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"Rathmullan House is a Gem ..... ...a four star hotel overlooking Lough Swilly. It was as good as any I've stayed at in these parts or further afield.
Every guest is valued, attended to and indulged in a way that I have yet to encounter at any of the north's top hotels. On arrival, you are welcomed with a smile and shown to your room, setting the tone for the rest of your stay.
The original part of the old house dates back to the 1820s. Around the main entrance hall there are four drawing/sitting rooms - each festooned with antique furniture, paintings, books and a roaring fire. The feel is comforting and informal.
After a brisk walk on the beach, guests can lounge around taking tea and shortbread. In the evenings they are filled with the chatter from guests preparing for or retiring after dinner in the hotel restaurant.
It's a popular venue in a stunning location and was recently extended to include extra bedrooms and a bigger function room. Still, the ambience and decor feels cosseting and restrained.
The new bedrooms are airy and light with cavernous beds. Antique furniture softens the newish feel. The bathrooms are wooden panelled in a country house style and have an excellent shower and an ornate roll top bath.
The award winning restaurant supports the "Slow Food" ethos. Much of the vegetables, fruit and herbs are grown in the nearby walled garden. Given its location, fish is a speciality but the menu caters for all tastes if not all budgets.
The best that can be said of any hotel eaterie is that it attracts its fair share of non hotel custom and the Weeping Elm restaurant excels in this respect.....
Short Haul by James Stinson, from the Irish News, April 5, 2008
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