The Whistledown Hotel in Warrenpoint has been put up for sale after more than three decades in the hands of its current owners.
A 21-bed hotel, which overlooks Carlingford Lough, has been listed with a guide price of more than £2.5m.
In an emotional statement, directors Sarah and Colum McAvoy confirmed they have decided to place the seafront hotel on the market as they look towards “the next chapter” of their lives.
“After 32 incredible years, we have made the emotional decision to place The Whistledown Hotel on the market and start the next chapter of our lives,” they said.
The couple described the landmark venue as being “so much more than a business”, saying it had been “woven through our family life, our identity and our journey together for more than three decades”.
“What started as a small vision became something far greater than we ever dared imagine,” they continued.
“A leap of faith and a great deal of hard work grew into a place alive with weddings and celebrations, with music and laughter, with the milestones and quiet memories of so many people, our own among them.”
They said they were “enormously proud” of what The Whistledown has become and paid tribute to the hotel’s loyal customers, staff, suppliers and the wider Warrenpoint community.
“More than anything, we are grateful. To the customers who kept coming back, to the staff and suppliers who gave it their all, and to the whole community of Warrenpoint who took us in and made this possible, thank you. None of it would have happened without you,” they said.
The McAvoys stressed it is “very much business as usual” at the popular venue despite the sale process.
“We always wanted to hand The Whistledown on from a position of strength and that is exactly why the time feels right,” they explained.
“It is very much business as usual, and we remain as committed as ever to the standards and the warm welcome that people have come to know us for.
“This is a proud milestone and an exciting new beginning. We are passing on a thriving, successful hotel, ready for someone new to take everything we have built and carry it even further.
“It is a decision that fills us with pride and gratitude, and with real excitement for what lies ahead, both for us and for The Whistledown.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who has been part of our story.”
No further details on the marketing of the property or potential timescales for any sale have yet been made public.
