USP It’s beautiful setting and luxurious treatments delivered with down-to-earth Irish charm.

AMBIENCE Popular with wedding parties, golf weekenders, businessmen and ‘Ladies who Lunch’ doing their bit for charity by partaking in a ‘Pink Afternoon Tea’. (£25 per person with £5 donated to the Ulster Cancer Foundation).

EXPERIENCE A friendly and relaxed atmosphere, the rooms aren’t as grand as the hotel’s 5-star rating would imply, but have everything you need. The Culloden’s selling point is its spa and award-winning Mitre restaurant.

FOOD The Mitre delivers superior gourmet dishes with 5-star service. Less formal dining can be had at the Cultra Inn, a bistro/pub in the hotel gardens.

IN CROWD The go-to hotel for dignitaries and celebrities, with anyone from Tony Blair to Tom Jones staying in the Palace Suite.

WALLET WATCH Prices start from £170 for an Internet Special Single Room to £600 for the Palace Suite. ESPA Aromatherapy Massage: £60 for 55 minutes. The Ulsterman – a head and face aromatherapy treatment designed specifically for men: £60 for 55 minutes. Mini Millionaire’s Makeover: £430 per person. Millionaire’s Makeover: £1,200 for one person, £1,900 for two. Andrew Beggs, Professional Tourist Guiding & Tour Management Services, 13 Arosa Crescent, Belfast BT15 3EX, Northern Ireland. 07749 902 313

NEED TO KNOW Culloden Estate and Spa, Bangor Road, Holywood, County Down BT18 0EX (028 9042 1066; www.hastingshotels.com) Belfast International Airport – 22 miles. Belfast City Airport – 4 miles. Ferry terminals – 6 miles.

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