SLEEP OVER @ CURRAN GATE

HI HO HI HO IT’S OFF to the North Coast we go… To be more precise we headed to the beautiful exclusive Curran Gate apartments in Portrush

I must confess my last visit to Portrush was easily 15 years ago when Kelly’s was the place to be, so I was super excited to get back and spend some time with family albeit limited due to our dear friend COVID. In actual fact I believe this review was destined to happen when it did, and I shall happily tell you why.

Firstly, a little overview on Curran Gate direct from the people who know it best - Our Luxurious oceanfront apartments offer breath-taking views over the North Atlantic and Royal Portrush Golf Club. Constructed in Lazy S design with Duplex apartments on the ground floor, luxury rooms on the third and fourth floors and out of this world Penthouse apartments on the fifth floor.

That little paragraph had so sold, ok so let us delve in and tell you more. Our review took place slap bang in the middle of our circuit breaker, had we planned to visit a regular hotel our stay would have definitely not went ahead hence why I said in opening that this was perfect timing. Times are tough for individuals and businesses therefore this opportunity could not have come at a better time as we all need time physically and mentally away from Covid.

With restrictions in mind I invited my family, 5 of us all headed off from Co. Armagh in one car, as you can imagine roads were particularly quite so the drive took us around 90 minutes. Thanks to satnav we had no problems at all with directions.

We arrived at approx 1pm, Deirdre the owner was there to greet us and show us around, we were all instantly in awe, I’ve have had the pleasure of staying in many

hotels though nothing quite as unique and grand for a handful of guests, am sure you will agree by the pictures the place is super stylish and modern. Often with pictures the photographer knows how to bring the best out in a space, in the case of Curran Gate I can honestly say the rooms are equally if not more stunning and grander in real life. The apartment had 3 bedrooms, 2 doubles and 1 King size bedroom with an ensuite, obviously I thought it only fair to opt for the larger room lol, though all rooms were impressive. The next thing to catch our attention was the views WOW, the sliding doors off the bedroom and living room opened to a large balcony which overlooked the beach, simply gorgeous At this stage It would be a sin not to back track and discuss Deirdre and all the extra things provided at Curran Gate to make a stay memorable. Deirdre was lovely, such a welcoming person it was evident they go well beyond the norm. On their website it says, “Our friendly concierge service is available for each apartment so whatever you may need, someone will be on hand to help”.

This statement could not be truer though I would be incredibly surprised if any guests need to contact them as the have everything you can think of pre-arranged and then some.

Forgive me if I forget a few things though I will give you a few examples: • The Kitchen table was set with an array of fresh tray bakes, pastries, biscuits and wheaten bread. The Fridge was stocked with Milk, Cheese, Ham, Butter and loads of other unexpected things. In the Cupboard they had a selection of tea’s, Coffee’s, Condiments, cereals, eggs and much more. On the bench there was a beautiful wicker picnic basket filled with Crisps, Chocolates, Nibbles and Wine Where would you get service like it? And it doesn’t stop there, while we settled in and enjoyed some of the above goodies for lunch, Deirdre returned with another member of staff carrying a tray of cocktails and mini deserts. Beautiful Daiquiris with edible straws and an individual trio of desserts with portion of honeycomb ice cream, fresh strawberry and a mouth-watering chocolate.

Curran Gate and Deirdre, you have blown us away!

Ok, so a little more about the facilities, cooking enthusiasts will be delighted though not surprised to hear the apartment has a fully equipped kitchen with all the latest gadgets and every utensil you can think of. No two apartments are the same, each uniquely designed and flawlessly finished, no expense has been spared when it comes to furnishings or furniture, can I move in please lol. Everything is finished to a high specification, smart technology throughout,

Oh, and one particularly important thing to mention, all apartments are accessible by lift and wheelchair friendly.

As I mentioned our stay was during the circuit breaker so we couldn’t enjoy many of the amazing things Portrush and the North Coast have to offer.

The Causeway Coastal Route is studded with sandy beaches, fishing villages, gorse-covered valleys and fuchsia-edged clifftop paths. Absorbing this epic landscape from the car is wonderful, but the other senses could be missing out! And on the doorstep, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to places to visit such as Royal Portrush Golf Course, The Giant’s Causeway, The Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle and Old Bushmills Distillery

Our plan was to spend the night in, Deirdre again being the host with the most recommended local restaurants who offered a takeaway service. We enjoyed a lovely evening catching up, consuming way too much wine and playing games into the wee hours, oh and we also ordered an Indian from one of Deirdre’s recommendations. We all slept wonderfully am sure that was a combination of excess vino and the soothing

noise from the waves. It goes without saying we had the most amazing time, yes it was short lived and yes we couldn’t do all we wanted though this means we will have to return and yet again take in the amazing service offered by Curran Gate Apartments. Thanks again Deirdre and staff, we cannot give a higher recommendation

Review by Daniel May

Reviews from prior guests:

“So nice!!! Best place I’ve stayed! Everything is beautiful and well planned. The lazy S shape of the building makes the interior rooms interesting. The acoustics of the room are relaxing.”

“The views are great. You can see the Golf course, the beach, downtown. The gated parking lot is great, especially when events are happening, and parking is sparse.”

Curran Gate Luxury Apartments 115 Causeway St, Portrush www.currangate.com +44 28 7772 5466