Very good location. Town well served by public transport and buses just across road from hotel. Taxi to Newcastle takes 10 mins, less than £10. Free parking outside hotel. Reception staff really friendly and helpful Good sized room with plenty of storage for clothes and bags. Bathroom with shower and bath and good sized bed which was very comfortable. Nice restaurant and separate bar area with a lovely mezzanine seating area Good choice of freshly cooked breakfast options alongside cereals etc.

Nothing

The Hillyard is a beautiful hotel right on the doorstep of Castlewellan National Park. We absolutely loved our few nights there. The food was amazing, the rooms are fantastic, everything appears to be newly done up. What made it stand out for us though was the staff and the relaxed ambience. We were made feel so welcome and were treated like family. While everyone working there was lovely, we want to give a special call out to Dianne in reception who couldn’t be more helpful, Caitriona in the restaurant who looked after us morning and evening and to Sean in the bar where we thoroughly enjoyed the banter. It was a really refreshing stay that felt longer than it was. We are already looking forward to our next trip there!

Nothing that we didn’t like

The location is excellent. Close to the Forest park and on-street parking at the front door! Could hardly be bettered for convenience. Very warm welcome at reception. Absolutely nothing missing from the bedroom. Excellent shower facilities. Evening meal was delicious and dining room staff friendly and obliging.

Like most hotels, there was the constant irritation of 'background' music in the dining room. Breakfast offered an unusually wide choice with Eggs Benedict etc and a friend's omelette looked absolutely delicious, but there was a disappointing choice of cereals and no porridge.

Convenient, very clean, and well-designed hotel that suited out two night stay for a local sporting event. Nice location within easy walk of the nearby Forest Park. No dedicated car parking but by evening we managed to find public car parking nearby. Bedroom was compact and did not have a large amount of storage space, but was well maintained with good shower facilities. Restaurant was very busy throughout the day and evening (it was a bank holiday weekend). On the first night there was noise from clients leaving late in the evening, not a problem the second night. We had a long wait (over 1 hour) for food on the first night but no problems the second. The breakfast menu was exceptionally innovative and the food tasty.

Excellent location and friendly staff. The breakfast was one of the best I've ever had when staying in a hotel. Very comfortable bed. Great shower design in terms of accessibility. Although there is some room to improve, details below ..

The accessible room (105) has a common mistake in the bathroom - a mirror is too high to see a face when someone is in the wheelchair - it should be a tall one or with an adjustable angle. The entrance door of the room was banging loudly each time someone opened/closed the door in the corridor - very frustrating, especially at night. We had to put a piece of rolled paper between the door and frame to stop the door banging on the frame. Some rubber insulation should fix the issue.

Staff were so warm, welcoming and friendly. I had to have the dates of my room changed because I was ill, and Lorna was more than accommodating. Danielle who greeted us was so welcoming and helpful. The barman was also very friendly and the breakfast lady. We had dinner and the waiters and waitresses were a young bunch, the wee guys (and girls) were so professional and polite. It makes all the difference. Customer service was excellent across the board. This is something that is so important and Hillyard House have nailed it! I know it is a new hotel but I absolutely love that everything was exceptionally clean. Bed was amazing; I could hardly get my husband out of it... We will spread the word about this lovely place 😊

N/a

Love staying at the Hillyard breakfast is always good the room rates great value and the staff friendly and helpful. Location is great right beside the forest park and 5 mins from Newcastle. When we stay again we plan to eat in the restaurant.

Maybe some information on the restaurant like a menu in the room and some information on things to do in the local area in the room would be beneficial to customers.

After a recent last minute visit, we are already trying to plan our return trip! A true hidden gem, not to be overlooked. The staff were so friendly and helpful, we cannot speak highly enough of them, they all had a smile on their face and chatted away to us even after a busy new years weekend. The location is ideal for anyone visiting Castlewellan Forest Park (which is also unreal). We ate at The Yard Restaurant for dinner and breakfast, and have absolutely no complaints - food and cocktails were delicious. The rooms are bigger than you'd expect, while still being cosy. They are spotlessly clean, as are the spacious bathrooms. The only negative we found was that we didn't allow ourselves enough time to spend here. Overall - we loved it here, and cannot wait to return soon. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a getaway!

Location Friendly and accommodating staff, nothing was too much bother. Clean hotel, even smelt fresh as you walked the corridors. Great upgrade. Food was excellent in the evening and such a beautiful variety of breakfast options. Breakfast was delicious. Heating in room and a heated towel rail.

A little bit on the cool side in restaurant. The weather had changed from being hot to being cool and very heavy rain. As I am travelling from Australia I do find it cold here.

Beautiful bouquet hotel in Castlewellan Co Down. Relatively recently refurbished to a very high standard with lovely rooms, bar and restaurant area. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

Nothing about the property per say. There was a soloist singing in the bar on Saturday night which we were looking forward to. She was very poor. Her speaker was far too loud for the size of space and her overall performance was poor. We decided to leave and go to another bar in the town.