Caldhame Lodge Guesthouse - Crumlin
About.com Rating
Staying at the Caldhame Lodge was, more or less, an accident ... we were attending an event of the Ulster Aviation Society and another in Belfast City, so needed somewhere convenient for the night in-between. A quick trawl of the usual booking websites showed ... not much. So we opted for the best available in County Antrim and found ourselves quite near Belfast International Airport. Which, to be honest, you would not notice.
Just a few minutes drive away, the airport does a very good "Sleeping Beauty" impression most of the time.
Caldhame Lodge is right on the Moira Road, a major road also known as A26 and the shortest connection between the M1 and Belfast International Airport. It is busy. This is right between Lough Neagh and Belfast, Lurgan, Lisburn and Antrim are within easy travelling distance.
The guest house is ideally situated if you are taking a flight from or into Belfast international Airport and need a place to rest nearby.
The house itself is a bit back from the road, but just a short distance and traffic noise will be a feature of your stay. Not a problem in our room, though some light sleepers voiced objections on the internet regarding this point.
And ... yes ... regarding the farm next door.
It smelled ... there is a sizeable farm right next door to Caldhame Lodge and if you are not used to rural olfactory challenges you will say "it stinks".
This is not a problem as such, but more an intermittent thing. After a while you'll simply not notice the smell any more. Unless you turn it into an obsession.
Having said that, everything else about Caldhame Lodge ticked the right boxes - a friendly welcome, a homely atmosphere in the hall, off-street parking. What more could one ask?
We were shown into a corner room with a view of gardens, fields and the farm (no noticeable smell in the room, even after opening the window ... there you go). And with solid, practical furniture giving the room a warm atmosphere. Okay, it also took away a lot of floor space and we had to negotiate the available open spaces with a bit of care on the way into the bathroom, but it just stopped shy of feeling cramped. Loads of wardrobe space. And a well-stocked courtesy tray for making your own coffee and tea.
The bathroom was well appointed but we had a minor niggle ... no shampoo or shower gel was provided. Bar of soap, that's it. Could be improved, I guess.
The television set was mounted high-ish on the wall in a slightly awkward position, not the optimum for watching from bed, but still acceptable. We were surprised to see that it had an in-built DVD player, a nice touch ... but unlike during our stay at the Faythe Guesthouse in Wexford we were offered no DVDs to go with it. Considering that Caldhame Lodge is at the back of beyond this might be an idea for those guests who don't want to go out in the evening and can't face the scheduled programme.
We could not find fault - it is a family-run business and everybody seems to chip in with some work. Everyone we met was friendly without being overbearing. So full marks here.
We started the Sunday off with a leisurely breakfast - cereals followed by a cooked breakfast in the typical Irish style, accompanied by toast, home-made bread and jam and generous helpings of tea and coffee. While I would not describe anything here as "sensational", it was tasty and well prepared. Home-style cooking as you'd expect.
By car ... or by taxi if you are coming in from or heading out to Belfast International Airport.
Definitely yes - if we were in the area (and even the drive into central Belfast took us just half an hour) or if we were flying via Belfast International. not the first choice to spend a holiday, I have to say, but a very good place to spend a night while touring Northern Ireland.
Caldhame Lodge
102 Moira Road
Nutts Corner
Crumlin
County Antrim
BT29 4HG
Tel.: 028-94423099
Website: Caldhame Lodge Guesthouse
Staying at the Caldhame Lodge was, more or less, an accident ... we were attending an event of the Ulster Aviation Society and another in Belfast City, so needed somewhere convenient for the night in-between. A quick trawl of the usual booking websites showed ... not much. So we opted for the best available in County Antrim and found ourselves quite near Belfast International Airport. Which, to be honest, you would not notice.
Just a few minutes drive away, the airport does a very good "Sleeping Beauty" impression most of the time.
Location of the Caldhame Lodge
Caldhame Lodge is right on the Moira Road, a major road also known as A26 and the shortest connection between the M1 and Belfast International Airport. It is busy. This is right between Lough Neagh and Belfast, Lurgan, Lisburn and Antrim are within easy travelling distance.
The guest house is ideally situated if you are taking a flight from or into Belfast international Airport and need a place to rest nearby.
The house itself is a bit back from the road, but just a short distance and traffic noise will be a feature of your stay. Not a problem in our room, though some light sleepers voiced objections on the internet regarding this point.
And ... yes ... regarding the farm next door.
First Impressions of the Caldhame Lodge
It smelled ... there is a sizeable farm right next door to Caldhame Lodge and if you are not used to rural olfactory challenges you will say "it stinks".
This is not a problem as such, but more an intermittent thing. After a while you'll simply not notice the smell any more. Unless you turn it into an obsession.
Having said that, everything else about Caldhame Lodge ticked the right boxes - a friendly welcome, a homely atmosphere in the hall, off-street parking. What more could one ask?
Our Room at the Caldhame Lodge
We were shown into a corner room with a view of gardens, fields and the farm (no noticeable smell in the room, even after opening the window ... there you go). And with solid, practical furniture giving the room a warm atmosphere. Okay, it also took away a lot of floor space and we had to negotiate the available open spaces with a bit of care on the way into the bathroom, but it just stopped shy of feeling cramped. Loads of wardrobe space. And a well-stocked courtesy tray for making your own coffee and tea.
The bathroom was well appointed but we had a minor niggle ... no shampoo or shower gel was provided. Bar of soap, that's it. Could be improved, I guess.
The television set was mounted high-ish on the wall in a slightly awkward position, not the optimum for watching from bed, but still acceptable. We were surprised to see that it had an in-built DVD player, a nice touch ... but unlike during our stay at the Faythe Guesthouse in Wexford we were offered no DVDs to go with it. Considering that Caldhame Lodge is at the back of beyond this might be an idea for those guests who don't want to go out in the evening and can't face the scheduled programme.
Staff and Service at the Caldhame Lodge
We could not find fault - it is a family-run business and everybody seems to chip in with some work. Everyone we met was friendly without being overbearing. So full marks here.
Food at the Caldhame Lodge
We started the Sunday off with a leisurely breakfast - cereals followed by a cooked breakfast in the typical Irish style, accompanied by toast, home-made bread and jam and generous helpings of tea and coffee. While I would not describe anything here as "sensational", it was tasty and well prepared. Home-style cooking as you'd expect.
How to Get to the Caldhame Lodge
By car ... or by taxi if you are coming in from or heading out to Belfast International Airport.
Would We Stay at the Caldhame Lodge Again?
Definitely yes - if we were in the area (and even the drive into central Belfast took us just half an hour) or if we were flying via Belfast International. not the first choice to spend a holiday, I have to say, but a very good place to spend a night while touring Northern Ireland.
The Details:
Caldhame Lodge
102 Moira Road
Nutts Corner
Crumlin
County Antrim
BT29 4HG
Tel.: 028-94423099
Website: Caldhame Lodge Guesthouse
Source...