Category: Hotel Reviews

Visit & Vibes

The reason for my visit was that last year, I turned 40, and my friends gifted me a voucher for an overnight stay.

Finally, I’m getting the chance to use it, and I couldn’t be more excited, as the Isle of Skye has been on my bucket list for ages.

This opportunity forced me to take some time out and plan what I could see during the day trip / overnight stay.

About The Hotel

A former Victorian mansion, and today a characterful and charismatic hideaway, Duisdale is where you can come together with friends and family to enjoy the warmest Highland hospitality.

Facing the Sound of Sleat and looking to the mountains of Knoydart, the journey here’s well worth it – whether you’re staying in or heading out to explore what’s beyond the view.

Booking Experience

When I called to book my stay, the lady I spoke to was incredibly pleasant and helpful. She provided me with all the necessary information, and the booking experience was absolutely perfect. I couldn’t fault it in any way.

Arrival and Check-In

Upon arrival, as I pulled up to the entrance of the hotel, I was greeted by a truly lovely sight. Stepping out of the car and turning around, I was treated to a beautiful view from the hotel. My first impression was exceedingly positive, and I couldn’t wait to step inside.

Upon entering the building, I was immediately struck by a delightful aroma. I’m not sure what they use for air freshener or scented candles, but it was truly delightful.

I was warmly greeted by a member of staff, and the check-in process was flawless.

Everything, from breakfast times to dinner reservations and the location of my room, was clearly explained.

Nothing was overlooked, and everything proceeded seamlessly. Once again, the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming. At that moment, I knew my stay was going to be absolutely delightful.

Décor	★★★★★
Entrance Cleanliness	★★★★★
Staff Friendliness & Welcome	★★★★★
Staff Appearance / Uniform	★★★★★
Restaurant Cleanliness	★★★★★
Hotel facilities & layout explained	Yes
Hotel Parking	?

Bedroom and Amenities

The room I stayed in was the master suite, located on the side of the hotel.

Upon entering, you step into a charming little conservatory, which adds to its appeal. From there, you proceed into a delightful, warm, modern lounge area, that has a cosy atmosphere. Continuing on, you enter a similarly lovely, modern, and cosy bedroom. Finally, upon opening the bathroom door, you’re greeted by a stunning, spacious, and beautiful bathroom.

The bedroom and lounge area were impeccably clean. You could adjust the heaters to your desired temperature or simply turn them off if it got too warm. The view from the bedroom overlooked the garden, offering a pleasant sight.

The bed was exceptionally comfortable and cosy.

In the lounge area, there was a coffee machine available. The facilities also included a telephone, complimentary dressing gowns, slippers, and complimentary Wi-Fi.

The bed was huge—it could easily accommodate four of me. I slept soundly throughout the night, feeling completely refreshed in the morning. The pillows were just right, and the room had a wonderfully cosy ambience.

After a long drive, exploring the island, making quick stops, and enjoying a delightful dinner the previous night, I had an incredibly restful sleep. It was one of the best sleeps I’ve had during my recent hotel stays.

ROOM FEATURES

• Ensuite facilities
• Free WiFi
• Complimentary refreshments
• Iron & Board
• Television
• Hairdryer

Quality of bedding	★★★★★
Bedroom Cleanliness	★★★★★
View from Room	★★★★

Bathroom

As mentioned earlier, the bathroom is absolutely stunning, as you can see from the pictures. It features a perfectly sized bath, a fantastic walk-in shower, double sinks, ample floor space, perfect lighting, and a skylight above the bath.

It truly is a breathtaking bathroom and one of the nicest I’ve ever seen.

The bathroom provided toiletries, and the temperature and pressure of the water in the walk-in shower were perfect—couldn’t fault it. The cleanliness of the bathroom was exceptional, and the quality of the tiles used was top-notch, meeting a very high standard.

Overall, I couldn’t find any faults here. I’m still in awe of how stunning this bathroom is as I type this post.

Quality of Towels	★★★★★
Bedroom Cleanliness	★★★★★
Temperature of water	★★★★★
Did the hotel/venue provide toiletries?	YES

Dining / Breakfast Area

Upon check-in, I was asked if I wanted to dine that evening, and I decided to do so, setting a time for dinner and breakfast as well.

The dining area is very cozy and beautifully designed, with perfect spacing between tables to ensure you don’t feel too close to your neighbor. The tables were set perfectly, and the staff were pleasant, helpful, and wonderful to talk to.

One staff member I interacted with, Frank, was particularly delightful—we had a good chat and a few laughs.

For dinner, I opted for a two-course meal priced at £39. You could choose to have three courses, but I decided on two. The dishes were absolutely wonderful and tasted amazing. Keep an eye out for a follow-up blog review focusing solely on my dinner experience.

