Can someone chime in on a recent RS trip through Scotland, on their opinion of the hotels that they stayed in while on tour? We are alumni’s of many RS tours and have only had a couple of hotels that were disappointing at best. Friends took the tour 2 years ago and complained bitterly about the hotels being subpar on the Scotland tour. I did take this with a grain of salt but would like to hear some others input.
Posted by
Massachusetts
1700 posts
I took this tour in 2024 and have no complaints about the hotels. A couple of the hotel breakfasts were not buffet style — you had to sit down, wait for a waiter to come over and take your order. Then wait for your breakfast to be delivered. It was inefficient as it wasted time when we had to leave early in the morning.
Radisson Blu Hotel Glasgow
Oban Bay Hotel
Glenmoriston Townhouse Hotel
The Boat Country Inn
Dunkeld House Hotel
B+B Edinburgh
Posted by
the great P-NW
550 posts
We took the Best of Scotland (shorter) tour in 2024, and all the hotels were good or better. The Loch Rannock hotel was absolutely lovely - room had a killer view out the window and a couch/sitting area. Also a cozy bar and excellent breakfast. I appreciated all the breakfasts, in fact. The only hotel I didn't love so much was in Edinburgh (can't remember the name, sorry,) where the bed was up against one wall and required one person climbing over the end to get in/out. On the other hand, that hotel had a laundry room, so it was fine too. We tend to roll with whatever hotel we get, realizing it's a challenge to find rooms for 25+ people that meet Rick's other goals (centrally located, etc.)
Posted by
Lincolnshire, UK
2936 posts
Friends took the tour 2 years ago and complained bitterly about the hotels being subpar on the Scotland tour.
It would be helpful to know what their main grievances and why they thought the hotels were sub par. What were they comparing them with?
Posted by
Paris, IL, USA
11 posts
I have never seen anyone say the B+B Edinburgh is great but it is easily walkable from downtown and sits directly above Dean Village. in spite of its shortcomings we are using it again when we make our return to Scotland. The lobby bar and breakfast are fine. Some of the rooms are not so great and the plumbing was full of surprises when taking a shower. It will do for downtown touristing. It is also in a quiet neighborhood. The West End tram and Haymarket station are also walkable.
Posted by
West Virginia
227 posts
I'm on the 13 day Best of Scotland tour in June and i've already received info for our first and last hotels. We're staying at Clayton Hotel in Glasgow and B+B Edinburgh.
I'm curious to see if any of the other hotels on the list above will match the ones on my tour. I will definitely check them out. I'm also curious to know which hotels were thought to be subpar.
I was not a fan of the Red Lion hotel in Salisbury on the Southern England tour. I had to ask for a room change after my toilet flooded the bathroom. It also happened to another member on our tour. Even our guide said it was his least favorite hotel on the tour. I believe RS took this into consideration and now use a different hotel for the stay in Salisbury.
Posted by
OP
Saskatchewan
337 posts
Some complaints were mold in the bathrooms, tiny rooms and not clean areas. No complaints on locations etc.. I’m just enquiring to get some input. I believe the complaints were Edinburgh hotels, but like I said, grain of salt. The worst room we had was on the B of Spain in Seville. Great location however the room configuration was so that you had to store your suitcase on the bed when in the room as it was so tiny and cramped….travel…
Posted by
Massachusetts
1700 posts
Some complaints were mold in the bathrooms, tiny rooms and not clean areas.
I am looking at my photos of the rooms I was assigned on the tour. All were large rooms, clean, with lots of windows and sunlight (yes, we had good weather). The bathrooms were all clean, renovated, decent sized. If you are interested, DM me and I will send you links to my Google photos.
Posted by
Delaware
1707 posts
Hi, Judy,
As a veteran of travelling in Scotland for over 50 years (!), I can honestly say that I can count the substandard accommodation I've encountered on one hand. Many hotels and larger guest houses rely on cleaning staff from the Continent, and these workers are getting harder to find and retain.
Unless you're staying more than one night in lodging on your RS tour, it's a staggering amount of work to turn over rooms if there are several large tour groups staying. I remember staying at the Dunollie Hotel in Broadford a few years ago. There were three huge motor coaches filled with visitors while we were there, in addition to the regular visitors. I felt sorry for the cleaning crew, who were completely overwhelmed.
If you feel that where you're staying is not up to standard (and everyone has their own definition of standards), remember that you're just there for a night (or two), so if you don't want to spend a lot of time in your room, go out and enjoy the environs. You may find a cozy pub, or maybe some live folk music going on somewhere. Or just a walk to help you digest supper.
If you're staying more than one night, you can help out by making the bed on the mornings before your checkout day, and tidying up the room (especially the bathroom). If you don't need your room serviced, let the staff know. If you do need it serviced, leave a couple of pounds for the staff. They will appreciate it.
If there is a problem with your room, let management know, or if you're on a RS tour, let your guide know. It's best to try to resolve matters before leaving a negative review.
Happy travels!
Mike (Auchterless)