ONE NIGHT AT ROE PARK: MY REVIEW
‘staycation’
/steɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/ - nounINFORMAL
a holiday spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.
Since beginning my Monday-Friday 9-5 job, finding time to unwind has been.. complicated. Weekends are a no work zone but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an event or a birthday or a dinner to attend to. So how do you get away and unwind from reality without hopping on a flight and arriving in lands unknown.
Behold the STAYCATION!
Two weeks ago, we spent the night at Roe Park Resort, Limavady. We organised a half day at work and made our escape to the countryside for some food, drink and relaxation.
ROE PARK RESORT | MY REVIEW
The past two months have been filled with routine, routine routine. When our overnight stay crept up, it was like a blessing! I remember 15 minutes before I left work thinking, “Agh, do you I really need to leave now?” - it would have been incredibly easy to continue pushing through the workload that had suddenly appeared at my desk but I pulled myself away and we made our way to the North West.
The Location: Like an oasis in the Derry countryside, Roe Park showed itself when we made it to the bottom of a typical country lane. We had drove the hour and a half from Belfast and all we could think of was dropping our bags to the room and grabbing our swimwear to make the most of the health club and spa at the resort.
First Impressions: As we checked-in, the lobby was filled with Wedding Guests and with such a big crowd, I was pleased that our check-in still ran smoothly with no complications or waits. The staff was as much interested and as attentive with us as they were with the 50+ people lounging metres away. With 2 key cards in hand, we made our way to our room.
The Room: Our party included three couples and each of us had a completely different style of room. There was a ‘Standard Guest Room’, a ‘Family Suite’ and the ‘St Columb’s Suite'. Myself and Adam had the standard which looked out over the front promenade of the hotel and over to the Sperrin Mountains. A bottle of Moët & Chandon and the sweet treats that awaited us on arrival. With an extra bed, a large bathroom with Roe Park body products and plenty of closet space, we had more room than we needed but we were definitely not complaining. Sadly, our room didn’t come with bathrobes and slippers so a request was going to be made to have some sent up. The Suite’s had an abundance of extra features compared to the standard such as sofas and a coffee machine. As you can see from the image above, even that luxurious four-poster kind size bed had me jealous but all in all, the rooms were comfortable, clean and toasty.
*** NB - We received Moët & Chandon on arrival as part of the offer we booked in on. Pay for a bottle of Moët & Chandon and receive Bed & Breakfast free. A cracker of a deal if I do say so myself.:)
The Food: Our Arrival Treats were so damn delicious! Macarons are a favourite of ours so these didn’t last very long and on arriving back from the pool and sauna, we took to our chocolate covered strawberries for that sugar fix before heading down for our dinner reservation at 8:30pm. We dined in Roe Park’s own ‘Greens Restaurant’. I myself went for the Soup Starter followed by the Stuffed Irish Chicken Supreme and oh my word it was so tasty! There was chorizo, orzo and red pepper puree with a side of potato gratin and even though I’m on the lactose intolerant spectrum, I had no regrets diving into that cheesy creamy side dish. Needless to say, we didn’t leave much room for dessert and instead we took our wine and headed for the bar. I think I speak for everyone in our party that the food was great - I’m making myself hungry just thinking about it. At 9am, we rose for breakfast. The previous night I realised that we could have ordered breakfast and got it delivered to our room instead of pulling ourselves out of our bed but at 2am, I think I missed the deadline so I didn’t actually get to experience this service. It would have saved everyone from seeing my bed head.
The Experience: The Roe Park for me was a chilled out getaway where I didn’t have to think about the worries and stresses of life. If you’re looking the same, then I would highly recommend booking in. It’s the kind of destination where you’re in no mad rush to do anything or be anywhere. Of course, if you’re out for adventure, the causeway coastal route is so close with Benone Beach and Castlerock just a little north of Roe Park but for us, we didn’t seek adventure, just some down time. We left on the Saturday Afternoon feeling refreshed, calm and connected.
Life can sometimes get in the way of what’s most important to you. My ‘One Night at Roe Park’ helped clear out the noise. Staycation’s are a complete game changer my friends. Keep an eye out for last minute offers on hotels up and down the country. Minimal Effort - All of the benefits when you catch a bargain.
*** This stay was not sponsored by Roe Park Resort. I am under no-obligation to review my stay and do so of my own accord.