The Bushmills Inn sits in the heart of Bushmills village on Northern Ireland‘s Causeway Coast, roughly an hour from Belfast International Airport and a short hop from some of the country’s best golf. Royal Portrush is about 10 minutes away by car, with Portstewart and Castlerock both within a 20-minute drive. The Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge are all close by, and the Old Bushmills Distillery is a short walk down the road.

The original building dates back to the 1600s and was a working coaching inn before being restored into the hotel it is today. It’s a proper boutique stay rather than a polished corporate property – think low wood-beamed ceilings, stone corridors, hidden libraries and a gas-lit bar that hasn’t lost its character. There are 41 individually designed rooms and suites, ranging from cottage-style Classic rooms to the Master Distiller’s Suite with its four-poster bed and views over the River Bush.

Food is a real strength. The AA Rosette restaurant occupies what used to be the 17th-century stables and wine cellar, with a menu built around local Antrim produce and a “new Irish” approach to classic dishes. The Gas Bar handles more casual evenings, with live music on Fridays and Saturdays, and there’s even a small in-house cinema for Thursday movie nights. Service is generally warm and unfussy, in keeping with the place.