The breakfast area was located just beside the dining area, offering a lovely view of the outside area, similar to the view from my master suite.

Once again, everything was impeccably clean, with a comfortable temperature.

The staff were extremely helpful, and breakfast was included with my stay. I chose to have porridge followed by eggs Benedict, and both dishes were amazing. The porridge was incredibly smooth and tasty, and the eggs Benedict was delightful.

Again, I couldn’t find any faults here.

Quality of Seating	★★★★★
Bedroom Cleanliness	★★★★★
Choice of foods	★★★★★
Noise Level	★★★★★

Location

The location of the hotel, in my opinion, was excellent.

After crossing the bridge, it’s just a short drive to reach the hotel, and you’re also approximately an hour away from Portree and other sites in that area—though, of course, the travel time depends on traffic conditions.

Personally, I didn’t encounter any issues with the hotel’s location. I was able to see everything I wanted to within the span of a day and still return to the hotel in time for a pleasant check-in, dinner, and an early night.

So, from my perspective, I believe the hotel’s location was really good.

Final Thoughts…

I have stayed in several hotels quite recently, whether it be for hotel awards, invitations, or simply for pleasure, and I must say, I left feeling incredibly positive about this place. Every aspect, from booking to check-in, dining, and checking out, was a delightful experience.

The staff here are all exceptionally friendly, welcoming, and attentive to your needs. The hotel exudes a warm and cosy vibe, so the moment you walk through the door, you instantly feel relaxed.

In the master suite where I stayed, I’m sure the other rooms are equally cosy. I had a wonderful night’s sleep—the quality of the bedding was excellent, and I woke up feeling extremely refreshed and eager for the day ahead.

I can’t find fault with this hotel in any way. There wasn’t a single issue or problem during my stay. It was impeccably clean, and everything about it was perfect from start to finish. Because of that, I highly recommend checking it out and I’m adding it to my top hotels page.

I can’t stress enough what an amazing stay this was for me. I felt incredibly relaxed throughout. I only wish I had extra cash and time to extend my stay, perhaps for two days, to fully immerse myself in the hotel and island experience.

However, if I do return, I’ll definitely save up for it, as it’s a four-star hotel.

While the prices may be a bit high depending on the season and room type, overall, I had a wonderful stay here and I will be returning, possibly even this year. I’ve already made up my mind that I’d like to come back for another overnight stay, or perhaps even for two nights.

If you ever visit Skye, I highly recommend checking out this hotel, if it’s within your budget. If not, consider saving up a bit to experience it. I can’t recommend it enough, and a big thanks to the staff—if you’re reading this—for making me feel so welcome. Thank you very much, and see you soon.

Overall Value for Money	★★★★★
MY OVERALL RATING	★★★★★

The above blog post review is 100% honest and has not been influenced in anyway. Its a true representation of my thoughts.

Visit & Vibes

Yet another delightful hotel invitation and I must say, I’m beginning to truly relish these opportunities.

They provide a chance to explore areas I might not have considered otherwise, much like restaurant invitations do.

Today, I had the pleasure of being invited to the Red House Hotel at Cooper Angus Blairgowrie. I had never heard of this place before, so I was particularly excited about my overnight stay.

This time, I was invited for bed and breakfast.

About The Hotel

The Red House has expanded over the decades under the Bannerman family’s management. The original structure, which served as the Railway Hotel, has grown to become the stunning hotel and grounds it is today. Our 20 bedrooms of all sizes, a sports complex and an extensive function room, equip us to cater to every possible occasion. Cradled in a valley by the foot of the Cairngorms, we are in a central location which offers fantastic views and makes us a haven for hikers and walkers. There are around thirty golf courses within a half-hour journey of our front door, and we enjoy the company of many regular shooting and fishing parties.

Booking Experience

The booking experience was absolutely seamless. Everything was coordinated between the PR company and the hotel, leaving me with the simple task of confirming the date that worked for the hotel.

Arrival and Check-In

Upon arrival and pulling into the car park, I noticed there were plenty of spaces available, so if you’re driving, parking is readily available.

I then proceeded to the main entrance where I was greeted by a friendly staff member. She introduced herself, collected all my details, and provided information about the dining times for dinner and breakfast, as well as the location of my room.

Heading to my room, I exited the building and followed my instructions to the large glass doors.

Upon entering, I made my way up to the first floor to locate my room. As I walked, I couldn’t help but notice that everything in this section of the hotel was exceptionally clean and exuded a charming Scottish vibe.

Décor	★★★★
Entrance Cleanliness	★★★★★
Staff Friendliness & Welcome	★★★★★
Staff Appearance / Uniform	★★★★★
Restaurant Cleanliness	★★★★★
Hotel facilities & layout explained	Yes
Hotel Parking	Yes

Bedroom and Amenities

Upon entering my room, I immediately noticed its spaciousness, with two beds provided. Although this stay was intended for a plus-one invite, it was just me once again.

