26 The Crescent - Guest House

I’m very glad I chose The Crescent for my ten days in Ayr. It’s in a quiet, attractive part of town, with the train station only a few streets away and parking usually available on the street if you drive. The seagulls can be noisy at dawn, though. I’ve developed quite an opinion about them, and wish they’d sing like well-behaved birds instead. The Ayr beach front was an easy walk, about ten minutes away, and I enjoyed the scenery and all the different birds along the Ayrshire coastal path, with views towards Doonfoot. Morrisons near the station is also about ten minutes away, handy if you want to pick up your own snacks. There are simple meals available downstairs too, such as the cream soup I had, in the dining area with its open bar and fireplace. The house feels like a mini hotel. Lorraine’s family have decorated it tastefully and plan to update it room by room to an even higher standard. I’ve stayed in plenty of places around the world, including x-star hotels on company trips, and this AirBnB delivers the quality it aims for in its category. My room had already been redesigned and felt like a second home. The bed linen and towels were hotel quality, and the towels were wonderfully soft. By the door was a tray with shortbread, tea, nescafe, a water boiler, sweets, hot chocolate powder and little milk packets. It was a generous selection for a morning or evening snack. I’d forgotten my slippers, but the family provided a sealed pair like you’d find in a hotel. There was a TV with a DVD slot, a good choice of programmes, and DVDs in a cupboard in the hallway. The bathroom had just been renovated and was good quality. The room was serviced daily, with fresh towels each time, which kept the standard consistently high. Justin’s breakfasts were so filling that, even after walking for a couple of hours, I wasn’t hungry until later in the day. You can choose the next morning’s breakfast each evening. Options included porridge with double cream, haddock with poached eggs, or eggs cooked different ways, including scrambled with salmon. The eggs were from a farmer, not supermarket eggs. I usually chose porridge and eggs, with tasty cafetiere coffee. After a week of building up to it, I managed almost all of the Full Scottish Breakfast on my last morning. It was a proper celebration of the meal, unlike the sad little black puddings and tiny tomatoes served at places that don’t care as much. There was also orange and apple juice, yoghurts, cornflake boxes and fresh fruit on the dining room table by the window every day. I’m looking back on a great stay: lovely hosts, quality service, fantastic meals and a good location. Thank you Lorraine, Sarah, Roy and Justin. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to stay, and hope others get to enjoy Ayr as much as I did.

The staff were lovely, and breakfast was generous and good. It was peaceful at night, so I slept deeply, and the city and sandy beach were just a short trip away. A very sweet place to stay in Ayr. I’ll be back.

My partner and I spent last Saturday night here. The place was lovely and the breakfast the next day was beautiful. The couple who own it were lovely too, and we’ll definitely return.

We had a really comfortable bed and beautiful rooms, plus great facilities and a lovely dining room. It’s a very accommodating family-run place. I’d definitely stay again.