Nothing says good times more than a disco ball — especially if it’s giant and swinging above a heated Roman bath like the one at the Rabbit. Fun is what this 33-room boutique hotel does best. Its spa has been designed to surprise, with a heated pebble “beach” and tiki bar where the vibe is more rum spritz than green smoothie. Retreat later to rooms that are magnets for millennial couples: neon signs, Dyson hairdryers, Instagrammable William Morris wallpapers. A gold star, too, comes for convenience. The hotel, northwest of Belfast, is a ten-minute drive from Belfast International airport and 20 minutes from the centre.
Overall score 9/10
Main photo: the glittering disco ball above the Roman-style bath at the Rabbit (Emma Rock)
Rooms and suites
Score 9/10
The Rabbit’s 33 rooms are split into snug, comfy, luxe and attic. Each has everything you’d circle in a luxury gift guide, such as Dyson hairdryers, retro Swan kettles, Bluetooth speakers in the shape of mini-Marshall amps and mint-green mini fridges — along with one-off finds such as towel hooks in the shape of dog tails and miniature-record coasters. If you are planning on spending most of your time in the spa then opt for an entry-level Snug room, which is great value — and roomier than the name suggests — but if you are coming for a romantic night away then go for one of the two Luxe options. They are the showstoppers, with William Morris’s Brer Rabbit wallpaper, hidden reading nooks and copper baths on private terraces warmed by chimineas. Families are welcome but children are few and far between, and most rooms are better suited to adults. Listen out for a knock around 6pm when surprise cocktails are delivered, a gesture that sums up the service here: discreet but charming.
Food and drink
Score 8/10
Extensive, fuss-free menus are designed to keep everyone happy, with most plates around the £20 mark. Along with a selection of steaks and wood-fired pizza there are fun, messy dishes, including the bucket of bones (honeyed pork ribs, buffalo chicken wings) and those that make the most of local produce: wagyu sausage with Irish cabbage, or the catch of the day that comes straight off the boats at the nearby Belfast docks. Grab a Guinness later in Hunter’s Bar, where you will want to linger, and watch the live band that plays nightly from Thursday to Sunday, or stay on theme with a pink gin-infused Jessica Rabbit cocktail, based on the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Any hangovers can be cured at the huge buffet breakfast the next morning.
What else is there?
Score 9/10
The owners are also behind Galgorm — Ireland’s best spa resort, which is a 20-minute drive away. Although the spa is significantly smaller here, facilities are more original and are perfect for the hotel’s main audience, younger couples and groups of friends. The main star is the heated Roman-style bath surrounded by stone columns, though you’ll also want to sink into the cedar-fired hot tubs that face a stream, or bob between the salt, sauna and steam rooms.
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Each booking at the hotel comes with a complimentary 25-minute clay ritual in the mud chamber, and there’s a small menu of spa treatments worth booking ahead for. The most popular is the candle massage where hot wax is poured over your back and shoulders to melt away any knots.
Where is it?
Score 8/10
There’s nothing to write home about in the tiny Co Antrim village of Templepatrick, but who cares? You’ve got plenty of restaurants, bars and shops in the centre of Belfast, which is a 20-minute taxi away. There’s also a bus stop outside the hotel for journeys directly to Belfast International airport.
Price B&B doubles from £185
Restaurant mains from £20
Family-friendly Y
Dog-friendly Y
Accessible Y
rabbithotel.com
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