We had become very familiar with the Crowne Plaza over the years, having attended conferences, awards ceremonies, weddings, and gala dinners, so we were delighted to have been invited to discover what else this South Belfast hotel has to offer.
About 15 minutes from the City Centre, in the heart of the Lagan Valley Regional Park with its delightful riverside walks, forests, and cycle paths, Crowne Plaza is perfect for couples’ retreats, family breaks, or business trips.
Table of Contents
Our Room Tour
We were staying in a spacious, beautifully furnished room; contemporary in style with tastefully chosen artwork, it included modern conveniences such as air conditioning, a flat-screen smart TV, and free Wi-Fi.
Dining – The River Bar Bistro & Lounge
The River Bar Bistro & Lounge is a great setting for stylish all-day dining, and the new art-deco style lobby is the ideal meeting place for business, or a quick coffee. There’s also a cool Members’ Lounge for a venue with that special touch.
On the ground floor of Crowne Plaza Belfast is the River Bar Bistro & Lounge, an all day dining experience serving sharing plates, deli sandwiches and panini, stone baked pizzas, burgers, and chef’s homemade classics.
The stylish bistro has been designed with nods to the roaring twenties, and we were seated at a beautiful table next to an art deco fireplace which was impressively marbled and mirrored-simply stunning! There’s also a range of booths and sofa areas, ideal for a catch up with a cocktail or two.
And speaking of which, we started our evening with a couple of cocktails ourselves: an Old Fashioned and a Watermelon Margarita Special, to accompany our starters of Sweet Potato Falafel Salad with lettuce, carrot, cherry tomato, red chilli, coriander, spiced cashew nuts, & cranberry, and a spicy Gambas Pil Pil with garlic, chilli, and toasted sourdough.
We ordered a delicious bottle of lighted-bodied Ropiteau Les Plants Noble Pinot Noir to enjoy with our “Taste of Spice Club” main courses. The Crowne Plaza is renowned for the quality and authenticity of its Asian dishes, and we were very impressed with both the Butter Chicken in a creamy spiced tomato sauce, with pilau rice & naan, and the Teriyaki Salmon with noodles, pak choi, and sugar snap peas, which was fragrant with sesame and soy.
And finally, the Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice cream, and the Raspberry Frangipane Tart, were the perfect way to finish the meal.
The River Bar Bistro & Lounge is open daily, with food service from 12:00 – 21:30, and drinks till late.
Lobby Lounge
The new art-deco style lobby is the ideal meeting place for business, or a quick coffee. There’s also a cool Members’ Lounge for a venue with that special touch.
Spa & Gym
BodySpa Shaw’s Bridge, is Crowne Plaza’s mini spa with exclusive TEMPLESPA products, and we had a thoroughly relaxing experience, enjoying a massage and facial treatment in the very capable hands of our therapists Sara and Deborah.
There’s also the Bodyscape Health Club, with a state-of-the-art gym hosting over 70 specialist classes a week, and Crowne Plaza is home to Belfast’s only 20m hotel swimming pool, with a sauna and steam room. Bodyscape also features a café bar.
Breakfast
We had become very familiar with the Crowne Plaza over the years, having attended conferences, awards ceremonies, weddings, and gala dinners, so we were delighted to have been invited to discover what else this South Belfast hotel has to offer.
