THE new £28 million Titanic Hotel has opened to the public for the first time.
The 119-room hotel is on the site of the former Harland & Wolff drawing offices and headquarters.
The building has been meticulously restored with many authentic spaces from the original offices retained, including the telephone exchange, which received the first communication of Titanic hitting the iceberg.
Other heritage spaces preserved include the board room, directors’ entrance and lobby and former directors’ offices including Thomas Andrews, Lord Pirrie and Charles Payne.
The drawing offices stand prominently at the front of the hotel, one housing the hotel’s Harland Bar, and the other which will be the hotel’s ballroom and heritage experience. Drawing office one will house a temporary six-week exhibition from opening, which tells the story of the conservation and construction of the buildings and hotel. Thereafter, daily tours will be on offer to showcase the heritage features here and throughout the hotel.