Soon after the Titanic Hotel Belfast opened its doors to guests in September 2017, it became a popular attraction. The hotel has 119 rooms ready to conjure nostalgia for the Titanic era and features access to two momentous drawing offices where once shipbuilding experts from Harland and Wolff sketched and supported the construction of some 1,742 vessels, the RMS Titanic included.
These were the very same facilities used by Thomas Andrews, the first architect of Titanic, as well as the renowned Irish shipbuilder Lord Pirrie, who was involved in the construction of Titanic and also its sister ships, the RMS Olympic and the RMS Britannic.
It might not seem as if anything more could be added to the Titanic package, but not so fast. Titanic Channel.tv and Titanic Hotel Belfast have announced that they are to run original Titanic-related documentary content in the hotel’s bedrooms.
The partnership between the TV channel and the hotel is set to “enhance the experience of guests,” representatives note in the press release. John Paul Doherty, who owns the Titanic Hotel in Belfast and also one in Liverpool, believes the new arrangement will provide a memorable Titanic experience.
“This is a world-first for hotel entertainment options. TitanicChannel.tv has produced a schedule of unique and fascinating documentaries, especially curated for the hotel presented by world-renowned Titanic expert hosts,” says Doherty in the release.
He remains aware of the fact that not all hotel visitors and guests might seek out 24/7 immersion on the safe of the unfortunate vessel that was doomed to sink on its maiden journey in 1912. Because of that, Doherty adds, “the TV schedule for the hotel has been carefully curated to appeal to both the casual viewer and also to Titanic enthusiasts.”
Don Beret, co-founder of the Titanic Channel as well as its Executive Produce, said, “We are very pleased and proud to have the channel available in this wonderful hotel in the very heart of the Titanic world and appreciate the unique opportunity provided by Mr. Doherty. We are looking forward to a long association with Belfast and the Titanic Quarter.”
As a production company based in the United States, Titanic Channel.tv has many years of experience in creating original film content on everything related to the Ship of Dreams. Apart from including material with local Belfast personalities, they offer topics of international interest, such as material on how James Cameron’s famed 1997 movie was made, as well as stories on the ship’s crew and its passengers. The film content can be reviewed on the official webpage of the channel, too.
The North Ireland venture is already renowned for its Harland & Wolff headquarters and the dual Victorian Drawing offices, which hold a status of significant historical buildings in the city. They are noted not only for their history but also the architectural quality.
The historic edifices underwent a restoration process ahead of the venture opening last year. When Harland & Wolff relocated at the end of the 1980s, their old quarters were left abandoned and suffered negligence for almost three decades. Fortunately, restoration activities on the site commenced after the Titanic Foundation, Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Harcourt Developments struck a partnership in 2016.
Once the venue had been converted to a boutique hotel, interested parties have been able to go inside the historical facilities, something they had not been able to do in years. The authentic interior has features such as the main bar of the hotel that is encircled with Villeroy & Boch tiles. These are reportedly the same as the ones used for the RMS Titanic swimming pools and its bathrooms for the First Class cabins.