Lochway Hotel

A major storm blocked the roads and made it impossible for us to reach the Lochway Hotel in Dumbarton in Scotland before 10:30 PM. We’d have faced another hour of hazardous driving with no guarantee we could get through, so we called to ask for a cancellation and refund. The staff refused to help, and we ended up sleeping in our car. That lack of understanding or flexibility in exceptional circumstances was unacceptable. After this disastrous experience, I strongly advise against staying there. The hotel’s policy seems more focused on profit than customer well-being.

We booked three rooms for one night, but on arrival the staff said there were none left. We pointed out that the money had been taken and asked how we were supposed to get it back. After going back and forth, they said they had two rooms, so two of us had to share. I checked Booking.com and could still see three twin rooms, a family room, and a triple room listed. They didn’t want to help and kept blaming Booking.com.

Our last hotel of the vacation was a mistake. We picked it for the low price and closeness to the airport, but we were in the upper building, where the Wi-Fi didn’t reach, and had to walk up. There were old shampoo bottles and a hair elastic in the shower. Breakfast was okay, though the coffee tasted instant. We won’t be back.

For one night it was decent enough. The room was clean, the hosts were friendly, and the hotel was easy to get to. The location felt quite remote, though, with no attractions or places to eat nearby. Breakfast was included but disappointing: only basic cereal, yoghurt, and toast, and we even spotted mould on the toast. The dining area wasn’t very clean either. There’s room for improvement.