Business

Wilton House: Belfast’s latest five star accommodation set for expansion

Australian investor lodges plans for new serviced apartments

Exterior frontage of a white four storey listed Georgian era townhouse.
Wilton House, on Belfast’s College Square North, was recently awarded a five-star accommodation grade by Tourism Northern Ireland. (Kelvin Boyes)
By Ryan McAleer

BELFAST’S newest five-star accommodation, established in a listed city centre Georgian townhouse, is set for a significant expansion.

Wilton House on College Square North has already undergone substantial refurbishment and investment under the Australian property investor Justin Quirk.

The former townhouse, made up of 23 self-catering apartments, was recently awarded a five-star accommodation grade by Tourism Northern Ireland.

Now Mr Quirk is progressing plans to add another nine apartments, by erecting a new four to five storey building at the site, close to the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

Alongside the restoration of the listed townhouse properties, the Wilton House project involved the development of a rear extension for additional apartments.

Justin Quirk (centre) with Wilton House property manager Melissa Crossley and Tourism NI’s Claire McNaughton, after the self-catering apartments were awarded a five-star accommodation grade.
Justin Quirk (centre) with Wilton House property manager Melissa Crossley (left) and Tourism NI’s Claire McNaughton (right), after the self-catering apartments were awarded a five-star accommodation grade. (Kelvin Boyes)

The latest development could see another expansion, this time facing onto the corner of College Square North and College Avenue.

The site was previously occupied by a number of terrace buildings that were demolished and cleared to make way for road improvements and allow the development of the ‘inner ring’ during the 1970s.

Mr Quirk’s application involves the development of a new four storey building, with a rendered gable to reflect the end of the College Square North terrace.

The plans also propose a modern five storey building behind, similar in style to current rear extension.

The application, submitted in April, was only uploaded to the public planning portal in recent days.

Inside the five-star Wilton House.
Inside the five-star Wilton House. (Kelvin Boyes)

College Square North was originally developed in the 1820s and 1830s as Georgian townhouses.

The Wilton House site was created after two homes were combined to form the Hotel Metropole in the 1890s.

For the greater part of the 20th century, the building was used by the Ulster Institute for the Deaf, which later merged with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) in 1991.

The charity, now known as Action on Hearing Loss, vacated the building in 2011.

The new plans for Wilton House come just weeks after Justin Quirk and hospitality investor Conall Humston announced the acquisition of Urban HQ in Belfast.

A planning drawing, depicting what the new gable extension on College Square North could look like.
A planning drawing, depicting what the new gable extension on College Square North could look like. (GMR Architects)

The 32,000 sq ft flexible workspace at Eagle Star House on Upper Queen Street, was bought for an undisclosed sum from Magell, the Ballymena property company which owns the Fairhill shopping centre.

In September, Mr Quirk confirmed a deal to sell a beachfront apartment and restaurant complex in Portrush, just days after it was listed on the market for £3.1m.