Armagh City Hotel

Molly at reception was the bright spot, very pleasant, and breakfast was lovely, though the toast machine still never seems to work after all my visits. A young man also came to clear our plates before we’d finished. The rest of this stay was a big letdown after coming here so many times over the years. Our carpet was dirty, the bathroom lock was broken, there was a butter knife under the bed, and the TV history hadn’t been cleared, which wasn’t appropriate for children. I’ve also noticed that when we don’t book through the hotel, we seem to get less nice rooms. Lunch and dinner in the bar were nothing special. The toasties came with peppers and mayo, neither of which was listed, and they weren’t filled as we’d asked. The food was very expensive, and £11 cocktails were ridiculous. Some of the staff, especially the young women, seemed uninterested and walked past us several times before a man came over to show us to our seats. After this experience, I don’t think I’d return.

I only booked a few days ago by calling in at reception, and Molly made the whole thing quick, easy, and stress-free. She was really helpful with the booking, gave me all the information I needed, and was professional on the phone. I haven’t even started my stay yet, but it’s already been a lovely experience and I’m looking forward to it.

It’s a great spot for work, close to the city, and the rooms are really nice. The food, though, is very, very poor, and the gym has the usual crappy changing rooms. My key card stopped working at random during my two-night stay. Reception fixed it, but later it failed again. Update: two mornings in a row, maintenance lads woke me early while working on the first floor. There was no warning and no apology. What an odd place.

The starters were nice, and our room was big, cosy, and lovely and warm. The place was decorated nicely for Halloween, which added to our enjoyable one-night stay. The food was about 5/10: in the lasagna, all I could taste was the mince. The cocktails were far too sugary and tasted nothing like the real ones.