An hour or two in the pool; a half or full day for a spa experienceHow long
Families in the pool; adults in the spaBest for
IndoorRooftop hot tub outside
On siteParking
20m poolPlus hot tub & sauna
The Spa at Canal Court is really two days in one — a family leisure club with a 20-metre pool, and a calm, grown-up spa with a rooftop hot tub, above the water in the heart of Newry.
What you'll enjoy: a 20m indoor heated pool with a separate children's pool and plunge pool, a jacuzzi, an outdoor rooftop hot tub, a sauna and steam room, a poolside relaxation area and a fully equipped gym. The CC Spa alongside it runs treatment rooms and a candle-lit relaxation lounge.
How long: an hour or two is plenty for a family swim; a spa day is a half or full day, with all-day use of the facilities and lunch in the spa café.
Book ahead: the leisure club is for hotel guests and private members, and spa treatments and spa days are booked in advance. Ring the spa on 028 3025 1234 or book online, and confirm current prices and times when you do.
Who it's for: the leisure club is family-friendly, with a shallow children's pool built for little ones. The CC Spa itself is a quiet, adults' relaxation space — check the age policy for pool sessions and for the spa when you book, as it varies by session and by treatment.
Cost: facilities are complimentary if you're staying at the hotel. Otherwise it's private membership for the leisure club, or a paid spa day / treatment. Gift vouchers and overnight spa breaks are available.
When: the leisure club runs daily; note the pool closes for a spell on Sunday lunchtimes for lessons. Confirm the day's hours when you book — they change with the season.
Plan your visit
Two ways to spend the day
There are two sides to Canal Court, and it helps to know which one you're coming for. The leisure club is the family side: a warm 20-metre pool that runs from about three to six feet deep, so paddlers and confident swimmers both get a look-in, with a separate shallow children's pool beside it for the smallest ones. There's a jacuzzi, a plunge pool, a sauna and steam room, a poolside spot to stretch out with a book, and — the one guests keep mentioning — an outdoor rooftop hot tub that's a treat when the weather plays along, and honestly good fun when it doesn't. A full gym and fitness studios sit alongside it. The CC Spa is the quiet side: candle-lit treatment rooms, a soft-lit relaxation lounge, and a menu of massages, facials, beauty treatments and medical aesthetics. Book a spa day and you get all-day use of the facilities, robes and slippers, and lunch in the spa café. The team here also runs treatments tailored for people going through cancer care, trained with the Pretty 'n Pink charity.
20m indoor heated pool, roughly 3ft to 6ft deepSeparate shallow children's poolOutdoor rooftop hot tub, jacuzzi, sauna & steam roomCC Spa treatment rooms & relaxation loungeSpa days include facilities, robes and lunch in the spa caféFully equipped gym and fitness studios
Good to know before you go:
The pool closes for a spell around Sunday lunchtime for children's swimming lessons during term time, and you'll be asked to leave the pool and gym a few minutes before closing. Prices, spa day packages and session times aren't fixed publicly, so ring the spa on 028 3025 1234 (or the leisure club on 028 3025 4310) to confirm the current details and the age policy for your visit.
Before you set off
What to bring
🩱Swimwear and a towelFresh towels are provided for hotel guests; bring your own swimming things.
🩴Flip-flopsHandy for padding between the pool, the sauna and the rooftop hot tub.
🧴Bits for the changing roomsShowers are stocked with the basics, but you may want your own toiletries.
💳Your booking detailsHave your spa day or membership booking to hand — treatments and sessions are pre-arranged.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Leisure facilities are complimentary for hotel guests during a stay. Otherwise the leisure club runs on private membership, and the CC Spa is booked as a paid spa day or individual treatment. Gift vouchers and overnight spa breaks are available. Prices aren't published publicly — confirm current rates when you book.
Booking
The leisure club is open to hotel guests and private members. Spa treatments and spa days are booked in advance, by phone or through the spa's online booking. Ring ahead rather than turning up.
