Fodor's Expert Review Briers Country House

An elegant 18th-century country house with mature gardens, this is the ideal place to feel the fresh sea breezes and sample the delights of Newcastle and the surrounding mountainous countryside. The owner greets you on arrival with complimentary tea or coffee and shows you to your well-appointed room. The four deluxe rooms are decorated in pastel shades with a feature wall of pink or gray, and all beds come with opulent Royal Coil mattresses. These rooms cost £20 more than the standard rooms. The hotel is ideally placed for exploration of forest parks such as Tollymore, strolling on the nearby beach in Newcastle, a 15-minute walk, cycling or hill walking in the Mourne Mountains.