The Old Inn

First time visiting after the Hills got their hands on it and as glad as were to see the back of the previous owners, it wouldn’t really have been somewhere to put back on our radar anyway. A weekend lunch and we thought we’d give it a go. We’d heard stories about their spa now attracting East Belfast’s tattooed finest and our first impression on entering the hotel confirmed that yes indeed, walking around in a spa robe and sliders was considered appropriate by Columbian Imports Inc. Bar was busy and they were way understaffed for the amount of customers. A long wait for someone to at least take our drink order at our table (which we’d booked) and an even longer wait for our food order to be taken. Girls were very pleasant, there just weren’t enough of them. Only one young lad behind the bar and he seemed to have two speeds, dead slow and stop. Food was ok to a point. My burger was as dry as the Gobi desert and the café de Paris mayonnaise was just plain weird. I’m a HUGE fan of it in [compound] butter form, but it doesn’t work when turned into a mayonnaise. The anchovy hit was too strong and it overwhelmed the other main flavours that should be present. Onion on the burger in some shape or form would’ve been more than welcome too, but alas no. Chips were good though. Far from oily. No sense of anyone in charge either. No visible management of any description, just the girls on the floor and the young lad behind the bar. Mens toilets were pretty dreadful. Putting aside it being used by spa guests who fancied a quick trip to South America, the hand drier didn’t work and it stunk heavily of pee. We tried it, but too many negatives to frequent it again.

Went for lunch at the Old Inn - food was lovely, served quickly and service was excellent - friendly and approachable! Thank you Louise!!! Great atmosphere and good range of options in the menu too!!! Beautiful place for a relaxed meal with friends .

Just back from a 2 night stay with dinner one night. We stayed in The Cottage because we were bringing our two greyhounds with us and wanted direct access to outside for their bathroom breaks, and also because the Cottage has its own private outdoor jacuzzi. We absolutely loved the Treetop Spa area. The jacuzzi pool must fit at least 50 people and the entire thing bubbles and is about 38 degrees. It looks incredible at night when its dark. So nice you can order drinks to the jacuzzi pool too. We didnt use the steam room, the sauna or the relaxation room with the loungers and the roaring open fire, but the facilities were excellent. The Cottage itself is a real vibe. Its small and cosy, and since it was built several hundred years ago, the walls are super thick and it has a vaulted ceiling with amazing wooden beams and tiny windows. I would say its dark in the Cottage, even with the lights on full.... but I think the vibe is meant to be cosy. I did think it would benefit from a LOT of additional lighting, but that may be a personal preference. The Cottage has an entrance hallway, there is a living room with a large fireplace with a gas fire, a 2 seater sofa, a dining table and circular bench chair set up around the table, a coffee machine, a small fridge filled with complimentary soft drinks and a good sized smart tv. The bedroom has a king size four poster bed and is super comfortable. The bedroom has a second tv, again a good size. There is a dressing room with a dressing table which has better lighting, and its the perfect place to dry your wet robes and swimwear and to store your luggage. The bathroom was basic but very clean and useable, and the shower had excellent shower power. The only thing about the bathroom was there was a vague smell the entire time. Not hugely offensive, but it definitely has a bit of a 'light' smell to it. The Cottage comes with its own private hot tub and we absolutely loved that. The private hot tub area has a gate that you can use to access the main jacuzzi spa area too. Robes and flipflops are provided which is nice, and they are a good size (helpful if you are a plus sized person). The food in the restaurant at night was exceptional. Everything we ate was top notch. I dined off the Vegetarian and Vegan menu and was delighted to be advised that these items are cooked separately to meat/fish dishes. The onion rings are next level incredble! My hubby loved the steak and the fish. Breakfast could be improved. The only pastries were croissants, and the range of continental items needs to be extended. The cooked menu items were ok, but the quality wasn't the same as the dinners we had. I suspect its a different chef altogether. So overall breakfast was acceptable, but could be improved for sure. So the last thing is the staff. I can honestly say the staff at check in, at breakfast, in the bar and in the restaurant were fantastic in every way. They bent over backwards to accommodat