Fodor's Expert Review Ballygally Castle

Connoisseurs of sea views love this little mock-baronial castle, originally built by a Scottish lord in 1625. Bedrooms in the castle have retained beamed ceilings but the furnishings are somewhat bland, if comfortable. Ask for a room in a turret—they are named after four of the nine Antrim glens—and one comes complete with milady's ghost. Eighteen deluxe rooms decorated in green and purple have what the hotel classifies as "five-star coastal views," which come at a premium, though you also get super--king beds, a separate shower and bath, and bath robes. Depending on how busy the hotel is, the extra cost for the sea view rooms varies from £40 to £50. On Saturday, a decent set-menu dinner in the Garden Restaurant is served to musical accompaniment, while a Sunday bistro meal is also available in the Kintyre Room. The hotel offers Game of Thrones packages that include an evening banquet or Game of Thrones afternoon tea served with Winterfell jaffa cakes, Kingslayer cupcakes, and Sansa Stark's lemon cakes along with finger sandwiches (£24). After a storm in 2016, the wood from several beech trees at the Dark Hedges road (filmed as Kingsroad) was made into ornately carved wooden Game of Thrones doors. Door No. 9 at the entrance to the restaurant depicts a battle featuring hungry dogs and crests of House Bolton and House Stark. Check the website for good value gourmet mini breaks available at certain times of the year.