah’ Cookery Sessions. Guests and visitors to this fine ledge leave with happy memories and a few new recipes to take home too.
Feel like a local in County Fermanagh
The multi-award-winning Watermill Restaurant and B&B on the shores of Lough Erne is something a bit special. Each of their seven rooms open on to views of the lake right on your doorstep. You could almost cast your fishing rod from the comfort of your bed. It is ideally situated for touring the local area but then again, such is the comfort of the place you might not want to move too far.
Check in and out all along the Causeway Coastal Route
Right, let’s get to the point on this one. In 2015, Shola Coach House in Portrush won second best B&B in the world at the Traveller’s Choice Awards. This little oasis of calm is just a chip and a putt from the famous Royal Portrush Golf Club and just fifteen minutes from the Giant’s Causeway. A great spot to base yourself if you’re planning on taking your time along that Causeway Coastal Route tour.
You can enjoy sweeping views across that very route from the Blackrock House B&B (5*). This fabulous Edwardian property dating back to 1902 has been repurposed to make the visitor feel right at home. In more recent years it won the Best Serviced Accommodation in Northern Ireland in 2017. What is it about Portrush and Irish winners?
Less than two minutes stroll from the harbour & beach at Ballycastle, Glass Island B&B offers a place to experience village life in Northern Ireland. After a day of seeing the nearby sites like Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and Giant’s Causeway, you can relax in the village’s pubs and restaurants before returning to your home away from home in this quiet refuge.
From a house of words to a city of walls in County Londonderry
When he checked out of the Laurel Villa Boutique Guest House (4*) in Magherafelt, author Roddy Doyle wrote that it was “wonderful to stay in a house full of words”. It is a beautiful testimony to a beautiful place run by a couple dedicated to the power of the written word.
Fans of the late local poet, Seamus Heaney will know this lovely spot well. As well as offering excellent accommodation, great food and personal service at very affordable rates, they offer guided tours following in the footsteps of the Nobel Prize winning poet.
If you’re spending the night up the road in Derry-Londonderry, then look no further than the Station B&B (4*). This lovely spot is an easy seven-minute stroll from the walled city. Derry-Londonderry native, Ursula Walsh, has been welcoming visitors to the town she loves so well for decades and knows every nook and cranny. This tranquil retreat is ideal after a busy day enjoying the delights and sites of the city.
The B&B tradition in Northern Ireland is alive and well. It offers something unique to the visitor who wants to dig right down into the earth and look into the soul of this corner of the world. If you can’t spend every night in a Northern Ireland B&B, we would urge you to spend at least one. You won’t regret it and you certainly won’t forget it.
