Making it's way into my top 10 destinations, this is a hard act to follow.
We booked a last minute two-night stay B&B with one Dinner included on a night of our choice. The cost was very reasonable.
We were greeted by very friendly and polite staff and shown to our room by the porter, who carried our bags for us - I can't remember the last hotel I stayed in where this happened, and that includes several 5* ones!
Our room (Salmon Leaps) was situated in the old part of the castle and was spacious, with a large bathroom with free-standing bath, great shower over the bath, his and hers sinks etc. The bedroom was large with a seperate area just inside the door with wardrobes. We were slightly disappointed that there was no tea / coffee facilities in the room but when we asked at reception it was provided straight away for the duration of our stay. Likewise, a request for an iron resulted in an iron and ironing board being delivered minutes later by housekeeping staff - very good service.
We chose to have dinner in the restaurant on our first evening - with a view to exploring the area the following day and perhaps eating somewhere else or at the hotel again if we couldn't find anywhere suitable nearby.
We weren't disappointed - the meal was delicious - a full five courses, with a generous main course and a good variety to choose from on the menu.
The views from the dining room were stunning, down the river which runs past the hotel, a view that we also had from our bedroom window. I can imagine that once the flowers start to appear and the trees get their leaves again that this would only improve on an already fantastic view.
Prices in the bar were very reasonable for a hotel and our only slight criticism would be that after such a wonderful five course meal on the first night there wasn't really a lighter, cheaper option for the second night. Whilst we thoroughly enjoyed the luxury of the five courses we were also mindful that eating like that every night would have undone our diet very quickly! There were other options available in the 'pub' area of the hotel, but again these were probably more akin to fine dining than to a light meal.
Breakfast was good, with a nice selection of cold and hot food.
We took a walk around the grounds and down the river, the views were lovely and the peace and quiet only punctuated by the very occassional car and the sounds of birds. It's hard to describe just how quiet it was with no obvious traffic noise and just the sound of the running water.
From the hotel we ventured out to Roundstone and the other nearby villages. Again the views were great, although the roads had been ravaged by the winter weather and the maintenance men were out filling in the pot-holes as fast as they could (something I've yet to see in England!)
All in a very relaxing and peaceful couple of days. Great staff, helpful, cheerful and welcoming. Nothing was too much trouble, you didn't have to ask for anything twice, and we left feeling very chilled out and refreshed.
- Ballynahinch Castle
- Ballynahinch

