Fans of all things Titanic will one day soon be able to enjoy a sleepover in the historic headquarters and drawing offices of Harland and Wolff following Belfast City Council’s decision to green light plans to transform them into a four star boutique hotel.

Belfast City Council’s planning committee voted to approve the conversion of the three storey sandstone brick building, built between 1900 and 1919, into an 84 bedroom hotel with heritage related facilities.

The building which is close to the North’s most popular visitor attraction, Titanic Belfast, is where the plans for the Titanic and its sister ship Olympic were drawn up.

It is expected that up to 250 jobs could be generated during the conversion of the building and 75 once the hotel opens for business.

According to councillor Matt Garrett, chairman of the city council's planning committee, it will deliver a major tourist boost for Belfast.

“The H&W site and the drawing offices are iconic on the city’s landscape, and it’s exciting that this project will be breathing new life into these beautiful buildings for a whole other generation of visitors and tourists to enjoy.

“The development work will be sympathetic to the heritage of the buildings in order to preserve the history of the site,” he said.

Before the conversion begins the council has said a number of remedial works - including archaeological digs and environmental impact assessments -- will have to be carried out at the site.

Meanwhile as the construction of Belfast’s next hotel gets underway a four star hotel in south Belfast has just gone the market.

The Dukes at Queens Hotel is for sale with an asking price of more than £3 million according to commercial property agents CBRE.