Eight of us are travelling around Ireland in May for 10 days and would like to stay in a castle near Belfast before we leave. Where do you suggest and are the costs reasonable.
Welcome to my forum. There are very few castle hotels in Northern Ireland. If you click on IrelandYes Index and on Castle Hotels you will find a link to Ballygally Castle Hotel. From the photo you will see that the actual hotel rooms are not in the castle portion.
Whenever anyone inquires about a castle stay with the word reasonable in the request, I find that once they know the rates a castle stay becomes a luxury that not many people will spend the money on. Whether that is true in your case depends on your budget.
There is another castle that is available as a self-catering rental called Killyleagh.
Ballygally and Killyleagh are not a personal recommendations because I have not stayed at them. You will have to look at their websites to see if they appeal to you.