2010 Award Winners B&B OF THE YEAR 2010

Beech Hill House - Holywood County Down

If you ever need somewhere really relaxing, peaceful and away-from-it all to stay near Belfast, Victoria Brann’s Georgian-style house in the hills above Holywood
is just the place.

Although not pretending to be old, the proportions are classic and it’s beautifully furnished with family antiques – and, once inside, it has the genuine feel of a stylish period house. Rooms complete with hospitality trays, fresh flowers, comfortable chairs, wireless broadband and laptop-size safes look out over the rolling North Down countryside and have lots of little extras: beds are made up with fine Irish linen, bathrooms have robes and slippers, also a neck cushion for the bath, there’s even a hot water bottle just in case – and a torch thoughtfully placed beside the bed.

And it comes as a nice surprise in such pristine surroundings that Victoria is an animal lover, and small dogs are allowed in by arrangement.

She was also a caterer in a previous life and it shows in delicious (and very generous) cooked to order breakfasts, served in a classic dining room – decorated, among other things, with a collection of silver cloches from her catering days.

Magnificent.