New boutique hotel and café are set to breathe new life into a former office building and 'support Belfast’s tourism and business sectors'
Proposed 41-room development by Rosemary Street Limited aims to blend modern hospitality with the city’s heritage, boosting tourism and nightlife in Belfast city centre
A new boutique hotel and café are set to breathe new life into a former office building on Rosemary Street in Belfast city centre, following the submission of planning proposals.
The plan, submitted by Rosemary Street Limited and designed by Bradley McClure Architects, involves transforming the once ASM office and extending the existing building into a stylish hospitality venue.
The site at 20 Rosemary Street, next to White’s Tavern — one of the city’s oldest pubs, currently hosts small retail units and vacant upper floors. The redevelopment seeks to revitalize this underused property by blending modern hospitality comforts with the historic character of the area, delivering an intimate and contemporary visitor experience.
Access to the hotel would be via the current lobby, while the café is planned to open out onto Winecellar Entry, enhancing the connection to one of Belfast’s most charming laneways.
According to the planning statement: “This application seeks full planning permission for the retention, conversion, refurbishment and change of use of the existing office building and vacant 2no. retail units at 20 Rosemary Street Belfast to hotel accommodation and associated facilities and café. An extension is also proposed to the fifth floor to provide a total of 41no. bedrooms.”
Owned by Justin McClay, who also directs Magherafelt-based residential developer Ballygood Estates, the Holywood-registered company aims to create a 41-room boutique hotel with a ground-floor café. The design focuses on a clean, minimalist aesthetic tailored to budget-conscious city visitors.
The statement continued: “The proposed development will provide high-quality boutique accommodation to meet growing demand for overnight stays in Belfast City and support Belfast’s tourism and business sectors. The development of the tourism and hospitality sectors, support for
increased overnight visitor accommodation within the city centre and need to grow the evening and night-time economy are all explicit policy objectives of the Belfast Plan Strategy.”
The planning application is now under review by Belfast City Council.