Tag Archives: Hotel

Beech Hill Country House – a Review Peace & Tranquility on the Edge of the City

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We recently had the pleasure of being invited to spend Easter Weekend at Beech Hill Country House, just outside Derry.

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The beautiful Beech Hill Country House

Nestled in the hillside of Ardmore, Beech Hill is a hidden haven of peace and tranquillity, despite being only a stone’s throw from the main Derry to Belfast road.  It is quite literally on the cusp of the city and only a 20 minute drive from our home.

Recently taken over by Sam Harding, Barry Kemp and Adam Kemp, the new owners of country house have vowed to turn it into Northern Ireland’s best four-star hotel.

The 32-acre estate has a rich history which is beautifully catalogued and shown both inside the hotel and on plaques throughout the forests; it was taken over by US Marines during WWII as a base for soldiers, before being transformed into a hotel in 1989.

The forest is full of history
400 years of history adorn the walls
So much intrigue

What is a grand and stately building, filled with history and character, is being gently moulded into a modern hotel to compete with any of its contemporaries.  The natural beauty of the grounds combined with the quaint decor is indeed stately and classic, and yet the restaurant and bedrooms are modern and fresh.     What is also traditional and classic, is the staff and how they interact with the guest; polite, helpful and professional.

We brought the two girls along for a family switch-off and catch-up weekend!

Check in was easy and friendly.  Our family room brought us on a trek through the many little corridors and rooms, all well signposted and filled with history and photographs.  A lift brought us to the first floor and then a small flight of stairs brought us to the room.  If you had a buggy however, there is plenty space to safely leave it if you don’t want to carry it to the room.

So much space
The Family Rooms are huge
Lovely treats! Thank you.

The family room was huge!  A massive double bed, with a single bed and a fold-out bed for the toddler, these beds were incredibly comfortable.  There was a sofa and resting chairs in front of the TV and lots of space for a family of 4. 

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The bathroom, gleamingly clean, had a bath which is so essential when travelling with kiddies.

Where to now Daddy?
All we could hear were the birds

The forests provided a beautiful playground for the four of us.  We spent over two hours running and playing on the grounds before dinner and another hour on Sunday morning in a completely different part of the forest.

Pure freedom
Lots of pathways to explore
Beautiful grounds

We had booked dinner for 6.30pm.  The restaurant is bright and has gorgeous views over the little lake and gardens.  Again, the staff were incredibly pleasant and efficient.

The food was beautiful.  I had mussels to start; a subtle portion as opposed to the unnecessarily huge bowl that is so often served.  I then had pork belly, which was served with a perfect balance of flavours and again, was a perfect size.  Himself had a meat terrine to start, and then the steak, perfectly cooked and seasoned.  Both were served with potato and veg.   Dessert was sorbet for Him and a cheeseboard (yes, as usual) for me.  It didn’t disappoint.

mussels
Pork Belly
Cheese Please!

I was particularly impressed by the kids’ menu and the freshness of the food served to them.  No beige frozen or processed food for the kiddies at Beech Hill.  The chicken tenders were obviously freshly battered in breadcrumbs and the burger would have been acceptable on any adult menu!  The hand-cut chips still had skin and the girls devoured their meals.

Our menu
Kids’ Menu
Happy Little Lady

I would love to see some crayons and colours for kids next time we visit.  In fairness, we managed over two hours with the girls, with no crayons or books or screens! They were quite happy to sit and chat and eat with us.  Mini-Me loved feeling grown up when her food was served on proper plates, the same as ours.

They were full of stories from the forest and were so suspiciously well behaved that we even ventured into the gorgeous bar for a drink before bed.  Special shout out to Aaron, the lovely barman who really knew his stuff.  He was able to recommend a beer to Himself and proceeded to explain the difference between different types of draft.  When I asked for an Espresso Martini, he asked if I’d like it bitter or sweet and was able to tell me the history of where the instapopular cocktail originated.

My favourite meal as always was breakfast; I get very excited about breakfast!

