Culloden Estate & Spa

Culloden Estate & Spa Review

This imposingly grand vision in Belfast stone presides over the forested slopes of the Holywood hills and the busy waters of Belfast Lough—antiques and silk-and-velvet fabrics grace guest rooms both in the original section and in a newer wing; all rooms have fine views. Topped off with a storybook turret and crenellated tower, the Scottish Baronial mansion, built in 1876, was greatly enlarged in the early 20th century when it was given as a residence to the Bishops of Down. In the 1960s it was transformed into a hotel. At mealtimes choose from the posh Mitre restaurant and the Cultra Inn, which serves snacks and full meals, or you can have lunches and afternoon tea in the elegant Crozier Lounge, redesigned in 2013 with a glass-fronted conservatory. The 19 executive rooms are fitted out with burgundy, gold, and purple bedding. The hotel is close to both the village of Holywood (temptingly filled with boutiques and tearooms) and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. Or spend the afternoon at the hotel spa, a glamorous Beverly Hills-type affair.