Europa Hotel, Belfast

Hotel in Belfast, Northern Ireland
The Europa Hotel is a four star hotel in Great Victoria Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is known as the "most bombed hotel in the world" after having suffered 36 bomb attacks during the Troubles.

The Europa Hotel was constructed by Grand Metropolitan and designed by architects Sydney Kaye, Eric Firkin & Partners. It opened in July 1971. It was built on the site of the former Great Northern Railway station and stands 51 metres high. During The Troubles, the hotel, where most journalists covering the Troubles stayed, was known as Europe’s most bombed hotel, earning the name "the Hardboard Hotel". Grand Met bought the Inter Continental Hotels chain in 1981 and placed the Europa in their Forum hotels division. They renamed the hotel the Forum Hotel Belfast in February 1983. When the hotel was sold to The Emerald Group in October 1986, it regained its original name. After a bomb placed by the Provisional IRA at the hotel badly damaged the building, it was sold for £4.4M. the suite used by the Clintons was subsequently renamed the Clinton Suite. In early 2008, an extension to the hotel increased the height of a rear wing to twelve floors and increased bedrooms from 240 to 272. The extension was designed by Robinson Patterson Partnership, now RPP Architects, and was completed late in 2008. Produced and directed by Richard Weller, the documentary tracked those eventful 40 years through the eyes of a diverse array of contributors. In the BBC TV programme Great British Railway Journeys (Series 3, Episode 24), Michael Portillo visited the hotel and stayed in the room occupied by US President Bill Clinton in 1995. In the 60 Minutes Australian TV program, Special Investigation: Spies, Lords and Predators. Produced by Stephen Rice and reported on by Ross Coulthart, the hotel is featured as a known hub for serial predatory abusers who would meet at the hotel’s bar, Whip and Saddle, during the 1970s the actual sexual abuse inflicted on victims by many prominent and powerful men in various hotel rooms.

In Sons of Anarchy, season 3, episode 11 ("Bainne"), the couple who adopted Abel stays at and is assassinated at the Europa Hotel, Belfast.