Taking in the surroundings, I found the room to be charmingly clean and well-maintained. It boasted two windows, each offering a decent view, albeit one slightly better than the other.

The room included a guest brochure that provided information on everything from fire escapes and breakfast times to checkout times and dinner menus. Additionally, it featured tea and coffee-making facilities, a telephone, and a television. There was also a small booklet detailing all the local sites and attractions in the area and its surroundings.

My evening in the room was delightful. I sat down and began typing up some blogs, then relaxed with some Netflix. The hotel provided complimentary Wi-Fi, and the signal speed was exceptionally fast, which was a pleasant surprise.

Now, onto the topic of my sleep. How did it go?

Well, firstly, the quality of the bedding was very good.

The bed was impeccably clean and exceptionally comfortable, resulting in a very restful sleep. As is typical in any hotel, there was some noise from people returning late to their rooms, perhaps after indulging in a few drinks.

However, aside from that minor disturbance, the overall experience was nice and very relaxing.

ROOM FEATURES

• Ensuite facilities
• Free WiFi
• Complimentary refreshments
• Television
• Hairdryer

Quality of bedding	★★★★
Bedroom Cleanliness	★★★★★
View from Room	★★★★

Bathroom

Upon entering the bathroom, I immediately noticed its charming and cozy design. While I wasn’t entirely certain whether there was underfloor heating or if the warmth simply rose naturally, I couldn’t help but appreciate the cleanliness and spaciousness of the bathroom.

The shower was easy to use, and both the water pressure and temperature were excellent. I’ve stayed in a few places where the water settings were inconsistent, but this one was perfect, allowing me to fully awaken myself before my drive home in the morning.

Additionally, they provided toiletries in case you forgot your own, and towels were also provided.

Quality of Towels	★★★★★
Bedroom Cleanliness	★★★★★
Temperature of water	★★★★★
Did the hotel/venue provide toiletries?	YES

Dining / Breakfast Area

It wasn’t until check-in that the hotel kindly informed me that I could easily join them for dinner.

However, since I had indulged in a substantial lunch while exploring the area and seeing some of the sights before arriving here, I decided to skip dinner. Nevertheless, I did make sure to go down for breakfast in the morning.

The breakfast area resembled the dining area, featuring a spacious, impeccably clean space with a delightful cozy, and warm ambiance.

The staff member this morning was incredibly helpful, pleasant, and delightful to interact with. She escorted me to my table, which was situated in a charming little conservatory area—perfect for enjoying the morning atmosphere.

They handed me a breakfast menu and mentioned that there were coffee-making facilities available. Additionally, from my vantage point, I could see a wide variety of cereals in case that’s what I fancied.

Typically, I’m strictly a coffee person in the mornings, but for some reason, the sound of scrambled eggs appealed to me today, so that’s what I decided to go for.

The scrambled eggs were cooked to perfection, with a delightful flavor and a generous portion size. They provided ample sustenance for my morning drive home, leaving me feeling satisfied.

Overall, I couldn’t find fault with anything here. I enjoyed a delightful breakfast, which was very relaxing and helped me wake up and fuel up before hitting the road.

Quality of Seating	★★★★★
Bedroom Cleanliness	★★★★★
Choice of foods	★★★★★
Noise Level	★★★★★

Location and Accessibility

In terms of the hotel’s location, it was perfect for me as a confident driver.

Before arriving here, I made stops in Dunkeld for a brief stroll and also at Hermitage Park for another leisurely walk. These attractions were only a 30 to 40-minute drive away, depending on your speed and road conditions. I highly recommend visiting both places as they offer delightful surroundings for a leisurely walk. Therefore, the location of the hotel suited me perfectly, allowing me to easily hop in my car and explore the surrounding attractions.

Final Thoughts…

Overall, I want to extend a big thank you to the staff here for extending the invitation to me. I had a wonderful stay, and I’d like to express my gratitude to all members of the staff—from the check-in process to breakfast and check-out.

Everyone was delightful, incredibly helpful, and attentive, and I truly appreciate their efforts.

My stay was thoroughly enjoyable. As I mentioned earlier, I had a restful sleep, the room was immaculate, and the hotel itself was spotless.

Additionally, its convenient location allowed me easy access to the surrounding areas. If you find yourself in the vicinity, I have no hesitation in recommending this hotel. I couldn’t find any faults during my visit, and as a result, I’ll be adding it to my list of top hotel stays.

If you do decide to check it out, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Also, if you dine here, feel free to share your thoughts and comments in the section below.

Overall Value for Money	n/a
MY OVERALL RATING	★★★★

The above blog post review is 100% honest and has not been influenced in anyway. Its a true representation of my thoughts.