Having read the recent trip advisor reviews, I was very much looking forward to my stay. What a mistake. This is a very average hotel with dated and tired rooms. The view from the back of the hotel is of oil tanks and rubbish and at the time of my stay the bar was full of foul mouthed drunkards. People had to remove children to another area to avoid being subjected to the same. Staff made no attempt to speak to these loud guests despite it being early evening and families being present. At the time of my stay the hotel was full and as a result I was kept awake until after 4am as people returning from their room shouted or sang their way up the corridors.

A relaxing stay ruined and money totally wasted. AVOID at all costs

My partner and I went to Carrickdale for my 40th birthday for a relaxing weekend and that is certainly what we got! We arrived quite tired and stressed and went straight away for our spa treatments which left us feeling completely refreshed and relaxed. The thermal suite is lovely and the spa in general a real haven of relaxation. The therapists really know what they're doing and the atmosphere is absolutely lovely. We ate at the bar the first night which was very nice and enjoyed our breakfast and an evening meal in the resturant on the second night. The food and service was excellent in the resturant.
The hotel itself is quite old but it's so well maintained and the decor kind of lends its own charm to the place. We were given a massive family room and the space was fantastic. The rooms are basic but you have everything you need and the beds are massive and very comfortable. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive and went out of their way for us on several occasions.
The leisureplex was also very enjoyable, especially the outdoor hot tub, a very strange but extremely enjoyable experience on a drizzly February morning, You need a 10p or a 50 cent coin for the lockers though, something which would have been useful to know prior to getting changed into my swimwear! The grounds are very well-kept and the garden's really pretty. I can imagine it must be lovely to sit out in the summer time.
As for the surrounding area, we ventured as far as Dundalk (never again) and had a lovely afternoon in Carlingford, which is well worth a visit for the yummy food in PJ's Oyster Bar alone.
All in all, we couldn't have enjoyed ourselves more. I couldn't recommend Carrickdale enough. The location was a little off-putting on arrival, but you don't notice the road traffic at all once you're inside the hotel.
A great getaway full of charm and friendly southern hospitality!

Lovely hotel with lovely comfortable rooms, the staff were all very pleasant.I had a very pleasant nights sleep.
We had a beautiful dinner and a lovely breakfast, very quick service. fantastic facilities.
I will return without a doubt.

Great hotel with very helpful and pleasant staff making it a lovely relaxing treat. Spacious rooms, great breakfast and outdoor hot tub!!! Lovely Winter night away!