The Harbourview Hotel in Carnlough has been named as a regional winner in English newspapers The Times and The Sunday Times 50 Best Places to Stay 2026 guide.
Built in 1848 as a coaching inn, the building was once owned by England’s wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, who inherited it in 1921. It recently underwent a £1.6m restoration and rebranding, officially reopening in May 2025 as Ireland’s first “whiskey hotel”.
The hotel features an on-site whiskey shop and a bar offering over 200 varieties (with plans to expand to 300), bespoke tastings, and even a “whiskey-fuelled” food menu.
Pop Culture Connection: The seafront property served as a filming location for Lisa McGee’s Netflix series, How to Get to Heaven from Belfast.
Judges praised the hotel’s “pretty renovated rooms,” live music, and unique touches, such as a small bottle of whiskey left by the bedside as a nightcap.