I love the selection and variety of fruit and cereal and baked treats, but what particularly excites me is when there is a menu and someone brings you a lovely plate of cooked joy!  I am not a fan of having to plate up and serve myself.  Maybe it comes from working as a waitress for many years, but when I am out for any meal, I truly appreciate it being brought to me at the table. This is unusual in hotels nowadays, but a definite tick in my book.

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We had the most relaxed 24 hours.  And to only have to drive a short distance to find such a beautiful escape, means that we will certainly be back.  Beech Hill House is wonderful for a family switch-off.  The TV in the room didn’t get switched on and the girls were so happy exploring the forests and the corridors.

It would also be perfect for a romantic sneakaway or a girly break.  I’m looking forward to visiting again many times and to seeing how the new owners develop and grow this beautiful estate.

A very chilled out Mammy and Daddy
The excitement for Breakfast was real!

 

Mammy and her family were invited to review the hotel.  As always however, Mammy was under no obligation to write anything, maintains her honesty and all views and comments are my own.  

 

Festive Tea at Harvey’s Point

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Last Saturday, I was invited to join a handful of Donegal Bloggers at the official launch of the Festive Afternoon Tea at Harvey’s Point.

donegal bloggers

It is available there from Saturday 1st of December, right through to January 6th and Oh My WORD guys, it is beautiful.

We were met with a Prosecco reception by an open fire.  From the first moment, the staff were friendly and attentive.  We then met the formidable lady behind this incredible gem, Deirdre McGlone,  whose passion for the hotel is infectious.   She is a lady and the love story which brought her to Harvey’s is deserving of its own book.  (Let me know if you’d like it written Deirdre!)

Bubbles and Glitter, My Favourites
Attention to detail
Being told the Harvey’s Point History

Carina and Sheila gave us an informative and fun history of the hotel, before taking us on a tour of it.

Ladies.  The Him and I have been lucky to stay in some of the loveliest and most celebrated hotels, both at home, and abroad. We do like our luxury every so often. We’ve done most of the 4 & 5 star “must sees” of London and paid the extra for some luxury in NYC.  But nowhere, have I seen the spacious luxury of Harvey’s Point.  Even the corridors are huge.

And the rooms? We saw both the basic suite and the Premium…each of which are approximately the same size as the downstairs of most houses.  They are beautiful. Massive mahogany framed beds and plush carpets, with the most spectacular bathrooms.

You’d actually get the Von Trapps on this bed
One little part of the room
Look at that tub!

I can see myself sipping bubbles in one of the giant bathtubs very very soon. (And there are robes, which if you know me, you’ll know how important that is!)

The Festive Tea was then served to us in the main dining room.  The table was beautifully laid out and injected the first little flourish of Christmas Spirit into us.  We were greeted by the waiters who were looking after us, our napkins were flourished individually onto our knees (I love things like this!) and then they brought us our mulled wine.

It was divine; not too sweet and very mild. Then we had little cups of soup, before the main tea displays were carried to us.  I’ve never seen such a beautiful bundle of happiness inducing delights.  Sandwiches; egg and watercress and turkey, stuffing and cranberry – and I’m not talking a finger of one sandwich each.  Scones with clotted cream and fresh jam, Christmas pudding, Mince pies, Santa mousse bites, little cupcakes, smoked salmon bites, duck paté… Each bite nicer than the last.

Tea or coffee was topped up frequently.  The coffee was superb, unlike most hotel coffees which leave me longing for an Americano on the way home. This was smooth and perfectly roasted.

As bloggers most of us know the others from our online presence.  Some of us had met briefly at different events or launches, but had never really had the chance to speak properly.  I being of the geriatric blogger/Mammy variety, who invariably has to rush off from everything to collect kids, was delighted to meet and actually have time to sit and chat with these ladies.  It was a wonderfully unexpected perk to the day. The ladies were lovely; all ages, all styles of creator and yet all genuinely delighted to get to share a lovely afternoon tea.

