Be My Valentines at Tara Lodge Boutique Hotel

Did you know the oldest surviving Valentine is a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife in 1415?  At the time, the Duke was being held in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. Foreseeing a grisly end he poured his heart into words so romantic they have stood the test of time…

…and did you know every Valentine's Day, the celebrated romantic Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1000 heartfelt letters addressed to the ill-fated Juliet?

OK, so admittedly Belfast cannot lay claim to such dreamy star-crossed love stories.  Being objective, it has probably not been our forte in past times.  When May McFetridge is hailed as a national institution it’s hard not to see why...BUT every love story has to have a beginning.  Our once, unchivalrous, unromantic, petrol station flower purchasing Northern Irish bunch are now coming up trumps!

Love will most definitely be in the air this Valentine’s Day in Belfast.  Our ‘wee’ city has earned the accolade of being amongst the top ten locations for Valentines getaways (honestly!).  Fighting off robust competition from the traditional romantic hot spots such a Venice or Paris, a recent poll by London Gatwick ranked Belfast seventh in the most sought out Valentines destinations. To see the less traditional European city breaks, like Belfast, hitting the spot for Valentine’s Day truly does warm the heart…maybe 2015 will bring our own world famous love story for the history books, only not as condemned as the aforementioned!

This is where Tara Lodge can help make your love story truly blossom!  Voted No.1 hotel in Belfast by TripAdvisor consistently since 2007, why would you give your Valentine anything other than the very best?  Tara Lodge is an exquisite, 4 star boutique hotel located just off the cosmopolitan Botanic Avenue in the leafy, much sought after, south side of the city. The hotel is surrounded by an abundance of sumptuous restaurants, catering for all tastes & budgets and of course offering the perfect setting for a romantic candlelit meal for two…

Our stylish 4 star rooms offer the ultimate setting for complete relaxation with a little touch of luxury thrown in. The super comfortable pillow top King Koil beds, draped in crisp clean white linen are beautifully complimented by the earth & gold toned soft furnishings and atmospheric lighting to set the mood. The ensuite bathrooms are effortlessly tasteful in contemporary charcoal and white with a Grohe power shower to leave you refreshed and rejuvenated.

Be My Valentine packages at Tara Lodge

Every love story is beautiful but some have that little extra sparkle.  This year, why not let Tara Lodge add that extra sparkle as the perfect setting for your Valentines weekend of love...   The perfect start to your two night Signature room stay is your loved one opening the door to an exquisite rose petal scattered king-size bed, Champagne chilling on ice & sumptuous hand dipped chocolate strawberries. You can expect nothing less than a night of ultimate romance. The little amorous extras in your room will ensure anything you haven’t thought of, we have!  There’s no rush to leave the following morning, after you have savoured every mouthful of our famous a la carte breakfast you can return to your room, curl up and stay cosy for a little bit longer with a 2pm late check-out.  You could earn yourself some serious brownie points…

* 2 Nights in a luxurious Signature Double Room
* Rose Scattered King-size Bed
* Chilled Champagne & Hand Dipped Chocolate Strawberries
* Exclusive Tara Lodge Chocolates
* Romance Gifts
* Late Check-out to 2.00pm on day of departure

Cost per person £139.00 based on two sharing a Signature Double. Offer subject to availability. Package fully prepaid at the time of booking; non-transferable nor refundable. These rates cannot be used in conjunction with ant other special offer or promotion.

Top 5 Valentine’s Events in Belfast

There is a great choice of romantic events taking place in Belfast around Valentine’s Day. Here are our top 5 Valentine’s events for 2015:

• Valentine’s Day Special Johnny Cash and June Carter tribute concert at Crumlin Road Gaol with a 4 Course Meal (14th Feb)
• Ulster Orchestra – A Very Special Valentine on 14th February. A programme of timeless romantic classics for Valentine’s Day with one of the UK’s leading conductors Nicholas Collon
• Woo at the Zoo – Ruffed lemurs are red, peacocks are blue, come and enjoy Valentine’s Day at Belfast Zoo (14th & 15th Feb)
• Valentine’s Afternoon Tea on 15th February in the opulent surroundings of the Titanic Suite for a romantic celebration by the Grand Staircase at Titanic Belfast. 
• A romantic meal for two at Shu Restaurant set in a fine Victorian terrace on Belfast’s Stylish Lisburn Road.

Contact us today to book a romantic ‘Be My Valentine’ package and enjoy a 2 night stay at in the luxurious Tara Lodge boutique hotel.

Every Hotel Needs a 'Ricky'

When you hear the name ‘Ricky’ an illustrious few spring to mind; Ricky Gervais, Ricky Whittle, the hip swivelling Ricky Martin, not forgetting the torment of every Ricky the length & breadth of the country...Bianca’s long suffering ‘Rickaaay’ from EastEnders (yes you’ve done it too!).  Following a stay at Tara Lodge hotel in Belfast, guests leave with the memory of another face to add to this quintessential list…

The Ricky we speak of is famous in his own right, not for being a successful sportsman, talented singer or a celebrated comedian (he would argue this). Our Ricky stands out reservedly just for being him, an invaluable member of the Tara Lodge team for the past 13 years.  He has steadily built up a fiercely loyal fan base over the years who on arrival, generally cut straight to the chase with ‘Is Ricky still here’? We are always delighted to confirm that he is.  His friendly face is one they are warmly greeted by time and time again.  Throughout his long standing service Ricky has witnessed Tara Lodge transform from an unassuming 19 room Guest House into what it is today, an exquisite 34 bedroom City Centre Boutique Hotel, voted Tripadvisors number #1 Hotel in Belfast since 2007.

Ricky brings his own naturally entertaining personality to work each day. This adds a little sparkle to every guests stay.  If you’ve ever been lucky enough to be served by him at breakfast, you will know what we mean!   He is naturally gifted with an enviable memory which unlike most of us has not diminished with time. Derren Brown has yet to meet his Northern Irish match.  At the drop of a hat he effortlessly recalls names, room preferences & even breakfast orders for guests who may not have stayed with us for many years, including in some instances, how they like their eggs cooked!

Hailing originally from ‘Pordydown’ as he puts it, Belfast has been his home now for over 30 years. What he doesn't know about Belfast, its history & attractions honestly isn't worth knowing. Above all, Ricky knows how to look after our guests, genuinely, professionally and with a lot of character.  David and Angela Giglotti were compelled to write the following personal e-mail after their recent stay at Tara Lodge…

'I rarely take the time to send out a special thanks to the service we experienced. However while staying at your hotel your rooms and staff were amazing, especially Ricky, his attention to detail made us feel like I was at the Ritz five star hotel. He loves his job and it is evident right away. Wish every hotel had a Ricky!!!'

We may be biased in agreeing wholeheartedly with David & Angela but thankfully every hotel doesn’t have a Ricky, just us!

You too can experience the same amazing service first hand, from all our team.  Simply click on the following link to check out our hotel rooms & current range of fantastic packages! www.taralodge.com