The Old Inn

I was here for the Spark Retreat by Pete Rollins in 2019 and again in 2022. This place is unstoppable in its charm, comfort and appeal. The staff are fantastic and the food is excellent. It's a quick walk to the sea, surrounded by great forests and farms. Just a quick ride to Belfast. Romantic, inspiring and restful

Attempted to go to the Old Inn for a meal but was unable to get parked, the car-park was full and the small street it's on was packed with cars (I feel sorry for anyone who lives here). I had to give up and we went elsewhere. This hotel does not provide adequate parking for it's business so I will avoid from now on

Booked through Blue Book one night bed and breakfast. Nice location close to Belfast and the coast in a very quaint village. First impressions lovely welcoming reception and lobby open fire and concierge. Would have been nice to have been offered some help with the bags as there is no lift and I walked past several times with several suitcases. Nice room, Old World. However, cleanliness was not up to standard. Incredibly dusty and rubbish left from previous guests, not what you expect from a galgorm property or blue book hotel. Dined in the bar, service was incredibly slow, and I had to ask for starters to be cleared. Staff friendly but seemed stretched. Food for the price is pretty basic, and quality was sub-standard. Overall experience way top over priced for the end experience. Breakfast Nice, really friendly staff, a la carte offering nice and good quality but the continental really strange offering. Ham Hock and Salmon Terrine, a strange offering on a breakfast buffet, in my opinion. Limited cereal, no selection of pastries or sweet options. It's just an odd selection overall. Shame as we had travelled a significant journey for a celebration with no gesture.

I have thought very carefully about this as some aspects were excellent and some very poor. I think that a true average rating would have been 3 or 3 stars but I thought that unfair as the good aspects should be rewarded. I just hope that the management take note and look at the problems. I think it only fair to start with the good. The absolute highlight was the food. We love to do foodie trips but this trip was intended for touring and not so much the food but actually the food here was exceptional. The chef deserves the highest compliments. The rating would have been much lower without his contribution. It really was exceptionally good. The second highlight was the room. We had a suite and it was superb... but...if only it had been maintained properly. More of that in a bit. On the negtive side, the staff and service were very variable. The first night we stayed (24 April) we were served by a man in the bar. We said we were booked in the restaurant and asked to see the menus. he came to take the order. We were expecting to be ushered to the restaurant when he brought the food to our table in the bar. We asked about the restaurant and he said "well you might as well eat here now". This really is not what we expect from a hotel of this class. The second night we were there, we just went to the restaurant ourselves. For balance, some of the service was excellent. Special mention for the Polish girl in the bar (sorry, we did not get her name). She was brilliant on both nights, positive and friendly and helpful with a smile. She should be in charge and also training the others. I mentioned that the room was good. It was but let down by appalling lack of maintenance. Do they have anyone checking the rooms? The layout and design of the room (room222) were superb but let down by problems. The bathroom mirror had over half of the bulbs not working. That is not an exaggeration, it was over half of them off. The shower required 2 strong hands to turn on and even then with difficulty. The toilet seat was hanging on by one hinge. Simply not good enough! I should say that the room cleaning staff were excellent but clearly in fear of the managemnt and frightened to report anything. Not the way to manage a hotel. So, all in all, this is a lovely place and could be so excellent but needs some better maintenance and people management. Just hope somebody takes note.

We had a wonderful relaxing stay here. Rejuvenating spa facilities, fine food and a comfortable room made our break a real treat. The staff were very friendly and most helpful. The beautiful walk into the Country Park beside the Inn was fabulous - the waterfall is definitely worth a visit.

We stayed here as a couple for a birthday celebration. The hotel is charming and the staff were so attentive across the hotel. The spa is lovely. Food was local and fresh, we went for the two night package including one evening meal. Close to Belfast so we got some good shopping in too. Highly recommend

Over priced for what is average food, drinks were also very over priced as exactly the same bottle of wine I have been served before is now almost 50% more expensive! This is not due to simple inflation and the higher price is not justifiable in my opinion. Table service was virtually non-existent despite the bar and restaurant not having a full house of customers. The car park was full and there were no spaces available on the street, making it difficult for people with limited mobility.

Full disclosure that our visit was arriving on Monday for a one night stay so things were quieter than normal. First impressions at reception were extremely impressive and the attention to detail and helpfulness from the reception staff was second to none. We were guided to our room and the as it was our first stay at the facilities were explained in great detail (but not boringly). We had a fantastic room that had the best a**osphere and decor that it couldn't be faulted. Our evening meal was had in the restaurant and chosen from the al la carte menu and all elements were incredible. Karen, the restaurant manager was an excellent example of a professional and attentive member of staff who showed interest in us, the guests. A quiet night's sleep in a very comfortable bed followed by a fantastic breakfast experience. (A leaky coffee caffeteir but all sorted, if you know you know). We didn't avail of the opportunity of using the Spa but it did look amazing, I'll maybe check that out at a later date. Charlotte, the experience was a credit to you and all of your supporting staff. Will I be back? Of course I will. *****

So relaxing from the start to finish.Food, amazing. Rooms are so cosy, with everything you need for your stay. Staff so helpful and went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed are stay. Spa amazing, poolside service, what more could you want