Belfast in May 2015 - things are hotting up!

With the weather taking a turn for the worse, this May in Belfast is looking to be a cold month, at least to start with but with so many exciting events taking place in Belfast this year, it won’t be long until things hot up! 

We kick start the month with the Belfast Marathon on May Day when nearly 17,500 participants will take to the street of Belfast come rain, hail or shine, to complete the 26.2 mile route showcasing all the sights of this wonderful city. Make Tara Lodge your base camp with luxurious hotel bedrooms with a fabulous breakfast to fuel your race. We still have some of our luxurious 4 star Signature hotel bedrooms available for Sunday 3 and Monday 4 May.

The Tara Lodge Teams in the Belfast Marathon 2015

The Botanic Gardens, located just a couple of minutes from Tara Lodge are best showcased in May. This is the month when there are many wonderful plants in full bloom in the early summer sun. Even the rain is appreciated by the plants and the fantastic flowers still look good. Take shelter in the Palm House where you can have a look at the display of the more exotic plant varieties.

Botanical Gardens in full Bloom 

The Balmoral Show takes place on 13 – 15 May 2015 in the show grounds at the old Maze site just a few minutes’ drive from Belfast. There will be lots there to keep the whole family entertained. From the food village, the funfair, craft village, sheep shearing competitions and the vintage machinery display, there won’t be a dull moment. There are also hundreds of trade stands highlighting the best of Northern Ireland produce, products and tourist hot spots.

Balmoral Show at the Maze Showgrounds

Not to forget, its business as usual for many in May, despite the couple of bank holidays, with the Women in Business Conference 2015 taking place in Belfast on Thursday 21 May 2015. Contact us directly to get the best hotel deal for your boutique hotel room. If you attending the conference email our Front Office Manager Pauline@taralodge.com to get 10% on our best online room rate.

Deluxe Bedroom at Tara Lodge

Last but certainly not least we look forward to welcoming the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open to Royal County Down on 28-31 May 2015 in Newcastle, just 45 minutes’ drive from Belfast. Rory McIlroy returns to his homeland and his charitable foundation The Rory Foundation is the official tournament host this year. McIlroy has been instrumental in bringing many of the biggest names in sport to the Newcastle, County Down venue, lauded as one of the best links courses in the world.

With so many great events taking place this month we have only a few of our fabulous boutique bedrooms available for various dates in May. We are also offering great hotel deals with packages including our Summer Escape with Shu restaurant, the ‘In the footsteps of Giants’ package with free tickets to the Giants Causeway Tour with the five star McComb’s bus company and our popular ‘My Summer Love’ romance package, sure to hot things up this May.

My Summer Love at Tara Lodge

Contact our reception team on 028 9059 0900 or by email to info@taralodge.com to enquire what we can do for you in Belfast this May 2015. Go direct and book the best hotel deal online at www.taralodge.com with rates from just £79.00 for an Annex Double room with a full, freshly cooked breakfast, high speed WiFi and access to our secure car park. We look forward to hosting you at Tara Lodge this May in Belfast.

Three times lucky!

Tara Lodge winners of NIHF Housekeeping Team of the Year 2015

Reda, Audrone, Ernesta, Adriana & Edyta with owner Conor O'Donnell and Manager Nora Douds

I would like to think I am a dab hand at keeping my little two up, two down, Belfast sanctuary spick & span.  I’ve been known on many occasion to utter the words ‘honestly, I couldn’t cope with that mess, I think I’ve OCD’!  In my own little bubble I genuinely did believe this… right up until one morning in February 2015.  This particular morning (distressingly before I had consumed my 2 double strength Douwe Egberts traditional blend coffees) I spent 30 minutes showing two members of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation around Tara Lodge on a surprise inspection of our hotel bedrooms. They picked three rooms at random and inspected the common areas throughout the property. 

I have always known our housekeeping team at Tara Lodge were something special but even I had to hide my amazement and admiration that morning.   The inspector was under tables, on top of wardrobes, behind toilets, even the hinge on the bin in the bathroom was inspected.  An Arachnophobe trapped in a bedroom with a money spider could not have been more thorough!  Try as she could not a watermark or a speck of dust was found.  Ernesta, our Head Housekeeper, stood cool as a cucumber throughout, showing 100% faith in the absolutely fabulous team she works with.  I on the other hand, always did have a slightly nervous disposition…

I needn’t have worried one iota.  The result of this ‘clean sweep’ of an inspection was that our girls; Reda, Audrone, Ernesta, Adriana and Edyta (pictured above with General Manager Nora Douds), won NIHF Housekeeping Team of the Year 2015, in the under 90 rooms category, for no less than the 3^rd time in four years!  They received this well-deserved accolade at the prestigious Gala Dinner on Wednesday 25^th March at the Holiday Inn, Belfast on Wednesday 25 March 2015.

The NIHF Housekeeping awards, which are now in their sixth year, are fiercely competitive within the Northern Ireland accommodation sector.  The competition begins with an off-site assessment day designed to be fun and educational.  Fellow finalists Galgorm Resort & Spa, Salty Dog Hotel & Bistro and fellow winners Belmore Court & Motel offered strong competition this year.

Sparkling clean bedroom at Tara Lodge, Belfast

‘Our Girls’ are the backbone of everything we do at Tara Lodge; an elegant 34 bedroom, four star, boutique hotel in the heart of the super trendy Queens Quarter of South Belfast.  Our exquisitely decorated hotel bedrooms are displayed to their very finest every time a new guest walks through the door.  The reason behind this?  The pride Ernesta and her team bring to work each day.  Immensely self-critical, to a fault, there is not one member of the team who is not 100% invested in doing the best job possible, every day.  They are all the best of friends and support each other fully in all aspects of their essential roles.  The results delivered by the tight knit team are clearly evident to colleagues, industry professionals and to our guests in particular.

Reda, Audrone, Ernesta, Edyta and Adriana with chef Colin Douds

Our General Manager Nora Douds said of the accolade ‘the Tara Lodge housekeeping team have not only adorned our walls with their NIHF awards from 2012, 2013 & 2015 but without this amazing team we could not have consistently retained the coveted accolade of TripAdvisor’s No. 1 best hotel in Belfast since 2007 or been listed in the Top 25 Hotels in the UK, TripAdvisor’s Travellers Choice 2011, 2012 & 2013.’

Our wonderful team and guest reviews have consistently kept us at the top spot for many years, making everything we do, in all departments of our little gem of a hotel so very worthwhile.  If you speak to any member of the Tara Lodge team, we will confirm hand on heart, that we all love coming to work!  We are so unbelievably proud of our housekeeping team and want to say the biggest thank you to them for everything they do!

If you would like to meet our team and experience what the Number 1 Hotel in Belfast has to offer, just click on the link below and book your stay today!  https://www.taralodge.com/  Follow us on twitter at @taralodge4star or Facebook at taralodgebelfast.  ©Pauline McCullough, Tara Lodge

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