Hotel Ardtara Country House (Maghera, United Kingdom)

A peaceful, wooded retreat set upon impressively landscaped grounds within beautifully-restored historic architecture. The decor is chic mixed with lovely antiques. A stately and ornate dining room welcomes you with candlelight, exquisite menus and open fires burning, and a grand piano stands in the entrance hall. The Wi-Fi is offered throughout the premises and guests say the tasting menus are a delight. The bar offers an assortment of whiskeys and an extensive wine list.

This team is outstanding from arrival to departure, always attending to your every need without delay.

Large and cosy with fireplaces, traditional decor, gorgeous countryside views, spacious bathrooms and superb showers - a perfect spot for relaxing fireside with a book over a cup of hot tea in the evening.

Unfortunately, some rooms are disappointing, with dusty fixtures, cobwebs and outdated carpeting. The advertised antiques are not of the quality some might expect and the whole venue overall could use a good scrub and a serious sprucing.

The fruit salad is often just chopped apples and oranges. Although the dishes are supposedly 'made-to-order', some were served cold items.

For the prices charged at this location, one might expect all the amenities to be in working order. However, you may find the shower takes over fifteen minutes to warm up to even lukewarm temperatures, and the televisions may or may not work. Menus are limited with a few odd and pretentious items, and the restaurant atmosphere was seriously lacking for some diners.