Imagine you wake up with the sound of the ocean that laces the coast, the perfume of the brackish air that enters the window, and in front of you only the horizon and the ancient profile of the Mourne Mountains. Now imagine doing it in the same bed – or in the same room – where, a century ago, Charlie Chaplin took refuge to escape the chaos of the world. Sleep at the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa Of Newcastle it is not just staying in a hotel: it is to enter the tip of history, letting itself be enveloped by a timeless atmosphere, between velvets, boiseries, bright fireplaces and whispers of the past.
Here everything speaks of memory, but nothing is old. The Victorian charm of the hotel – built between 1896 and 1898 – coexists today with a renewed attention to the present and the future. The result is a rare balance: that between yesterday’s elegance and today’s environmental consciousness.
To make the experience unique is not only the wonderful dichotomous panorama with the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other, but the feeling of being part of something bigger. Staying at the Donard is like living a small piece of silent cinema: walking in the same corridors in which Chaplin was lost in his thoughts, overlooking the same bay he looked at looking for peace after the loss of his first love, Hetty Kelly.
And while the time outside continues to run, here it seems to slow down. The rooms are not just rooms: they are shelters, designed to stop, listen, and recover.
A past from movie
Slieve Donard was born at the end of the nineteenth century as elite hotel for travelers of the Belfast – Newcastle railway line. With a titanic investment for the time – 44,000 pounds – it was already offering cutting -edge services: vegetable gardens, internal laundry, oven, its own power plant. But it is in 1921 that he officially enters the legend, when he stays there, Charlie Chaplin. Returning from personal pain and in the middle of his artistic parable, he chose this corner of Ireland to find himself. Still today, in the Heritage room of the hotel, the book of signatures is kept where his is clearly visible.
The conscious rebirth in the name of sustainability
In recent years, Slieve Donard has experienced a profound transformation, not only aesthetic, but cultural. After more than a century of history, the resort faced an important renovation, not so much to change face, as to find a balance between memory and future.
The property – aware of the symbolic and environmental value of the place – has embarked on an ambitious path of renewal. The goal? Transforming an icon of the past into a model for tomorrow’s sustainable tourism, without affecting its historical charm.
It was a job on several levels. First of all on the plants, where the intervention was decided: the old charcoal powered energy system was replaced with a High efficiency cogeneration system (CHP – Combined Heat and Power), capable of simultaneously producing electricity and heat, minimizing waste. The heat generated is used to heat the rooms, the hot water and feed the spa, while electricity feeds the whole structure.
Charging stations for the electric vehicles of the ospids, pellet boilers to feed the sauna and Turkish baths, LEDs throughout the internal and external enlightened, with intelligent sensors that regulate light according to the actual presence of people, have contributed to increasing the energy efficiency of the resort.
But we didn’t stop at energy: great attention was given to water management. The resort has implemented flow reducers in taps, low consumption toilet and even a water supply system (Borehole) to limit the use of the public water network.
All actions that have brought not only environmental advantages, but also a reduction in operating costs, demonstrating that sustainability and economic efficiency can go hand in hand.
No refusal ends up in the landfill
And then the most complex challenge: i waste. Slieve Donard has adopted a policy “Zero Landfill“, That is, no refusal ends up in the landfill. Everything that can be recycled, composed or reused, is managed internally. A result obtained thanks to the training of staff, collaboration with local suppliers and a revision of the entire supply chain, from the products used in the kitchen to the supplies for the SPA.
It was not a simple ecological maquillage, but a structural rethinking. The rooms have been renewed with natural materials, organic fabrics, FSC certified wood elements and a selection of plastic-free amenities. The menus of internal restaurants have also been revised to enhance local and seasonal ingredients, drastically reducing red meat and giving space to vegetarian and vegan dishes, in line with the principles of food sustainability.
The result? A hotel that has been able to maintain its Victorian spirit without becoming a caricature, updating itself with intelligence and sensitivity. It is therefore not surprising that the entire operational staff was rewarded with an ESG recognition to the prestigious Hospa Awards 2024precisely for the quality of the approach adopted in environmental, social and governance terms.
Wellness Ocean view accessible to all
Slieve Donard’s spa is much more than a wellness center: it is a refuge overlooking the ocean where time seems to slow down. Awarded as “Spa of the Year” by Ulster Tatler, this space on two levels gives a complete sensory experience.
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There Panoramic swimming pool of 20 metersoverlooking the Mourne Mountains, it is truly accessible to everyone and all thanks to cutting -edge devices to immerse and enjoy the swimming pool even to disabled people and with reduced mobility.
Furthermore, there are sauna, Turkish bath, Jacuzzi and a hydrotherapy area reserved for women. Esppa treatments – between personalized massages, holistic rituals and face treatments – take place in 11 welcoming and silent cabins.
The offer is completed by a modern gym and a Zen Studio dedicated to yoga, pilates and fitness. An intelligent detail? Even before check-in, from 12:00, you can already access the SPA to start immediately to relax. A pampering sea view that regenerates body and mind.
Not only relaxation: nature and discovery within reach (and bike)
Slieve Donard Resort & Spa is not just a refuge for those looking for well -being and silence: it is also the ideal basis to explore some of the most spectacular landscapes in Northern Ireland. Just leave the hotel to find yourself immersed in the wild and authentic nature of the Mourne Mountains, with paths that wind between silent valleys, glacial lakes and breathtaking views. A few minutes on foot or in e-bike they bring to Tollymore Forest Parka fairytale forest dotted with stone bridges and monumental trees, also known for having made a set to Game of Thrones.
How much does it cost to stay at the Slieve Donard Resort?
Staying at the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa is an accessible experience, especially considering the quality of the offer. The Classic Chambers start from about £ 130– £ 165 per night, while the packages with Spa and dinner included can reach £ 344 per couple for two nights. The most requested package? The One Night Spa break, which includes overnight stay, breakfast and 25 -minute treatment starting from £ 156 per person.
All in all sustainable prices for an experience where history, well -being and ecological consciousness intertwine effortlessly.
Everyone wants to live at the top of the mountain, but all happiness and growth take place while scale – Charlie Chaplin
And Slieve Donard is, literally, that mountain.
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