We purchased the apartment in March 2009 as a seaside escape and retreat for my 3 boys and husband (who was recovering from illness and treatment) As my husband was a keen golfer, the boys enjoyed tennis and I just loved to walk on the beach, this was the ideal spot!
Unfortunately, heartache came when my husband secummed to his illness in October of that year but his wish was to ensure others could enjoy this beautiful apartment with all the recreational facilities Ballycastle had to offer.
To carry out my husband’s wishes and to ensure we could hold on to the apartment a small business venture was imagined.
With a bit of hard work Ballycastle Escape opened for business in February 2012. With approvals from Tourism NI, TripAdvisor, AIRBNB and More recently booking.com, with all the social media channels set up and a website launched with the help of Patricia at ‘Nolka Design’ a few busy labour of love years began.
Although there is always the stress of pleasing the guest and providing a first-class service, I love the challenge and adrenalin rush of the 30 mins just before the guest arrives, seeing their reaction and I get so much satisfaction when they’re book year after year and sometimes twice a year.
Some people ask if I would rather not just enjoy it myself and have the freedom to stay whenever I wish but I reply with “why keep this little piece of heaven to ourselves and oh yes the bills need to be paid!” not content to sit back I applied to Tourism NI for a star rating in 2019, I was delighted to be awarded 4 stars in the late summer of 2019.
Excited I did a bit of refurbishment and set my goals for a bumper 2020! I already had several bookings for 2020 when the pandemic struck, and Ballycastle Escape was forced to close from February 2020 to May 2021.
Rather than this beautiful apartment lying empty I suggested my son, daughter in law and new-born re locate from London, although this was on the cards for the future, COVID brought that move much quicker. Although I didn’t see much of Ballycastle that year, I was so pleased that my first grandson spent his first year of life here! I also took advantage of Ulster University and Dept of Communities Post graduate certificate programme, ‘Enabling Business Recovery’ and used the skills to further develop ideas for Ballycastle…” Hobby Holiday Experience on the North Coast”, watch this space!!!!
I used the early part of 2021 to do a wee bit of maintenance and was delighted to welcome guests in June 2021. With a very busy season ahead I enlisted the help of a ‘hospitality cleaner’, I’m also developing a standards qualification for ‘hospitality cleaners’, hoping to set up meetings later in 2022.
2021 was a good year for Ballycastle Escape with confirmed bookings already for 2022! Not content to sit back I applied to Digital Causeway for non-financial support setting up a new website to incorporate a booking platform, thanks to Evie, Rebecca, and Jack for all their valuable support in getting the website to where it is today!! Maybe a few professional pictures required and video but that’s my goal for 2022.
It’s been a bittersweet emotional journey with lots of sadness and laughter and so much thanks to my 3 boys for their belief and support with social media and video production! I want Ballycastle Escape to give my guests as much pleasure (with a few extras) as it did to my husband and I when we first walked into it in March 2009. Thank you to all my guests over the years and hope to see many many more in the years ahead.
Ballycastle Escape
January 2022
