Merchant's Hotel, Belfast

Built of golden sandstone, the Merchant's Hotel building (former Ulster Bank ) is definitely worth seeing while in Belfast. It is a Victorian style construction with outstanding ornamentation that has received a great deal of admiration over the years. The building site was originally acquired in 1836, but the actual construction works began in 1857.

Bank directors Robert Grimshaw and James Heron traveled throughout the UK in order to find perfect examples of bank designs. Later, they held a competition for the best design and the winner was a talented Glaswegian named James Hamilton.

The exterior of the hotel is in decorated in Italian style, it sports three sculptures representing Commerce, Justice and Britannia on top of the fabulous facade. The hotel's main hall is decorated with fruit and foliage designs, and the four Corinthian columns complete the architectural complex of the interior.

Due to its magnificent design, the building of the Merchant's Hotel is known to be one of the most renowned and appreciated constructions in Belfast.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Ross.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Belfast. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Merchant's Hotel
Sight Location: Belfast, Ireland (See walking tours in Belfast)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Belfast Victorian Architecture Jewels

Walking Tours in Belfast, Ireland

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