The Coach House Boutique B&B review – luxury accommodation in Dromore, County Down.
This Coach House Boutique B&B review is part of a series of posts from my County Antrim Travel Guide. You can check out the highlights from my trip over on Instagram.
Disclaimer: this was a complimentary stay as part of my tour around Armagh. I was not required or asked to write a review. However, I decided to do so as I had such a positive stay.
Do not be fooled by the B&B descriptor as The Coach House Boutique B&B is more like private a five-star hotel than a traditional Irish bed and breakfast.
For a start, you don’t actually stay in the home of Sharon and Andrew (your hosts). You stay in a separate building. Therefore there is a much more private feel to your stay. It felt as if we had a lot more freedom to come and go as we pleased as we weren’t disturbing anybody.
The Coach House Boutique B&B is located just outside the market town of Dromore, which is actually in Co. Down but part of the local government area of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. It’s just 30km from Belfast and about a 35-minute drive to Armagh.
When we pulled up to the house, and the big black gates opened, we were immediately impressed. The grounds are beautiful and the views therapeutically bucolic. Andrew, Sharon and their three well-mannered children greeted us at the door and welcomed us into their impeccable home. We got chatting and Sharon nourished us with her homemade scones (still warm, straight from the Aga), topped with fresh cream and homemade jam made with fresh Armagh strawberries. These strawberries are so juicy and flavourful that I couldn’t resist a bowlful swimming in cream and topped with sugar. What a welcome.
The accommodation is separate from the family home.
There are two rooms in The Coach House Boutique B&B, both sumptuously decorated but one is a double and the other can be booked as a twin if needs be.
I won’t use flowery language to describe the rooms. I’ll let the photos and video do the talking but the photos do not do justice to how lovely the rooms are. They are spotlessly clean. I mean spotless. And the attention to detail is something else. There’s a handle on the toilet seat so you don’t have to touch the lead. I bet the Queen has that in Buckingham Palace.
The room had everything you could need. If you need anything extra, there is no doubt in my mind that Andrew and Sharon would move mountains to accommodate your requests.
The rooms had a tv with Netflix, kettle and coffee makers, a selection of teas and coffees and complimentary cold beverages in the fridge along with fresh milk for your hot drinks. There was a selection of sweet treats, no doubt homemade, and there was a torch, loads of plugs and lights.
In the bathroom were robes and slippers and loads of toiletries and cotton pads and buds. The shower was great with plenty of hot water and excellent water pressure.
The bed was really comfortable and the place was blissfully quiet. A great night’s sleep was had.
Out in the flower-filled garden, there is a big Canadian hot tub. Guests can use this whenever they like, even in the middle of the night. There is a changing room beside the hot tub with a shower and toilet. You can wear your robe and slippers down to the hot tub. Soaking in the tub at night under the stars is a super way to relax. However, it is equally as relaxing during the day time when you can see across the hills and over the glens.
In the room is a menu with the breakfast options.
You just inform Sharon or Andrew what you would like and what time you might like to come down for breakfast.
Breakfast is a stately affair in the main house. The dining room is opulent but cosy and classical music accompanies your tea and toast. I felt like the lady of the manner.
The breakfast buffet had all manner of homemade items including yoghurt pots, granola, different types of bread, freshly squeezed orange juice and apple juice made from Armagh apples. There was a selection of cereals too as well as yoghurts and fresh fruit.
The breakfast buffet is a mear appetizer to the main hot dishes. The full Irish breakfast was hearty and cooked to perfection. It was so far removed from a greasy fry-up that it almost felt healthy. Add to that the fact that Sharon and Andrew use locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and name their suppliers on the menu and you really feel like you are getting a taste of Armagh on a plate.
The potato rosti with tomatoes from their garden and maple bacon from Hannan Meats was the perfect balanced dish of carbs, proteins, fats and veg. I felt so virtuous with every bite.
It was a shame that we only had one night in The Coach House Boutique B&B as it would have been nice to chill out and relax a bit more in the ridiculously comfortable room and to enjoy the hot tub. So, if you are planning on a stay here, make sure you hit the road early and don’t make any early plans the next day so that you can really enjoy all that The Coach House Boutique B&B has to offer. And so you can have a lie down after such a substantial breakfast.
Click here to visit The Coach House Boutique B&B website.
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Have you been to The Coach House Boutique B&B?
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