Sign in with Facebook
BENEDICTS OF BELFAST: A TALE OF 2 ROOMS
They should offer 2 room options - Sleep and No Sleep. Well that's what I was offered anyway. I was told to stay here on the recommendation of an ex-boss. This would not be the first time listening to him got me into trouble. When I showed up it looked very nice. I was shown to a room on the back of the building on the second floor. The room was nice. A very big bed sat on beautiful wooden floors. Already I was thinking – that could make noise. My bathroom was good and functional, except for he heated towel rail. Anyway, I went off to explore Belfast for a while by foot. When I returned in the evening I noticed their bar, with its own outside entrance, now had 2 bouncers – on a Sunday night. I went up to my room and could just faintly hear the music form the now nightclub in the hallway on the way to my room. I decided for an early night. As I lay down some guy had come up the nearby stairs form the nightclub. Thump! Thump! Thump! Is what I could hear when the door to the stairs was open. It closed, but the guy’s mouth was shouting at the room opposite to open up in a drunken rat. Nice. Anyway I fell asleep.
Until 11pm.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
And people screaming! I could make out every word the DJ shouted over the microphone. They had just turned the volume UP.
And the people near me scraping their bed across their wooden floor.
I finally go t dressed and went to reception. I tried, by shouting, to speak to the receptionist. Yes – the nightclub door was open. I shouted to explain that I had booked 3 days on business and asked for a quiet room. “IS THIS YOUR IDEA OF QUIET!?” I shouted at the receptionist. She couldn’t hear me! Anyway I was promised that I would be upgraded to a quieter room the next day and that the music would cease at midnight. It did. Then I fell asleep.
Until 1am.
BANG! GIGGLE! SCRAPE ! BANG! BANG! WHAT!? LAUGHING !
Yes there was a party in the room next door and more were arriving. I made sure of their room number and rang reception. True to the man’s word he was there in a flash.
BANG ! BANG ! HELLO !?
Yes the people in the room played the old ‘we are not here being drunk and loud’ trick and refused to answer the door. They were quiet now –as they tried to hide. Luckily the man from reception had heard them before he knocked. For several minutes he knocked to no avail. Then he got smart and went downstairs and rang the telephone in the room. The stupid woman in the room answered the phone. I don’t know what the man told her, but the room emptied quickly to running feet and slamming doors.
The next day, very tired at work, I made my way back to the hotel. The new room, on the 3rd and upper floor, was very nice. My bed was soft and wonderful. My room, although facing the road, was silent. I mean silent. I enjoyed my next 2 nights in absolute peace.
It’s a shame that they allow the nightclub to run that loud at night. Get the wrong room and you want to change hotels. Get the right room (more expensive!) and you have a wonderful hotel in the vibrant heart of Belfast.
