FergalJ
Google
We arrived early and were greeted warmly, and my mother’s room was ready which was appreciated. We were especially excited to book a spa hotel resort for treatments.||Whilst waiting in the lounge for our own room to become available, on receiving a call to say it was ready, we were then left waiting in a freezing, cramped reception area right beside the main door having to wait on our room keys. Check in service was extremely slow, disorganised, and not what would usually be expected from a 5 star hotel.||On the first day, we decided to visit the renowned Cultra Inn on the Estate grounds for a lunchtime drink and possibly food, but after being left stood waiting at the entrance and ignored by two staff members, we instead chose to leave. When we returned later in the evening on a second attempt having made a reservation on our first night the service improved, but the inconsistency was disappointing. ||We then ventured to the spa to book somewhere massage treatments during our 3 night stay only to be met with huge disappointment on being informed that there was no availability for residents of the week during our stay. This was very disappointing as we were not previously informed of this at the time of booking. We got the impression from the staff that non-residents took priority which again was disappointing for a 5 star spa hotel. ||The hotel bar was hugely understaffed for New Years Eve, particularly given that the hotel knew it was hosting both a private wedding and its own New Years Eve Special Stay. This left hotel residents with slow or no service and very limited space. Whilst we ate there on one occasion and the food was fine, it was not worth the price charged at all for a bowl of soup and sandwich. ||Having previously enjoyed the Slieve Donard under the Hastings group, we expected a similar standard. This stay fell short, though still slightly better than our experience with Marine & Lawn but wouldnt be rushing back to visit this hotel or the Hastings group of hotels in the near future. ||Housekeeping was another issue. Rooms not being serviced until late afternoon on both days, toilet rolls weren’t replaced, towels not refreshed, and the bathroom wasn’t properly cleaned, with dirty glasses left behind. ||This happened on two occasions requiring reports to managers on day two. The service was simply unacceptable and lack lustre and entirely undeserving of a supposed 5 star luxury estate hotel. Whilst these issues were rectified on reporting, they should not have arisen. ||The rooms are a good size but dated, with furniture that requires updating. The bathroom was spacious and the ESPA products were a highlight||The spa layout is poorly designed. Guests have to walk through a busy reception and bar area in robes, and seeing people sitting around the bar in robes especially in the morning was uncomfortable and not something I’d want to experience again!||A standout part of the day was probably the breakfasts. Even though the selection of breakfast options is buffet style the food was always nice and hot and plenty to choose from. ||Overall, the hotel has potential, but the service, staffing levels, housekeeping standards, and layout issues made this stay far from the 5 star experience we expected. At this price point we expected luxury and unfettered service this cannot simply be said for this hotel. I would genuinely advise you to book somewhere else if you have not fully committed to a stay here as there are better hotels in Belfast and surrounding areas at this price level. Do not be fooled by the location