This lakeside retreat in the heart of Northern Ireland mixes first-rate spa facilities with a dose of fun

After a few active days trekking the chilly Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland in February, my wife, Aislinn, and I are more than ready to indulge in some serious R&R. Turns out, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat in Templepatrick is exactly the place to find it.

On arrival, we receive a warm welcome from the reception team and lovely resident dog, Flo, and are immediately struck by The Rabbit’s relaxed, almost Balearic, vibe. The design style is an attractive mix of classic with a strong dose of millennial branding. Think Soho House but slightly more family-friendly.

Despite arriving early, we are offered the opportunity to use the spa before check-in. Instead, we use the time to stroll around the well-maintained gardens and enjoy a pint of Guinness in Hunter’s Bar.

Our room is beautifully designed and finished with exciting décor choices – neon bar lights, a rabbit mural painted on the wall by local artist Paul Bell, and high-end amenities including a Dyson hairdryer and Smeg fridge.Most exciting is a private garden with a beautiful freestanding bath and wood-burning stove. 

With aching muscles after our trek, the on-site spa – the Relaxation Burrow – is calling. Aside from the steam rising off the various hot tubs, steam rooms, and baths, my eye is drawn to a massive disco ball dangling above the pool. It seems to say, ‘relax during the day but there could be fun and mischief at night.’ The clientele is a mixture of couples and groups enjoying a prosecco or two as the day draws in.

Until a couple of years ago, this space was little more than a car park, but you can see why its location inspired the multimillion-pound project. It’s perched by the edge of a beautiful lake; the spa area houses a sauna with views overlooking the retreat, an aromatherapy steam room, a halotherapy salt chamber, a Roman-inspired bath, hot tubs, and a heated beach. You can order drinks by scanning the QR codes dotted around each hot tub or bed. 

After trying almost everything the spa had to offer (well, we did swerve the cold shower bucket), we retire to the heated beach area in our fluffy gowns and slippers to sip on a few tropical cocktails. I’m not entirely transported to a Caribbean island, but it is delightful all the same.

Later, we dine at The Rabbit, the house’s buzzy, informal restaurant. The packed Saturday night service has a lively atmosphere, which is exactly what we want following a day of relative calm and contemplation.The menu is exciting and global but made with local ingredients.  

We enjoy the company of taxidermy foxes eyeing us up from the wall as we devour marinated lamb from the grill, hunter’s pie and rope-grown mussels in a rich korma sauce. Everything is washed down with an on-the-money old fashioned and some New Zealand sauvignon blanc.

The following day, I return to the spa for a warm oil body massage in a treatment room that’s all glass and jutting out on the water, facing away from the hotel. I’m immediately relaxed by the silence and lake view, but afterwards, as I regain the ability to think and form sentences, my therapist breaks down the alarming number of tight areas that need regular massage.This concern is soon forgotten as I’m whisked off to the post- treatment room to a four-poster water bed where I’m served a prosecco sorbet. Consider myself refreshed.

On the second night, our two-year-old son joins us and, to no one’s surprise, he’s more interested in running the corridors and climbing on furniture than he is spa treatments. He’s not quite a Relaxation Burrow guy yet but, despite this, the team is more than accommodating in setting him up in the restaurant, heating his food, and addressing minor requests we had. As a parent, it’s the most relaxing thing of all.