Opening / hours
The leisure club runs daily. The pool closes for a period around Sunday lunchtime for children's swimming lessons in term time, and you're asked to vacate the pool and gym a few minutes before closing. Exact daily hours vary — confirm on the day.
Age policy
The leisure club is family-friendly, with a shallow children's pool for little ones. The CC Spa is a quiet, adults' relaxation environment, and some sessions and treatments have age limits. The venue doesn't publish a single fixed policy, so check the age rules for pool sessions and for the spa when you book.
Facilities
20m indoor heated pool (roughly 3ft–6ft), separate children's pool, plunge pool, jacuzzi, outdoor rooftop hot tub, sauna, steam room, poolside relaxation area, fully equipped gym and fitness studios. The CC Spa has treatment rooms, a relaxation lounge and a spa café.
Changing rooms
Changing rooms with lockers, showers stocked with the basics, and hairdryers. Fresh towels are provided for hotel guests. Robes and slippers are provided for spa day guests.
Food
The CC Spa has its own spa café, and spa days include lunch there. The hotel itself has bars and restaurants on site for before or after.
Parking
On-site parking at the hotel on Merchants Quay, in the centre of Newry.
Accessibility
The hotel and leisure complex are on the ground floor of the building. For specific step-free access and pool hoist details, ring ahead to confirm what suits your needs.
How long to allow
An hour or two for a family swim; a half or full day for a spa experience with all-day use of the facilities.
Yes — the leisure club is family-friendly. There's a warm 20-metre main pool and a separate shallow children's pool built for little ones. The CC Spa treatments and its relaxation areas are a grown-up, quiet space. Some pool sessions and treatments do have age limits, so check the age policy for your session when you book.
Do I need to book?
Yes. The leisure club is for hotel guests and private members, and spa treatments and spa days are arranged in advance. Ring the spa on 028 3025 1234 or use the online booking, and confirm times and prices when you do.
How much does it cost?
Facilities are complimentary if you're staying at the hotel. Otherwise it's private membership for the leisure club, or a paid spa day or treatment. Gift vouchers and overnight spa breaks are available. Prices aren't listed publicly, so confirm the current rates when you book.
What's actually there?
A 20m indoor heated pool, a children's pool, a plunge pool, a jacuzzi, an outdoor rooftop hot tub, a sauna and steam room, a poolside relaxation area, and a full gym with fitness studios. Alongside it, the CC Spa has treatment rooms, a candle-lit relaxation lounge and a spa café.
Is it any good?
Guests single out the rooftop hot tub, the sauna and steam room, and the gym in particular, and the CC Spa is well regarded locally. Robes and slippers come with a spa day. It's a hotel leisure complex rather than a sprawling destination spa, so come for a relaxed swim or a treatment day rather than acres of thermal rooms.
Getting there
The Spa at Canal Court is at the Canal Court Hotel & Spa, Merchants Quay, Newry, Co. Down, BT35 8HF — right in the centre of town, on the canal, with parking on site. Tap below for directions or to check current prices and times.
Canal Court takes its name and its setting from the Newry Canal — the waterway that gave the town its living for two centuries, cutting inland from Carlingford Lough to Lough Neagh. Merchants Quay was the working heart of it, where boats loaded and unloaded, and the hotel sits right on that stretch of water today, its pale front reflected in the canal with a fountain playing out front.
Inside, the four-star hotel has grown into one of the bigger family-run destinations in the south of the county, with the leisure complex and the CC Spa built around the everyday business of people wanting a swim, a workout or a proper wind-down. The rooftop hot tub is the small flourish people remember — a soak in the open air, up above the rooftops of Newry, whatever the sky is doing.
Newry itself sits in a natural gap between the Mourne Mountains and the drumlins of south Armagh, which is why it grew where it did — the easiest crossing point for trade heading north and south. A swim and a spa day here pairs neatly with a walk in the Mournes or a wander round the town, making a full, unhurried day of it.