Our overnight stay at The Marine hotel in Ballycastle

Our summer has been pretty full-on. We’ve not got out as much as we usually would {which my bank balance is happy for!} but it’s been difficult to juggle the blogging, work-work and then, of course, going on our usual summer adventures. So, when we were given the opportunity to have a gifted overnight stay at The Beach House at The Marine Hotel in Ballycastle, we jumped at the chance. Having that one on one time with the kids is priceless and something we don’t get very often. Also, visiting Ballycastle is something we have never done as a family – so this opportunity was perfect.

Ballycastle isn’t exactly ‘local’ to us because it is a good 50+ miles up on the North Coast. But it’s easy enough to get too, even for non-drivers like us! It took us 2 trains and a bus to get there {around 1hr 45mins} and it was quite nice to see the bus stop was directly out the front of the hotel. 

Once we entered the Marine Hotel, I was taken back by how lovely it was. It was very clean and had a really spacious reception area. Just to the left when you walk in there is a Costa Coffee shop which was lovely. We indulged in cupcakes and tea {for me} – naturally! There is also a Marconi’s Bar & Bistro for your evening meals and breakfast. 

We arrived around 11.30, which was quite early because check-in wasn’t until 3 pm. We already had plans to visit Rathlin Island for the afternoon, so it was completely fine. The staff kindly held whatever bags we didn’t need for us as well, which was lovely. As a side note, I’ll be sharing our Rathlin Island adventures in a whole other post, so if you’re interested, do keep an eye out for that.

When we checked in later that evening, the whole check-in experience went smoothly. We got our keys, our WiFi password {which made the kids happy!}, our keys and off we went to check out our room. 

Ever since I knew about this opportunity, Annabelle has been so incredibly excited. “When are we going to the Beach House Mama?”, “Are we going to the Beach House today??” – Every day for weeks! Bless her.

The Beach House is just next to the hotel, contains six rooms and has pretty good security to get in which is comforting. The room itself was lovely, very clean and had a real cosy feel.  I work in a hotel myself, so making it feel like a home away from home is a real bonus point when you are the guest. This all contributes to making you feel at ease, comfortable and safe.

The room had everything a family of five could need. It had a huge double bed in the main room, as well as a desk/dressing table. There was a wardrobe, a kettle with all of your tea and coffee requirements. There were two side tables, plug sockets with USB ports {love those} and a good-sized TV. 

The 2nd bedroom had three single beds, one was a high loft bunk {which my teenager happily claimed}. The bathroom was just off the main room and it was nice and spacious, too. {The shower, which we all used later that evening was amazing!}

The Hotel staff kindly left the kids a cute Puffin plush each, which I thought was very kind of them. I think it’s so lovely when people add extra touches like that. So a huge thank you to the staff, for that. 

Overall the room was lovely, however, the only thing about the room that did disappoint me was the view {and the noise from the generator that was right outside our window}. We had a view of a car park at the back of the hotel. Which was a shame.

When you hear “Beach House”, you think sea views or even being able to see the beach. Sadly not – which I thought was another shame. Aside from the view, the noise of the generator was quite distracting. However, when we arrived the windows were open and the noise did go down a little when we closed the window but it could still be heard. However, this is only a minor thing considering the room itself was so comfortable.

Shaking off the view and the noise, we decided to head to the beach for the final sliver of sunshine. The kids were determined to get into the Irish sea and who was I to stop them! 

They managed to get a good hour in the sea before the sun went down and the chilly air settled in. They had a blast, which is what time like this is all about, right? We all got back to the Beach House, got showered and enjoyed a chippy feast from the nicest chippy in Ballycastle – Morton’s Chippy with Big Bang Theory on the TV. It was bliss!

Once it was time for lights out, the kids all drifted off to the sleep. Not before the room upstairs finally stopped having their dance party. All you could hear was them walking and jumping about. It was quite frustrating, I have to admit. But that’s not the fault of the hotel, I guess it’s just one of those things. Aside from the upstairs dance party, the beds were incredibly comfortable and before long, we were all asleep. 

We all woke up around half seven and got ourselves ready for breakfast. Breakfast at the Marine Hotel is served between 8 am and 10 am. 

We were greeted by who I assume was the Restaurant manager, who was very lovely and showed us to our seats. Once we were sat down, the girls spied the selection of freshly cut watermelon and strawberries – that was them happy! Jacob made a beeline for the cereals and pastries and I decided that an Ulster fry was in order with a cup of tea. Everyone was happy. 

The food overall was good. I did like that there was a great selection of food available for breakfast. Everything from dried & fresh fruit, pastries, cereals and hot food was available. So even the fussiest of eaters would be happy {glaring at my Jacob for that!}.

The kids especially loved the cast iron waffle maker that was available. I have never seen this in any hotel before, so it was quite the treat. The kids really enjoyed making their own waffles and I have to say, they were absolutely delicious. I couldn’t decide if they tasted better with Nutella or Maple Syrup {So naturally I had to try them with both!} – what would be your favourite waffle topping? 

After breakfast was finished and bellies were full – we headed back to our room to pack up and to check out. 

Our overall thoughts?

A really lovely, clean room, comfortable beds, lovely staff and a stunning location. Ballycastle is such a gorgeous seaside town with lots to do. There is a park for the kids just across the road, a beautiful beach, watersport activities nearby and of course, you can get the ferry over to Rathlin Island for the day if you wish. 

Aside from the minor noise disruptions and the car park view, our stay was really lovely and it was amazing to get away with the kids for the night. You cannot beat switching off, getting away from everything to enjoy some good old-fashioned family time. 

The Marine Hotel is in such a prime location, putting you right on the seafront. So if you’re ever thinking to yourself “I must visit Ballycastle” be sure to check out the Marine Hotel and grab yourself a puffin while you’re there!

A huge thank you to the Marine Hotel for kindly inviting us along, we had such a lovely stay and Ballycastle has captured our hearts, so we will be back, for sure! I have made an IGTV video over on my Instagram if you’d like a better look at the accommodation! 

Disclosure: We were kindly gifted our night-stay in The Beach House and all thoughts, photos and opinions are my own