Killeavy Castle Estate — Restaurant in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

This hotel location is great - on a hillside in the Slieve Gullion area of natural beauty. It’s well worth a good tour around the area in general when you stay in this hotel.

This review relates to a stay in mid-December which is the graveyard time for hotel bookings being the run up to the Christmas holiday. I think we had under 10 resident guest during our stay so please bear that in mind.

First - the main hotel is in a new building some 50 yards from the Castle itself. Staying in the main castle itself would probably be charming, and thus expensive, and attractive to our friends from across the Atlantic who have a passion for such things. However, being there cuts one off a little from the main facilities the hotel offers, like the spa and restaurants. The castle is usually let as a unit for large parties and over the years, we have stayed in a lot of castles - the novelty has worn off.

We took a large room in the new building, in the heart of things. It was spotlessly clean with a beautiful light grey Wilton carpet - really expensive looking and soft feeling. Not sure if it will age well though.

There were sadly no drawers in the room for our bits and pieces - just ledges. For guests like us, with lots of bric a brac, this means an untidy looking room which we both hate. Likewise it only had an open wardrobe (like on a sleeper train or a mid-range cruise liner). We both prefer our clothing to be hidden from sight, like our bric a brac!

The room had the usual upmarket amenities, TV, a Nespresso machine, a kettle and a large display of snacks - all chargeable - the only free item was 2 bottles of mineral water. Sadly there was no fridge, again an item that we consider to be an essential, where its absence was said to be part of the hotel’s “pledge to sustainability” - 11 light bulbs, a coffee maker and a kettle don’t count, it seems.

Finally, on the room, very comfortable but no air-conditioning - we stayed in December and it was an ideal temperature but I’ll bet it gets hot in the summer! As you can see, we have a few niggles about the room but the bathroom was good - small single wash basin but really all that could be desired. Face flannels, bath robes, mini safe, slippers and a BATH with non-slip floor and similar separate shower. I do love my bath and it’s becoming rarer these days unless you book a suite - so the Bathroom was fine.

Dinner first night in the main restaurant was average - I had roast beef which looked anything but freshly carved with odd, coloured gravy but my wife had a nice salmon fillet. The chopped mixed vegetable accompaniment was also a little underwhelming, apart from the nice boiled potatoes. Wine was a nice Sauvignon Blanc.

Breakfast in the brasserie was super - a buffet, of course, with a great view over the surrounding countryside. Warm plates and iced water available, both of which essentials are often forgotten. Breakfast was really excellent. However, on the second day the breakfast was a la carte because the guest loading did not merit a buffet. It was rather average with overcooked eggs. undercooked bacon and iced water only on order.

Dinner on the second evening, in the brasserie this time , was super - better than the main dining room I have to say. More of a upmarket pub dining experience but a good menu. My longhorn beef burger looked appetising but the minced beef had a very odd taste, unlike my wife’s similar order which was great.

Staff? All staff were super friendly from the charming receptionists to the cleaners and servers - no problems there. No concierge although baggage handling can be arranged on request.

However, we have to single out James, the restaurant maître d’hôtel. Super guy, friendly and efficient - a real asset for the hotel. Thanks for all your help and guidance, James. Also receptionist Victoria – you do your job well. You all do.

We did not use the spa but it looks...

We had a very relaxing couple spa night away. From the moment you enter the hotel you are warmly welcomed by very friendly knowledgeable staff who want to make you time away as seamless as possible. Our room wasn't ready but they took our luggage from us so we could go and use the spa facilities and enjoy our couples massage. The spa area is very tranquil and I thought the outdoor hot tub was great. The treatment is probably one of the best massages I have ever had and the area where you relax after was really peaceful. On leaving the spa area our room key had been left there for us and our luggage had been taken to our room from reception so we could just make our way up in our robes and slippers. |Wow the room is large and immaculately cleaned you can tell that housekeeping take their time to make sure the rooms are cleaned to a high standard. The bed and linen was amazing. The bathroom is small but again very clean with everything you need. The rituals products were a lovely touch also. Our view overlooked the walled garden and the mountains and countryside. It was very peaceful. |We ate at the bistro restaurant and they had a great selection on there vegetarian menu. The service was great and staff checked on us many times throughout the evening. The presentation of the food was incredible and it tasted as good as it looked. The food had great flavour and we were quite impressed. The views again from the restaurant were stunning. |We had a perfect night's sleep and didn't hear any noise at all from the hallways. We woke up feeling relaxed. |We ate at the main restaurant for breakfast it had a great continental selection and also cooked breakfast. We ordered from the menu and was cooked very quickly. Again the staff were very friendly and helpful and checked on us several times throughout breakfast. |We enjoyed a lovely walk around the castle and the walled gardens before checking out. It really is a beautiful spot for a visit. Again check out was seamless and the staff member asked if we had enjoyed our stay. |Any other staff members we seen throughout our stay all greeted us with a smile you could really tell they enjoyed working there. From start to finish the whole team really went above and beyond. It's hard to find good customer service these days. Thanks to all at Killeavy Castle for making our stay a...

Disappointing Experience at Killeavy Castle Estate

We recently stayed at Killeavy Castle and unfortunately had a very poor experience from start to finish. We’re generally easy-going travellers and not in the habit of leaving negative reviews, but the level of service during our stay left us no choice.

From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was unwelcoming. We asked if we could check in slightly early and were met with a dismissive look from the receptionist—no warmth, no basic hospitality, and absolutely no information about what was happening at the hotel during the holiday weekend.

The bar service was shockingly poor. On our first visit, it took 45 minutes to receive a menu and drinks, despite the bar being quiet and having multiple free tables and several staff on duty. There was no apology, no explanation. The drinks themselves were decent, but service was apathetic at best. Later, we returned to the bar and experienced the same issues, 20-minute wait for menus, with other guests visibly unhappy and complaining. Again, no apologies, no sense of urgency.

Dinner, which was part of our package, was the final straw. I ordered nachos and received soggy tortillas. My partner ordered duck wings, and the accompanying salad was forgotten entirely. By the time it was eventually brought over (after prompting), the rest of the meal was already eaten. The main course was brought out and my partner’s beef burger (which is meant to showcase the estate’s own beef) was so dry it was barely edible.

Despite arriving at the restaurant at 7:30pm, it took 25 minutes to get menus after repeatedly asking staff. We were seated in the corner in total darkness, as staff dimmed the lights and seemed to forget our table entirely— others were given table lamps, we were not. We had to flag someone down to not only order dessert, but also to ask for a lamp. It was frankly abysmal.

We will not return. If you’re expecting a relaxed, luxurious experience with attentive service, this is not the place. From reception to restaurant, the service was consistently careless and unprofessional. If I were the owner, I’d be deeply concerned. There’s potential here, but it’s being completely let down by staff and a clear lack of training or oversight.

Positives - comfortable bed...