Looking for a seaside getaway? Or a haven at the foot of the Mourne Mountains? Look no further than the newly refurbished Avoca Hotel in Newcastle, Co. Down.

The hotel has undergone an incredible £2 million refurbishment, boasting a beautiful range of sea view and mountain view rooms. I had the wonderful opportunity to tour the hotel during a recent visit and the rooms are absolutely stunning. View the pictures below to see for yourself!

Watch the sun rise out of the sea from the comfort of your room, or wake to the spectacular views of Donard and Commedagh from your bed. The Avoca Hotel offers such a wonderfully unique experience in Newcastle, Co. Down. The building itself is full of history, with the new refurbishment and decor complementing both old and new.

Now, let me take you on a little tour from my lovely experience at The Avoca Hotel …

On arrival, we were treated to some Prosecco as we enjoyed the ambience in The Wild Hare bar. I couldn’t help but think how cosy it would be to come down from the mountains and warm up with a wee whiskey!

We were then treated to a tour of the hotel. And what a treat indeed! We got to see first-hand, the incredible transformation of the 15 rooms. The layout of The Avoca Hotel is super quirky, with each room totally unique in shape, size and view.

Want to wake up to a stunning sunrise and sea view? You can at Avoca! The picture below was the beautiful morning view from our room …

Or what about waking to a glorious mountain view from your bed? Well, you’ve guessed it … you can at Avoca!

Our hotel tour was complete, just as the sun was setting and our tummies were beginning to rumble …

It was time to freshen up before heading to The Avoca Restaurant for something to eat.

Our food was delicious, and what about these cocktails?! I discovered a new favourite during my stay - and most definitely will look forward to returning for another after a long hike in the hills!

After a truly lovely evening of cocktails and live music, we retreated to our beds for a much-needed relaxing night’s sleep.

Never without my trusty Neal’s Yard Remedies!

After a long working week, and with a gloriously comfy bed, I slept like a log, waking just in time to see a beautiful sunrise …

The seafront rooms at The Avoca really do have the most perfect views. No better way to wake up than to watch the sun rise out of the sea before breakfast.

After breakfast, it was time to pack our bags for a morning hike. There’s no better opportunity to climb Slieve Donard than when you are staying at the foot of the mountain!

Rucksack - a collaboration between Madlug and TrekNI. Use code ‘TREKMYLITTLEDUKE for 10% discount

Rucksacks ready, boots on and it was time to check out before a sneaky 2nd breakfast just a few doors up at one of my favourite cafes - Birch.

Birch banana bread is the perfect pre-hike fuel

Once suitably caffeinated and with fuel in our bellies, we began our trek, heading up through an Autumnal Tollymore Forest.

There are several routes up NI’s highest mountain, Slieve Donard. On this particular day we trekked the most popular route starting at Donard car park (right next to The Avoca Hotel), heading up through the forest, along the Glen River.

We continued up and out of the forest, past the ice house and into the sun. The path meanders onwards, taking on a gradual incline until you reach the Devil’s Staircase.

Once you reach the saddle, go left and follow the Mourne wall up the final steep ascent to the summit of Donard.

On route up Donard, looking back towards Slieve Commedagh

Donard is stepped most of the way to the top and can take anywhere from 30 minutes - 60 minutes to ascend from the saddle.

The Avoca Hotel is a super place to use a base for hiking in our beautiful Mournes. But even if hiking isn’t your jam, I’d highly recommend a stay at The Avoca. Situated in the beautiful seaside town of Newcastle, you have lots of great walks, cafes, shops, activities nearby. Not to mention the class cocktail bar and stunning views! My only regret from my visit was not bringing my swim stuff for a morning dip! There’s always next time …

Disclaimer: This hotel stay was a #giftedexperience c/o the amazing guys at Rapid Agency. All views/opinions expressed are my own.