Waring Hotel to offer new concept in Cathedral Quarter

Annoucing plans for the Waring Hotel on the street of the same name in the city’d Cathedral Quarter, Lawrence Kenwright - who three days ago launched a bid for the iconinc Floral Hall - said he plans a series of group rooms modelled on a similar project in his home town of Liverpool.

The Waring is based on the former War Memorial Building and has seen a number of proposals come and go in the wake of the property crash.

But speaking in Cannes at the MIPIM investment conference, Mr Kenwright, owner of the Signature Living Group, said the 90,000sqft hotel would feature 63 bedrooms across four floors, together with a ground floor bar/restaurant and a rooftop bar, presenting a “vibrant new addition” to the area.

“Our portfolio of Signature Living hotels are widely recognised as a fun and energetic aspect of the group’s ventures,” he said.

“The Waring will take on Signature Living Group’s highly popular group accommodation concept,” he explained. “Following the footprint of the Signature Living Hotel in Liverpool, it will feature a range of uniquely themed rooms and group suites, accommodating from two up to 16 people – providing a new accommodation concept for group and family stays in Belfast.”

Last year, Signature Living Group announced plans to develop the George Best Hotel in Belfast city centre’s Scottish Mutual Building on Donegall Square South and the Lanyon Hotel in the iconic Crumlin Road Courthouse.

“Unlike the George Best and Lanyon Hotels – both of which will be housed in sympathetically-restored heritage buildings – this latest hotel in our Belfast offering will have a much more lively, contemporary boutique hotel feel befitting of the lively Cathedral Quarter in which it is situated.

“We anticipate that The Waring’s stylish bar/restaurant and rooftop bar will be a vibrant new addition to the district’s bustling social and culinary offering – not only for guests, but also for members of the public.”

Plans for the new hotel were welcomed by Tourism Northern Ireland Chief Executive John McGrillen – also in attendance at MIPIM as part of the Belfast delegation. “With visitor numbers to Belfast having grown so dramatically in recent years, we welcome any development that could bring something new and unique to the city’s hotel offering in the way that The Waring Hotel will,” he said.