The tea is €26 per person (€36 with Bubbles) but as Afternoon Teas go, I have never experienced one as beautiful as this.  The most impressive thing for me was the amount of food and the array of flavours; from sweet to savoury, but all delicious.

The Chefs came out to say Hi
The Dream Team, Carina and Sheila

Carina and Sheila really did look after us and every member of staff that we met, seemed genuinely happy to be there.  Harvey’s Point might be constantly expanding and growing, but I can predict that the ideas of family and home which formed the hotel in the first place, will never be far from its heart.

Now, off I go to pencil in a Roseymantic Mammy and Daddy time with my Him.  I’m sure I have a weekend free in 2019.

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Mammy was an invited guest to tea in Harvey’s Point.  As always, my review is honest and my own.  I was under no obligation to post or write about the event or the hotel.  My views as my own. 

I am Stunning Hotel Right on our Doorstep Mum – Roe Park Resort

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Last weekend, we visited the Roe Park Resort in nearby Limavady in Northern Ireland. We were invited to stay overnight to relax and enjoy some family time…and relax and enjoy we did.

Limavady is only a 35 minute drive from Donegal and Roe Park is easily found. The driveway up to the resort is stunning. Long and lined with trees, it winds up through part of their golf course as it approaches the main building.

There’s lots of parking and the hotel is immediately impressive. The main courtyard is beautiful, well kept (and well lit at night), flanked by the two onsite restaurants and golf centre. Signpost ensure that the hotel reception is easily found. The receptionists were friendly and efficient and more than lovely to our two girls.

The hotel is clean and shiny and welcoming. The foyer is huge and tastefully decorated. I loved the decor in the O’ Cahan’s Bar, which had myths and legends scripted in beautiful font. Chandeliers and interesting wall decor (images, photographs etc) created a perfect balance of glamour and comfort. This is one of the parts of the hotel I would enjoy spending time in when we visit again (without the little ladies!).

We checked in to our family suite. Room 9 was, in a word, HUGE. This is the BIGGEST family room we have ever stayed in. (and trust me, we’ve tried many!) It was warm, clean and so well appointed. two single beds and a huge double bed, a large TV and a massive bathroom.

Mini-Me claimed this toilet.
Loads of toiletries in the big bathroom

The room also had a small toilet room which Mini-Me claimed as “My very own toilet!”. A clever and welcome feature in a family room.

Biggest room ever!
Lots of room for fun!
What’s a hotel stay without fluffy robes?

Although it was on the ground floor, the curtains allowed privacy throughout our stay. The room looked onto the golfcourse and driveway up to the hotel and so it was quite private anyway. There was a dinner dance in the hotel that night and yet we would never have known. The rooms are well situated for families.

The view from our bedroom

The shower was fab and there were plenty towels, facecloths and toiletries. Mammy and Daddy had robes and slippers left on the bed too. (I do love me a fluffy robe. A hotel is not a hotel, without a fluffy robe!)

20 minutes Mam-Me time

We were incredibly impressed by the little welcome gifts the management had left for us; a plate of strawberries, raspberries and chocolates, little toiletries for the girls, 4 x swimming hats (which I ALWAYS forget!) and bubbles for all of us! Four champagne flutes with a bottle of very lovely champers for us and a bottle of chilled Shloer for the girls.

Oh how grown up Mini-Me felt when Daddy poured for us to do a wee Cheers. Lovely touch.

After the girls had danced around the room and rearranged the furniture, we got ready to visit the pool in the Health Club. I’m a bad Mammy you know. Swimming is not something that makes it onto my To-Do list, I’m afraid. And so how excited the girls were about going swimming. The leisure centre is beautiful; large, clean and luxurious.

Decor in the Health Club Changing room

The pool is lovely, with separate Jacuzzi and kids pool. There is also a section of the main pool which has bubbles if you want them. Princess LOVED this.

Daddy and I took it in turns to try out the Steam Room and Sauna. The steam room is THE BEST we have EVER been in. It was like walking into a tub of Vicks Menthol! Wow!

