YOTEL is widening its reach in the U.K. and Europe and has unveiled plans to open a hotel in Belfast. Scheduled to welcome guests in late 2026, the new-built hotel will be located in the historic Shaftesbury Square in central Belfast, close to some of the popular attractions in the city, including Queen’s University and the Botanic Gardens.
YOTEL Belfast marks a step forward for the brand’s global franchise strategy and joins the portfolio as the 35th signed hotel, said Rohan Thakkar, chief development officer at YOTEL. YOTEL Belfast brings the brand’s total key count to around 8,000.
YOTEL is partnering with Andras Hotels for the new hotel.
YOTEL Belfast will offer 165 rooms which reflect the brand’s philosophy of prioritizing space-saving design, smart technology and maximizing comfort for guests. The property will have brand signatures, including the YOTEL reclining SmartBed, SmartTVs and rain showers.
The hotel will also feature a restaurant, a fitness center and a meeting room. YOTEL will collaborate with local interior designers and architects to reflect the character of the Northern Irish capital in the hotel’s design.
“The investment of £17 million will provide a modern accommodation option for global travellers and create high-quality jobs for the community, establishing the hotel as a major asset to the growing tourism market in Belfast,” said Rajesh Rana, director of Andras Hotels.
The development will play a key role in transforming Shaftesbury Square and provide physical regeneration to the area. A Proposal of Application Notice has already been submitted to Belfast City Council, kickstarting the planning process for the proposed property.
“Our architects have done a wonderful job of designing a building that is modern but sits comfortably with the local context. We are now embarking on the planning process and consulting with community groups before beginning development in 2025,” Rana added.
YOTEL Belfast is part of the brand’s larger strategy to venture into more cities in Ireland, the U.K. and other regions of the world. The brand will be opening properties in Tokyo, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and more.
Aiming to challenge the status quo of the hospitality industry and deliver a different experience, YOTEL has 23 properties globally. The London-based YOTEL has hotels under three brands — YOTEL (city center hotels), YOTELPAD (extended stay brand) and YOTELAIR (airport hotels). The company operates 15 city center hotels in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Miami, Singapore, Edinburgh, London, Amsterdam, Porto, Glasgow, Manchester and Park City; and six airport hotels in London Gatwick, Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris, Charles de Gaulle, Istanbul Airport and Singapore Changi.
Originally created by YO! founder Simon Woodroffe OBE, YOTEL’s major shareholders include a controlled affiliate of Starwood Capital Group, the Talal Jassim Al-Bahar Group, United Investment Portugal and Kuwait Real Estate Co.