Reported drugs being taken in the toilet, response was "sorry sir, if we went in there now it is unlikely the persons would still be doing it." Advice to all, stay away from this hotel, the staff are poor to say the least, may have been that the wedding we were attending was from the same area as most of the staff hence the blind eye being turned to cocaine being openly taken in the toilets.....matter has now been reported to the police and by letter to Mr Hastings the owner who I would think will act straightaway!

What was supposed to be a relaxing night away for our extended family just turned out to be expensive! (8 adults and 7children) We had booked this hotel in January and requested 3 family rooms and one double room. We were informed by the hotel that they only had 1family room available and we would have to book 2 adjoining rooms instead. This was no problem and so we booked this at the additional cost. On arrival the double room and the family room were allocated successfully, the hotel then gave one room on the 2 floor and one room on the 3 floor as the second family room allocation!! When we queried this the girl behind the desk calmly said that she did not take the booking and that this is what the system said!! We eventually did get rooms but NOT what we had booked. The rooms are very nice, spacious and well presented. The double room we had been given (instead of the family room) did not have any view because the window had opaque glass in them like a bathroom! This room was over ?200 for B+B one night! The swimming pool and spa areas are clean, new and children friendly. The changing areas have to be commended - good hairdryers, shampoo, conditioner and fresh towels etc. We had dinner in the restaurant that night at ?38 per adult. The menu is extensive. However I feel that the restaurant is trying soo hard to serve posh food and failing to get the basics like side orders correct. I had broccoli that was over cooked and the rest of the vegetables had very obviously been under a heating lamp too long (my creamed potatoes had a skin on them) not really what you would expect from a ?38 meal! We also asked for iced water for the table instead of bottled water, a waiter returned to our table with a stainless steel jug and filled our glasses - no water from the jug was left on the table only the bottled water and wine!! The bill was brought to us before coffee and tea was served. We then had to ask if we could have the coffee and tea served. Personally I would not be recommending the Slieve. The views from outside the hotel are lovely, the building is historic and the refurbishment of a high standard. However in this day and age most hotels of this rating can offer you this. The Slieve is over priced and not customer focus enough. I feel that the restaurant menu and food does not stand up to the price tag.

My wife and I stayed two nights at Slieve Donard for our honeymoon. When we checked in we were told we were given a free upgrade to one of their four suites. This was a very nice gesture and we appreciated it greatly. I am sure all rooms are as beautiful as the suites, they were fantastic. The staff was very hospitable and we took full advantage of all of their facilities. We had a wonderful dinner in the Oak Restaurant where the manager waited on us single handedly. They really made us feel like they came to work just to serve us, but the place was packed. With the Mourne Mountains, the Irish Sea, or the number 1 golf course outside the US (according to Golf Digest) Royal County Down on each side, every windows views were unbelievable. We enjoyed the spa at Slieve Donard as well. It was so soothing after the both of us played golf next door that morning. We were lucky and got great weather, but this place would be beautiful regardless of the conditions. The town of Newcastle is small, however quaint and peaceful. The Irish Sea doesn't come with much of a beach, but its a beautiful sight, if only we could of been awake for a sunrise, when I woke up at 5:30am the sun was already in the sky. We cannot wait to go back to Slieve Donard!

Our one night stay at this hotel was a birthday present from my husband. We were looking forward to our stay at this hotel and our expectations were high. On arrival we noticed a wedding party, no problem it was Saturday after all. We carried our bags to reception edging our way past the wedding guests who had filled the foyer waiting for the bride. It struck me that a separate entrance for wedding guests would have been much better for everyone. The staff on reception offered no welcome and gave us the keys to our room explaining in great detail how we could find our room. It might have been easier to actually take us there. We were looking forward to staying in one of the upgraded rooms but on entering the room we were a liitle bit underwhelmed. The room was nice but nothing special, on the top floor with sloping ceilings and a sea view but was really quite small. A tour of the hotel took us to the spa which was lovely. My husband enjoyed a swim there the next morning. Newcastle town itself is in need of an uplift. There is really very little to do in town but admire the views. We had booked dinner in the hotel and went early as we had brought our three year old daughter. It was a carvery which suited us fine as we could select our meal and there was no long wait for service and we could give our daughter a selection of what was on offer. The desserts were superb and the main courses lovely if not a bit predictable, turkey , beef, ham, lamb etc. That night we did not sleep well. The beds looked comfortable but really were not. I seemed to toss and turn all night feeling very sticky and uncomfortable. Next morning we went down for breakfast which was a buffet affair. It was very disappointing. I had the full Irish cooked breakfast and found the bacon to be hard and the black pudding rubbery. The breakfast is held in large containers under heat lamps but I think too much produce is brought out at one time and tends to sit and dry up. I have been to many much smaller hotels and enjoyed a superb breakfast served in the same way but replenished much more often. Overall our short stay was pleasant but nothing to enthuse about. This hotel wants to be 5* but it really needs to improve its service especially at reception. The spa and the setting of this hotel are what keeps it alive.