The spa looks beautiful and it is award winning. Another thing for Mammy to look forward to on our next visit.

The walkway to the Health Club
Lovely spacious changing area

The changing rooms are well stocked and have lovely little stools in front of the mirrors with hairdryers. There was a little trouble with the lockers but I found one that worked and as we were leaving, the receptionist was on the ball informing maintenance of the issue, so I doubt it was an issue for very long in fairness. As with reception, the spa staff were lovely; very helpful and attentive to the girls.

We were booked in to The Coach House Brasserie for dinner at 5.30pm. Having spent a little too long in the pool, we rang to ask if we could change our booking until 6pm. No bother whatsoever. Dinner was fab. Roe Park’s website tells you that the “Brasserie provides a more casual alternative to the fine dining experience of Greens Restaurant.” Well, if the exuberant and busy atmosphere is more relaxed, the food is certainly more than fine! It was delicious.

Service was super. Staff were attentive (and patient with my little FussyBoots!). The wine list is extensive and well priced. The Menu caters for everyone and the atmosphere was perfect. I love when I can see into a kitchen and hear the Chefs. Having worked in hospitality for years, it reaffirms my belief that a good kitchen has nothing to hide. The energy coming from that Hatch was brilliant and Mini-Me was in awe watching the kitchen staff working.

Garlic Mushroom
Soup
Grapejuice! Loved this one.

My starter was garlic mushroom. The Him opted for the Carrot and Coriander soup.

Cock and Bull
Hake
AMAZING

His main was the Cock & Bull. Mine was the Hake on couscous… yum. The fish was so fresh. The Salt and Chilli fries are worth trying if you like a little spice. We opted for Entreflores wine. It was excellent.

The kids’ menu was extensive too and there was no problem when we asked them to bring bread for them and to bring their food as soon as it was ready. Their desserts were just class. Little sundaes of Icecream, smarties and chocolate sauce. Mini-Me ordered a “Big one”. One wink at the waitress and she was talking Mammy’s language. Two small sundaes arrived with one little scoop extra on hers to make her feel bigger!

But MY dessert ticked all the boxes. I went for the Cheese Board. Oh my Word! It was AMAZING. I’ll let the picture speak for itself. And yes, I did indeed eat it ALL.

ALL
FOR
Mammy!

All by myself!

Back to the room we went. The two Dollies were shattered but of course when we got back, there was a second lease of life. We tried our usual trick of putting them to bed and hiding in the bathroom for 5 minutes but Princess was having none of it. Eventually, we climbed into bed with them until they slept…and then we all woke up ten hours later! Heavy blackout curtains ensured a sleep in until 8am (yay!). Heaven!

Daddy popped over to the gym for an hour while I sipped coffee in bed and the girls watched telly. (Mini-Me made the beds. I can’t get her to do this at home, but at Roe Park? Not a bother!)

The Him described the gym as “one of the better hotel gyms and well stocked”. This I can tell you is a compliment.

We went down for breakfast, this time to Green’s. Again, a busy and efficient restaurant set up with friendly staff and an excellent variety of EVERYTHING we love about hotel breakfasts. I loved that the tables had little booklets of suppliers and all produce was local. Fresh fruit, good coffee, breads and toast and muffins and cheese and cereals and porridge and an extensive hot food section… I could go on but you get the picture.

We packed up our mahoosive room and checked out with the ever so lovely and friendly Deirdre.

After a busy January and having had a lot going on, we didn’t quite realise how much we needed this little bit of family time until we got to Roe Park. Sometimes, the only way to relax and switch off is to actually go somewhere. With all the best of intentions, a quiet weekend at home is never that is it? No.

We certainly switched off here. When you visit Roe Park, the only option is to spend time together and focus on each other. It’s quiet and comfortable, but also has wifi and good entertainment options on the TVs in the rooms. Had we stayed for 2 nights, Mammy and Daddy would have taken it in turns to make use of the Spa. Daddy probably would have tried a round of golf too. But for an overnight break, it was perfect.

