Real views on UK Outings & Minibreaks
Northern Ireland
The Titanic Museum, near Belfast
When we got off the plane in Belfast, we had four hours before we could check into the hotel. Before we came, Debbie decided she'd like to go to the Titanic Museum. As it wasn't far away, we set off using our trusty sat nav.
Day 1
The first thing we did, after putting our things in the room, was to find out how to get to the swimming pool which is in the hotel. So we wandered down and quickly found it.
At the desk, the lady met us with a warm smile and explained the facilities as well as the opening and closing times.
We mentioned we wanted to come to the pool with just our costumes on but there wasn't a robe in the room. "No problem", she said. "I'll bring two up to your room for you." Soon after she gave us both robes and even a pair of flip flops to use. Ian asked about local places to visit and beauty spots. Again, she was very happy to help and made several suggestions, which we took up.
The restaurant and bar
We then went to the restaurant to get a meal. The food is to die for and cooked to perfection. Ian tried the steak which he raved about. Peppercorn sauce can sometimes not be done right. However, at this hotel, the sauce was beautiful and creamy. Even Debbie reached over to dip her chips into it.
The bar staff were very friendly and helpful. On the first night the barman was very helpful and helped Ian choose a drink. He was unsure of what the drinks were like, so he was offered a free sample of several drinks. He was definitely a people person and we enjoyed a chat about the area.
The bar manager was outstanding. Definitely people person as well and I'd say entertainer. He went out of his way to look after use. Debbie doesn't drink alcohol and there were no other drinks she fancied. He said to give him a few minutes. He mixed up a non-alcoholic mocktail. Debbie loved it. Every night when he was in he would mix up a different drink. That's what we call amazing.
We went into the museum car park, which was underground. We noticed it was pay and display. Now, Debbie is a blue card holder so we asked the attendant if we can use this for free parking. We were unhappy to hear they didn't take this is account. However, it wasn't too bad as the parking charge was low.
We headed to the museum entrance where we discovered you also need to pay for admission. However, the person told us if we bought the tickets online it works out much cheaper. (A tip to bear in mind when you go there as this will save you money.)
The first thing we noticed is they have good facilities, a cafe and toilets. Plus, there is a large gift shop where you can buy something to remind you of your day or maybe a gift for someone.
We were led to a small queue of people. A guide greeted everyone and proceeded to guide us up the stairs and explained different places of interest.
When we reached the top, the guide said we could go on a cable car ride. To our relief, he said we don't have to go on it. So we didn't. However, many people did. (Maybe next time.)
There were quite a few items on display from the time of the Titanic. In one area there was a series of short videos explaining how the ship was built. We found that quite interesting. There was the original clock used for clocking in for the ship builders. There was also an original life-jacket previously worn by a ship passenger. We were shocked by how frail it looked. There are several displays to see, hanging over our heads and in cases. What took our breathe away was a large wall. This displayed the names of the people who lost their lives and the ones who survived.
It's definitely a worthwhile museum to go and see. We learned all sorts of interesting facts we didn't know before.
The hotel
The hotel we chose is called, Best Western Plus - White Horse Hotel. One of the things that stood out is how nice and very friendly all the staff are. The reception area and the bar/restaurant are impressive and also clean.
After reception, we went up to our room which we found to be nice, clean and comfortable. Clean bed, soft towels and a supply of coffee, tea and milk. Oh and some biscuits too.