The Merchant occupies a former Ulster Bank headquarters on Skipper Street and it wears the building's grandeur deliberately. The Great Room bar is one of those spaces that makes you recalibrate what Belfast is capable of, ornate ceiling, excellent cocktails, the kind of room that elevates a Tuesday into an occasion.
The spa is the best in the city: a full-service facility with a thermal suite, treatments, and enough space to actually relax in. You don't need to be staying at the hotel to use it, though the packages make more sense if you're in for the weekend. Afternoon tea here is extravagant in the right way, the setting does most of the work.
If you're in Belfast for a special occasion or just want to experience the city at its highest register, the Merchant is where you go. The cocktails alone justify a visit.