And Limavady really is the perfect springboard from which to explore the Causeway Coast. We left Roe Park and headed towards nearby Portstewart, Portrush and the Giant’s Causeway. It really was a lovely weekend.

Criticisms?

Honestly, if I had any, I would write them. That’s how I am. Other than there being no milk on the breakfast tables, I have nothing to suggest at all. (And that is me being pedantic! There was plenty of milk, I was just lazy!)

The hotel is ideal for a family getaway. It’s soooooo close to Donegal so no long car journey which is always a winner with kids.

Our youngest is still quite young and so when we do stay in a hotel, it tends to be an early night for everyone, but considering the pace of the life we lead, it’s more than welcome. If you are looking for a break close to home with something to offer for all ages, Roe Park is perfect.

Myself and The Him will certainly be returning very soon without the kids. There’s a bar and a spa and another Award Winning restaurant waiting for us to try.

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Thank you to the management and staff at Roe Park for a wonderful weekend in a beautiful hotel, right on our doorsteps.

The S-Mum xx

(The S-Mum, The Him and The two Dollies were invited guests of Roe Park Resort. However all opinions and observations are my own, and are as ever honest and based on our experiences.)

Keep an eye on the hotel’s platforms for offers and events:

I am Slightly Excited Mum

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Hurray and Yippee and Woohoo and all the rest.

It is Mammy’s Christmas night out.

Christmas-in-Kinsale1

It is Mammy’s favourite night out of the year.  There shall be glitter and bubbles and giggles and snaughles.  There shall be grapeness and cheeseness and obesity-on-a-plateness.

There shall be affirmations of friendships and reminders of “I wub you” and we shall remind each other many times tonight just how much we ought to do this more often, even though for the most part, it’ll be next Christmas before we crush a cup of wine with each other again.

And the most excitingful thing about this particular Christmas party, is that it involves a hotel.  As in a sleepover with my girlies!

santababy

And so while my colleagues all head off this afternoon to get hair and makeup done, Mammy here is going STRAIGHT to the heavenly heaven that is the hotel, to be ALL ALONE for at least 2 hours.  Mammy shall purchase a glass of something fablisly alcoholic and head up to the clean and quiet room, where she will have some very rare time to herself before her roomies arrive.  Mammy shall put on some music and place all of the Muckup that she usually has to keep up high and away from grubby hands out onto the dressing table.  It shall look pretty and after a while, so might Mammy, if not by the muckup and brushes, by the grapes and dim lights of the bar!

party

And I shall partake in the cinerellafication ALL ALONE, without saying such things as “Ah AH AH!!” or “Noooo, we don’t touch Mammy’s eyeshadow”, and I shall apply eyeliner without a child swinging on my leg.  And then my buddies shall arrive, already beautified and ready to pretend that we are 21 again. We shall go downstairs to join our other wonderfully jovial and joyeous colleagues and we shall sip herbal tea and have sophisticated and ladylike conversations…

And then pigs shall fly and one legged ducks shall stop swimming in circles…

Bring on the glitterification.  Bring on the grapes.  Bring on the giggles of the sleepover with my girls.  Bring on the fun and feck it, bring on the fuzzy head of tomorrow, for it shall be greeted by no alarm clock, a sleepin until at least 9am and a breakfast that someone else shall cook for me.

If you’re on your Christmas night out tonight, enjoy it and be safe, you Beautiful thing you !

 

I am Summertime-Family-Fun at Castleknock Hotel.

Posted in children, family, parenting, reviews, Staycation by

Last week, The Him and I took Mini-Me and Princess to Castleknock Hotel and Country Club for a 3 night Staycation.  Situated on Porterstown Road, Castleknock, this hotel is perfectly located for exploring Dublin.

We booked the Family Fun Package, which included a family room, Breakfast, tickets to Tayto Park and the Zoo, a dinner and a packed lunch.

