One of the friendliest hotels you will ever stay in is the award-winning luxury, boutique hotel, Bishop’s Gate Hotel within the city walls of Derry, Northern Ireland. Not only is it the friendliest, it is one of the prettiest hotels I’ve stayed in as well.
From the moment you walk through the large revolving door, you know you are in for a treat. Beautifully styled and luxurious facilities blend well with professional and friendly staff. Bishop’s Gate is a prestige hotel, but you go away feeling like you’ve stayed with family. The staff make it their mission to get to know you, are never too busy to have a chat and nothing is ever too much trouble.
31 guest rooms are situated on site and across the road are another two suites, some have their own balcony overlooking St Columb’s Cathedral, others feature high ornate ceilings and beautifully restored fireplaces. Old Edwardian charm marries perfectly with all the modern conveniences you could expect from a five star hotel.
Bishop’s Gate Hotel is not just a bed for the night. In fact, it’s somewhere you find you want to make full use of the facilities they provide. An extensive wine list and expertly made cocktails means the Wig Champagne Bar is a must for pre dinner drinks and invariably during our stay, we found ourselves back there after dinner for a night cap of Baileys before retiring to our room for the evening.
Both nights of our stay in Derry we dined at The Gown, which offers the finest of Northern Irish cuisine making use of locally sourced ingredients to produce a changing seasonal menu which is very reasonably priced for a 2 or 3 course meal.
If you’re there on a Sunday, make sure you enjoy their sumptuous three course lunch, but be sure to book beforehand as it’s extremely popular with Derry locals and has all the trimmings you would expect from a baked dinner as well as the festive atmosphere of breaking bread with your nearest and dearest.
There’s a reason Bishop’s Gate Hotel won Northern Ireland’s ‘Best Hotel’ category at the inaugural Giant Spirit Awards in 2022 hosted by Tourism Northern Ireland, and most recently was a Blue Ribbon winner for the 2023 Good Food Award.
Check out these articles about Northern Ireland –
Derry, Northern Ireland
Dinner in the Great Room, The Merchant Hotel, Belfast
Giant’s Causeway
Portrush
The Merchant Hotel, Belfast
Titanic Quarter, Belfast
Don’t forget to see our Essential Guide of What To Do in Belfast
