£50m Ann Street hotel with rooftop restaurant planned on Tipsy Bird site

A £50m, 150-bedroom hotel with a rooftop restaurant, bar and viewing platform is planned for the site of The Tipsy Bird on Ann Street in Belfast city centre.

Glendola Leisure Group and Carlton Collection want to build the hotel, called The Ann. A proposal of application notice (PAN) has been submitted to Belfast City Council.

What is planned

As well as the rooftop restaurant, bar and viewing platform, the hotel would have a gym and spa. An open courtyard would link Ann Street to Donegall Quay.

The scheme covers the courtyard behind the entertainment venue. It also includes restoring the vacant listed Jamison and Green building.

The plans were first revealed in 2024. The developers say the updated version responds to concerns raised in a consultation that year, and aims for a sympathetic regeneration of the city centre block.

A spokesperson said The Ann has been selected to become Northern Ireland’s first member of Design Hotels, an international collection of independent, design-led hotels affiliated with Marriott International.

Alex Salussolia, managing director of Glendola Leisure Group, said the project is a major investment in the city centre. He said the hotel would also have a rooftop event space, and that the developers are confident they are bringing forward a viable proposal while preserving the integrity of the listed buildings.

Glendola Leisure and Carlton Collection point to earlier hotel projects involving listed buildings, including Market Street hotel in Edinburgh and The Dominican in Brussels.

Next steps

A drop-in public consultation event will be held on Tuesday 24 November, from 3pm to 7pm, at The Tipsy Bird, 90-100 Ann Street, Belfast.

Glendola Leisure intends to lodge a full planning application in early 2027.