When we arrived, we were checked in by a truly lovely young man.  Stephen was his name as far as I remember. He was friendly and efficient. When we arrived in the room allocated to us however, we weren’t overly impressed.  It was at the far end of the hotel, looking out at the hotel bins.  My 4 year old’s first words about the room were “Look at the man working at the bins Mammy.” There was a single bed and a double bed, but no cot and there wasn’t enough room to fit one in.

I rang reception and asked for a different room.  Again, he was very friendly and said he would look into it.  I went back to reception after ten minutes where Stephen was working on trying to find us alternative room for the three nights.  He eventually moved us to a new room, which was a bit bigger and so the cot fit in and we still had room to move about.  This room was overlooking the carpark and above a flat roof, but was much better than the first.

The hotel is clean and the public lobby, bar and reception are spacious and comfortable.  (Gorgeous air freshener in the huge lobby!)  The outside patio area is beautiful and a playpark was very well received by Mini-Me each evening. One lovely touch was the table of blankets, suncream and sunglasses at the door to the outside area.  Very simple, but very thoughtful.

The gym is basic but functional and the pool area is beautiful. There are two pools suitable for young children.  They were a perfect temperature and open to children from 9am until 6pm each day. (I should say that this suited us with very young children, but had our kids been a bit older, or teenagers indeed, we would not have been impressed that they couldn’t avail of the pool after 6pm.)

A family changing room would be helpful in the leisure area also.  Yes, there is a baby changing room and changing tables near the entrance to the pool, but for a young family, a communal room where both parents can help the children dress would have been wonderful. (A suggestion rather than a criticism.)

Breakfast each morning was perfect.  Porridge, fruit, pastries, cheeses, smoked salmon and a hot buffet.  The toasting machine needs replaced asap however…infuriatingly slow and took three attempts to warm the bread before eventually burning it!  The staff were very accommodating each morning.  On the third morning, Trish had seen us coming down the stairs and by the time we got to the restaurant, had reset the table closest to the buffet, set up the highchair and had even left extra teaspoons on the table for feeding the baby.  This was a simple act, but again, made us feel welcome and looked after.

We had barfood on the first 2 nights.  It was tasty, with a varied menu and satisfying portions.  Again, staff were efficient and friendly, taking time to talk to Mini-Me.  On our final night, we used the included dinner in the very elegant restaurant.  Decor in this area is stunning; elegant, tasteful and classy.  Our server Christina was superb from beginning to end and the food was exellent.

Had the Him and I been in this beautiful restaurant on our own, we would have enjoyed it much more to be honest.  It was difficult to enjoy this meal to its full potential with a tired baby and a 4 year old who thought we were at a ball in her honour!  We were terrified she would break or spill something. We both agreed that a barfood voucher included in the package would have been much more beneficial in the family package.

The hotel is very close to the zoo; it’s only a 5 minute drive to Phoenix Park.  It’s also close to Tayto Park and the City Centre so it is ideal for a family adventure in the Capital.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our break. We have stayed in Family rooms in other hotels which had a small hall or reception area which allowed for us to watch a movie or even have a drink after the girls went to bed, but the fact that they go to bed early isn’t really the hotel’s fault is it!?  It is however something that we would consider if booking again.  Perhaps adjoining rooms or a suite would be worth paying the extra for.

The Castleknock Hotel was very pleasant and perfectly located, the grounds and golf course were lovely, the food was excellent and the staff were friendly.  We left with a tasty packed lunch to spend the day at the zoo and they even put down the red carpet for Mini-Me! (Obviously it was for her and not for the beautiful Bride that day. 😂)

We will be back, (but maybe we’ll try one of the couple’s packages next time!)

I am Summertime-Family-Fun Mum

Follow me on Facebook  @secretsofsmum, or instagram @the.s.mum and on twitter.
Contact me on secretsofsmum16@gmail.com

(Please note: S-Mum received No Renumeration for reviewing this hotel.  I do so simply to help other parents to decide if such a family break would suit them.  These simply are our experiences.)