It’s taking all of my will power to keep my shoulders submerged as I bob around in the icy waters of the Antrim coast, gazing up at the 400-year-old Ballygally Castle hotel.
I am trying out Hastings Hotels’ “Sauna by the Sea” experience, mere hours after landing in Belfast. After five minutes I’ve reached a sort of thrilling acceptance of – and dare I say it pleasure in – my coldness, but I notice my toes are numb so I dart back out of the ocean and straight into a beachfront sauna, swiftly followed by a hot chocolate next to Ballygally Castle’s crackling fire and twinkling Christmas trees, shrouded in the dry robe provided by local company Scenic Sauna.
Contrasts are a theme of this trip, supported by Tourism Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland, which sees us exploring the country’s impressive luxury, natural beauty – and indeed festive – offerings, while not shying away from the destination’s troubled past.
Founded more than 60 years ago, Hastings Hotels has a portfolio of six properties “of character and distinction”, each in key locations across the area. Sadly there’s not time for us to visit the full complement, but we get a rich taster.
Our evening at the 54-room Ballygally Castle – the only 17th Century building still used as a residence in Northern Ireland today – begins with a spooky tour of a “haunted” turret, before we head for dinner through one of the doors used in the filming of Game of Thrones, much of which was shot in the region. Naturally, the hotel offers a sightseeing package, and even a Game of Thrones afternoon tea (booking is essential).
We dine on seafood chowder and steak, and I knock back a cocktail or two to keep thoughts of ghostly bedfellows at bay.
Rural routes
Ballygally Castle is only 25 miles from Belfast, but feels much more remote. Not only are you looking directly out onto the Irish Sea, but the hotel, on the Causeway Coastline, is perfectly located for further historical – or fictional – sightseeing, or a walk in the serene glens.
Local luxury tour guide Mark Rodgers of Landmark Tours – a third generation “storyteller” – beguiles us with tales of fairies, winter traditions and botanical rhythms as he leads us through the nearby Glenariff Waterfalls. The tour culminates with Mark opening his car boot with a grin to reveal a meticulously laid out Irish whisky tasting.
Back to Belfast
Back in Belfast we check into the Culloden Estate & Spa, which recently completed a £600,000 renovation, and where I freshen up using the generous supply of ESPA products before taking lunch in Lough Bar, overlooking the water. The two hotels visited are markedly different, with Ballygally Castle offering a more quaint, cosy feel compared with Culloden Estate’s grand suites and lounges set in sweeping manicured grounds in Belfast’s upmarket suburban Holywood area. After all, it was the first five-star hotel in Northern Ireland.
The hotel proves to be the perfect haven from which to explore Belfast, with a generously-sized spa, a gastropub – the Cultra Inn – in its grounds, and decor which reaches that difficult standard of being classically luxurious but feeling contemporary.
I’d never previously visited Northern Ireland’s capital, and what I found was a city which may present as quite industrial, but is full of character, art, charm and historical intrigue, and with some beautiful architecture to boot. I found Belfast’s grittiness to be what makes it such a fascinating place to visit.
Exploring in late November, I’m bowled over by Belfast city centre’s chic festive displays and the Christmas market at the City Hall is the nicest I’ve been to in the UK – full of genuinely tasty food and drink and local craftspeople selling their wares.
Visits to the new site of the McConnell’s Whiskey Distillery – housed in a notorious former jail – and a Black Cab tour delving into Belfast’s history from the Troubles era to the present day – add a powerful insight into the city’s many layers.
I ponder this as I sip a glass of wine while looking out on the Piano Lounge of Hastings Hotels’ city centre Europa Hotel – exquisitely decorated for Christmas – which the brand itself notes has been “the most bombed hotel in the world”. The property has since evolved into a symbol of the peace process, and is now a part of the Belfast’s renaissance as a tourist destination. Why not encourage your clients to be part of that renaissance, too?
