Slieve Donard Resort & Spa

Newcastle,
County Down
Slieve Donard enquiries
Slieve Donard Resort & Spa

• Beautiful location in pretty seaside town of Newcastle.
• Fabulous new ESPA Spa.
• Elegant and timeless luxury hotel.

It was the first time we had visited the town of Newcastle and it was a revelation to discover how pretty it was, and also how popular with visitors from far and near. We had driven up from Dublin to stay at the Slieve Donard and to experience their new spa. The sun was shining and a beautiful bride was having her wedding photographs taken on the lawn in front of the majestic hotel building – first impressions were positive. In minutes we had checked in and were up on the fourth floor in our spacious suite overlooking the picturesque bay.

ACCOMMODATION AT SLIEVE DONARD

We were delighted with our room. We had a large double bed each, a working and relaxing area, spacious bathroom with all contemporary comforts and toiletries and an entrance from each side of the bedroom, a real power shower and an illuminated free-standing bath! We also had a turn-down service while we were at dinner so along with the chocolates and water, we were assured of more fresh towels for the morning.

DINING AT SLIEVE DONARD

We went down for dinner at 7.30 to the aptly named OAK RESTAURANT, which is a beautifully appointed dining room with oak panelling and central fireplace. We had a table by the window with views over the lawn and on to the sea. The menu contained plenty of choice of locally reared beef and lamb as well as fish, chicken and vegetarian choices. My starter of crispy king prawns in katafi pastry was so good we almost had a fight over the last one! We quietened down for our main courses, which were rack of lamb from the Mourne Mountains, and a succulent chargrilled fillet of beef. The lamb came with a Tuscan bean casserole with flavours that really complemented the lamb. The meat was perfectly cooked and generously portioned. We chose a bottle of Australian Pinot Noir from Michel Laroche from the well-priced wine list, and its good fruit concentration of strawberries was elegant and generous and perfectly matched our meat dishes. Other menu choices included a Fillet & Belly of Pork; Roast Fillet of Seatrout; Grilled Barbery Duck Breast and Guinea Hen, Venison and vegetarian choices. We kept a little room for desserts, and opted for a chocolate pudding and baked cheesecake respectively. Service was friendly and efficient, as it continued to be at breakfast the next morning, and the Oak Restaurant gave us a positive experience of fine dining in a friendly atmosphere and a stunning setting.

THE SPA AT SLIEVE DONARD.

Like many hotels in Ireland, Slieve Donard has added a spa to its guest facilities to match the demands of today’s demanding guest. It blends smoothly into the existing building while spread over two floors taking full advantage of the views across the sea and mountains. The ground level incorporates a 20 metre swimming pool, a vitality pool, steam room, sauna and a fitness studio and Zen studio. The upper floor is the ESPA spa and here I enjoyed a deeply relaxing muscle relieving massage. Before the massage I spent some time in the heat experiences warming up the body prior to treatment, and enjoyed the relaxation room both before and after the massage.
We went for a walk around the town before leaving as Newcastle really is a lovely spot with plenty of interesting shops and we heard that some of Hollywood’s top stars had filmed there. The Slieve Donard Hotel sits majestically in the centre of town with the backdrop of the Mourne Mountains sweeping down to the sea! With so much to enjoy and explore along this lovely County Down coastline, we found the Slieve Donard Hotel to be the perfect base for our stay.

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