A key milestone has been reached in the development of a new Adagio Aparthotel in Belfast city centre, as project partners gathered to celebrate the topping out ceremony for the £25 million redevelopment of a former office building on Great Victoria Street.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from developer Andras House Ltd, funder Danske Bank, and main contractor Martin & Hamilton, marking the completion of the building’s structural works.
The project will transform the existing office building into a Adagio Aparthotel, representing a significant investment in Belfast’s growing tourism and hospitality sector. Construction began in summer 2025, with the aparthotel expected to open in April 2027.
Located in the heart of Belfast’s commercial district on Great Victoria Street, the development sits just steps from Grand Central Station, providing excellent connectivity for visitors arriving in the city.
Since its launch in 2007, Adagio has grown to become Europe’s leading aparthotel network, with more than 130 aparthotels and over 14,000 apartments across 16 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America.
The brand continues to expand rapidly, supported by a strong development pipeline that aims to grow the network to around 180 aparthotels globally by 2030.
Adagio’s growth reflects the increasing demand from modern travellers for flexible, apartment-style accommodation in city centres, offering the comfort and space of a private apartment combined with the convenience and services of a hotel.
Adagio aparthotels combine the comfort of an apartment with the convenience of hotel services, offering larger living spaces designed specifically for extended stays.
The Belfast aparthotel will feature 136 apartments, including a mix of studios and one-bedroom apartments. Each apartment will include a spacious living area with a work space, fully equipped kitchen, full air-conditioning and a modern bathroom.
Guests will also benefit from a range of hotel-style amenities, including a daily breakfast offering and a 24/7 pizza bar serving freshly baked pizzas and drinks.
A distinctive feature of the Adagio concept is its weekly guest gathering, where residents are invited to meet fellow travellers and long-stay guests. These community events include complimentary small bites and drinks, creating a welcoming social atmosphere for guests staying in the city for longer periods.
The redevelopment will retain the existing building frame while adding two additional storeys, increasing the structure to ground floor plus ten floors of accommodation.
The building has been designed to be carbon neutral in operation, incorporating: a fully electric energy system utilising air source heat pumps providing hot water, high-efficiency heating and cooling and locally sourced building materials.
Speaking at the topping out ceremony, Rajesh Rana, Director of Andras House, said:
“Reaching this important construction milestone demonstrates our continued commitment to investing in Belfast and our strong confidence in the tourism and hospitality market in Northern Ireland.
This Adagio Aparthotel will introduce a high-quality extended-stay offering to the city centre, perfectly suited to modern travellers who value space, flexibility and community during their stay.
We would like to thank our funders at Danske Bank for their ongoing support of this project — they have been excellent partners throughout. We also recognise the professionalism and dedication of Martin & Hamilton, whose team has delivered the project to this stage with great expertise.”
Andras House is Northern Ireland’s largest hotel group, owning and operating 14 properties across the region under franchise from major international hospitality brands.
Paul Currid, Corporate Banking Managerat Danske Bank, added:
Andras House is one of Northern Irelands most successful hospitality businesses and Danske Bank has supported it with funding for a number of significant transactions in recent years. We are pleased to be able to play a part in this exciting development in Belfast city centre, which positions the group for further growth as leisure and business tourism continue to gain momentum in Northern Ireland.
“With major events such as The Open Championship and the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which will come to Belfast for the first time in summer 2026, the region continues to attract significant international attention and visitor numbers. Investments such as this help ensure the city has the high-quality accommodation needed to support that growth.”
Dominic McTague, Commercial Director at Martin & Hamilton, commented:
“Martin & Hamilton has a long track record of delivering complex construction projects across the UK and Ireland, particularly in the hospitality, residential and commercial sectors.
We are delighted to be working alongside Andras House and the wider professional team to deliver this landmark aparthotel development in Belfast city centre. The project demonstrates the benefits of collaborative working and high-quality construction expertise, and we look forward to seeing the building completed and welcoming guests in 2027.”
The professional team on the project includes Todd Architects, Quantity Surveyor Drees & Sommer, Building Services Engineer Caldwell Consulting, and Structural and Civil Engineer BW Murray.
