Having stayed in a couple of other Radisson SAS Hotels, I had high expectations from Roe Park, but it fell a little short. It is in a beautiful setting and the staff are first class. We were in the ground floor rooms which, by Radisson's high standards, could do with being updated. Everything was spotlessly clean, just a bit worn/dated. Whille dining in the hotel is completely unremarkable, and akin to "pub-grub", it is outstanding value.

It is a great base from which to explore the North Coast to the east and west. Only 20 minutes drive to Derry City and about 40 minutes to Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge.

Hotel – lovely, set in very nice grounds.

When & How long – 31st July 2008 for a Wedding, 2 nights Bed & Breakfast with 1 evening meal is good value for money.

Check-in/out – easy.

Room - a disappointment, it was big but was in-need of updating, could have been cleaned better. Bathroom needed improving, cracked tiles with mold. I saw a renovated room and this was better but it was more of a touch up job then a full renovation. It was warm but mid summer you expect that. No air-con. I kept checking that the windows were open as it was so quiet.

Breakfast – nice wide selection.

SPA - was nice and treatments were good value for money. You need a swimming hat for the pool and they charge you £2 per hat if you don’t have one.

I am here on business, dinner bed and breakfast for 4 nights at £130 per night.

The good things - it's in the middle of nowhere, ample parking, internet in the room without additional fee, the room is spacious, staff are friendly.

The bad - the room smells and on my third night now having left the windows open all day whilst I'm out, it still hits you when you enter the room.

The restaurant is closed 2 nights a week and one has to eat in the brassiere, even though you are paying for "Dinner" in a 4 star hotel.

The starter was mozzarella & tomato fried on bread in olive oil; it was tasteless. My Waitrose cheese on toast that I grill at home is 100 times better. I always feel disappointed to be away from home, pay a lot of money to be looked after and expecting professional cooking, to find myself eating something that I would bin if I inadvertently produced it at home.

The main course was just tasteless with a mixture of undercooked and overcooked veg. The chocolate ice cream was just cheap.

I had room service the next night as the restaurant was still closed, which was better - from a smaller menu.

Breakfast is all pre-cooked, even the fried eggs. I would say that the sausages etc were at the cheap end of the market. The tastiest part is the baked beans - probably because they survive the kept-warm self-service better than anything else - (particularly the mushrooms).

The coffee is tasteless, like you might get on a train. At home I buy decent coffee and brew it fresh, it tastes great and it's not difficult to do.

The restaurant was open, for the first time since I arrived, tonight.

I tried prawn cocktail; it comprised some OK prawns but, confusingly covering them and balanced on top, was a large hard baked cheesy flat thing, almost unchewable. Like one had prised the cheese from a slice of welsh rarebit, let it cool and microwaved it.

Zig-zagged across it was the same non-specific brown sauce, from a bottle I guarantee, that had been applied to the mozzarella two nights before.

Having demonstrated the solidity of the 6 inch diameter cheese frisbee that had been balanced on my prawns, my waitress kindly offered me another starter. I had the melon, which was excellent.

The duck to follow was pretty tasteless, as were the veg.

I had been told that the restaurant was closed on Sunday & Monday due to lack of demand. There didn't appear to be many there tonight.

I would hazard that the reason is that the food is poor.

The hotel takes second place to the golf course and leisure centre and the brassiere does well from this market.

I recognised the signature of the brasserie chef on the restaurant food - I am not surprised that most of the people staying at the hotel appear to be retired groups and young families on packages.

I would think that any business people staying or discerning holiday-makers visiting Northern Ireland will be disappointed.

We booked one night here for my birthday and we were not disappointed.

Check-in staff were helpful and friendly, and confirmed the time of our dinner reservation.

Our room was quiet and spacious.

Our meal which was included in our one-night package in the "Greens" restaurant was delicious, and again the staff were helpful and attentive.

It was quite busy at breakfast, and although there were still free tables, the staff were a bit over enthusiastic to clear away our plates and cups several times before we had finished - this was the only negative part of our whole stay.

Overall a very pleasant trip, and although the hotel was busy with a wedding, the pace was still relaxed.

Hope we can come back soon.