Wow! From derelict Georgian townhouse to luxury five star apartments for short term rental in Belfast - £3m transformation

Causeway Coast fashion designer Sara O’Neill was invited to an official preview of the Regency Belfast apartments on the Crescent in the university quarter this week.

“I’m popping in to one of the newly renovated buildings in Upper Crescent later,” she tweeted. “I lived on Claremont Street for years and passed by these buildings every day, it was sad to see them in such a sorry state.”

The buildings she viewed had been uninhabitable and required extensive repairs to restore its original elegance.

“It was stunning,” she said after the viewing. “So lovely to see so much life around the buildings and great to see such a sympathetic renovation.”

She posted a series of beautifully taken photographs on Twitter focussing on the myriad features.

Her photos provoked a stream of “wows” from admirers.

As one put it: “Only an artist’s eye would see this and appreciate it. Thanks for sharing. [I’m a] Belfast man but never appreciate or recognise the beautiful buildings around me until you tweet them.”

Business partners Anthony Kieran and Cecil Hetherington of Aurient Ltd investment company have bought five buildings, two of which have now been renovated at a cost of £3m.

“We are creating six short term, luxury five-star lets in one building for a minimum of three days at a time,” Kieran said.

“Somewhere really comfortable for people coming to Belfast to visit family or for work.”

Prices after opening will be in line with five-star hotel rooms, for people who may want to cook or go into the city centre, he added.

During renovations they found a 1940 News Letter in the attic.

“It was full of fascinating stories about the war,” he added.

The official opening of the apartments wil be arond March. Bookings can be made at www.theregencybelfast.com

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