Half a day is plenty — many book a treatment plus pool and thermal-suite time either sideHow long
Day Pass £60Entry
Heat & gym over-16sBest for
Book aheadReservation
On siteParking
The Spa at Culloden is a palatial pool-and-thermal spa in the grounds of a Victorian estate, high above Belfast Lough.
What you'll enjoy: a swimming pool under a domed skylight, a thermal suite with eucalyptus steam room, sauna, jacuzzi and feature shower, relaxation rooms, eight treatment suites, and a Technogym-equipped gym. Treatments use ESPA and Medik8 products.
How long: half a day is plenty. Many people book a treatment and arrive around an hour early to change, use the pool and thermal suite, then relax afterwards. A stand-alone Day Pass gives you the spa and thermal-suite facilities without a treatment.
Book ahead: treatments and packages must be pre-booked and are held with a credit card. The spa asks you to arrive up to an hour before your treatment. Cancellations inside 48 hours are charged in full.
Who it's for: the heat experiences (steam, sauna, jacuzzi) and the gym are for over-16s only. The pool is open to under-16s at a £30 child rate during children's swimming times; contact the spa about treatments for under-16s.
Cost: Day Pass £60 per person for the spa and thermal suite. Treatments from around £95; spa-day packages such as Rise & Unwind from £100. Gift vouchers available.
When: the spa is open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. It's a mobile-phone, camera and smoke-free zone for the calm of other guests.
Plan your visit
What a visit looks like
Most people come for one of two things: a treatment, or a Day Pass to use the water and heat facilities. Either way you change in the spa, then have the pool, jacuzzi, sauna, eucalyptus steam room and feature shower to move between, with relaxation rooms to settle into afterwards. If you've booked a treatment, arriving early lets you use the facilities first and unwind before your therapist collects you. Treatments run from focused massages and facials up to longer signature rituals and couples' treatments in the dedicated suites. The gym, with Technogym cardio and strength kit and a free-weights area, is open to day spa guests, members and hotel guests. Honestly: the treatments and therapists draw consistent praise, while some recent visitors have felt the pool area and changing rooms are showing their age — worth setting expectations for a relaxed spa day rather than a brand-new facility.
Swimming pool under a domed skylightThermal suite: steam room, sauna, jacuzzi, feature showerEight treatment suites, including couples' roomsESPA and Medik8 treatmentsRelaxation rooms and a nail studioTechnogym gym with a personal-trainer team
Good to know before you go:
The heat experiences (steam, sauna, jacuzzi) and the gym are restricted to over-16s. If you're expecting or nursing, the spa has treatments designed for that and asks you to let the team guide your choice — mention it when you book.
Before you set off
What to bring
🩱SwimwearYou'll want it for the pool and thermal suite — pack it whether you're on a treatment or a Day Pass.
🥿Flip-flopsHandy for padding between the pool, jacuzzi and steam room in comfort.
💳A card for bookingTreatments and packages are held with a credit card, so book ahead and have one to hand.
📵Leave the phone awayIt's a phone, camera and smoke-free zone — good for switching off completely.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Day Pass £60 per person for the spa and thermal-suite facilities. Treatments from around £95 (for example, a back, neck and scalp massage); spa-day packages such as Rise & Unwind from £100, with longer packages higher. Pool access for under-16s is a £30 child rate. Gift vouchers available — contact the spa reservations team.
Opening / hours
Spa open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. Confirm current hours and children's swimming times when you book, as they can change.
Who it's for
Heat experiences (steam room, sauna, jacuzzi) and the gym are for over-16s only. The pool is open to under-16s at a £30 child rate during children's swimming times; ask the spa about treatments available for under-16s.
What you'll enjoy
Swimming pool under a domed skylight, thermal suite with eucalyptus steam room, sauna, jacuzzi and feature shower, relaxation rooms, eight treatment suites, a nail studio, and a Technogym-equipped gym. Treatments use ESPA and Medik8 products.
Booking
Treatments and packages must be pre-booked and are guaranteed with a credit card. Arrive up to an hour before your treatment. Group bookings need seven days' notice. Cancellations inside 48 hours are charged in full.
What to bring
Swimwear for the pool and thermal suite, and flip-flops. Robes are provided to treatment guests; hotel guests have robes and slippers in their rooms. Alcohol and food can be bought inside the spa — none should be brought in from outside.
Accessibility
The spa is on the estate with on-site parking. Contact the spa reservations team ahead of your visit to talk through access needs and the most suitable facilities and treatments.
Parking
On-site parking in the estate grounds.
How long to allow
Half a day is plenty. Allow an hour before a treatment to change and use the facilities, plus time to relax afterwards.
Address
The Spa at Culloden, Bangor Road, Holywood, Belfast, BT18 0EX. Spa reservations: 028 9042 1135.
Questions
Before you go
Do I have to book ahead?
Yes. Treatments and packages must be pre-booked and are held with a credit card, and cancellations inside 48 hours are charged in full. It's worth calling the spa reservations team to check availability for your preferred time.
Can children use the spa?
The heat experiences (steam room, sauna, jacuzzi) and the gym are for over-16s only. The pool is open to under-16s at a £30 child rate during children's swimming times. Contact the spa about which treatments are available for under-16s.
What does it cost?
A Day Pass is £60 per person for the spa and thermal-suite facilities. Treatments start from around £95 and spa-day packages such as Rise & Unwind from £100. Gift vouchers are available through the spa reservations team.
What should I bring?
Swimwear for the pool and thermal suite, and flip-flops. Robes are provided to treatment guests. Leave the phone away — the spa is a phone, camera and smoke-free zone.
When is it open?
The spa is open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. Confirm current hours and children's swimming times when you book, as they can vary.
Getting there
The Spa at Culloden is on the Bangor Road in Holywood, just outside Belfast, at BT18 0EX — a short drive from the city and close to the A2 coast road. There's on-site parking in the estate grounds. Tap below for directions.
Culloden began not as a hotel but as a home for the church. The estate was built as the official palace for the Bishops of Down, and for generations it was a private residence rather than a place the public could set foot in. It sits high on the Holywood Hills, on the County Down side of Belfast Lough, with the water and the Antrim coastline laid out below.
The Scottish-baronial house you see today — sandstone walls, turrets, tall chimneys and a crenellated tower — is set in around twelve acres of landscaped gardens. The commanding position that once suited a bishop's palace now gives the hotel and its spa their long views over the Lough.
The estate is now a five-star hotel run by Hastings Hotels, with the spa added as a modern wing built into the grounds. The pool sits beneath a domed skylight, and the thermal suite, treatment rooms and gym occupy the newer part of the building — a contemporary spa tucked below a house that started life two centuries and more ago.