Pitbauchlie House Hotel, Sure Hotel Collection by BW

The first impression was good: the foyer was inviting, and the staff were cheerful and welcoming. But the guest hallway looked dated, and our room had old furniture. The bright, modern bathroom and walk-in shower were a pleasant surprise. Then we found marks under the bed runner, what looked like boot prints on a pillowcase, and body hair on the sheets. The receptionist brought in the manager. He asked for photos, said he was disgusted, and offered to upgrade us. We checked the bed in the new room and it was clean, so we moved our things over in several trips, only to find that its showerhead was broken. That bathroom was dim and worn, with a shower over the bath and a curtain. I couldn’t see how it counted as an upgrade. We moved everything back, and the manager confirmed the shower was broken. I was tired and angry by then, and offered to change clean bedding myself. The manager refused and changed it. We tried the bar later, but it felt like a canteen, with several TVs showing old dramas with huge subtitles like in a hospital waiting room. We had one drink and didn’t go back during our three-night stay. Breakfast had a good continental selection, but the hot bacon was greasy and the sausage hard. Netflix showed a fault code, and none of the TV apps worked because the TVs weren’t connected to the internet. I have a blue badge, but when I asked about the designated parking bays, I was told the hotel doesn’t enforce them and anyone can park there. They did. There’s a smoking area about 30 feet from the entrance, yet cigarette butts littered the floor by the entrance. The hotel apologised for the first night’s problems but offered nothing complimentary. I don’t recommend it. From what I overheard in the breakfast room, it seems to cater to contractors working away from home. Why aren’t staff checking rooms for faults after guests check out?

Simon at reception made us laugh and was funny, friendly, accommodating, and full of useful information. The room was clean and cosy, with decent amenities for the price and a comfortable bed. The water was nice and hot, too. The walls are a bit thin, so we could hear noisy neighbours, but Simon sorted it out.

The kitchen and restaurant staff deserve a special mention, especially Liz and Kylie. The chef made me my new favourite meal, Bang Bang Cauliflower! Everyone was helpful, friendly and professional, and nothing felt like too much trouble. A tremendous place. I had a wonderful recent stay at Pitbauchile House Hotel and will definitely come back whenever we’re over from Australia.

The rooms aren’t well soundproofed, so you can hear people in the corridors. Mostly, though, the heating put me off staying again. We came in peak winter and were lucky the radiator worked at all. There’s no wall thermostat, just a dial on the radiator, hidden behind furniture. I’m from the UK and know to look for one, but even turning it didn’t usually bring any heat. I guess it’s tied to a central boiler, so heat only comes when that’s running. Once it does come on, the room warms up very quickly. You don’t want to leave it on while you’re out and return to a sauna, but the central system seemed to be off at night, so we couldn’t warm the room a little before bed after coming back late. It’s odd that guests have so little control over their room temperature. The old, drafty windows make the rooms cold quickly, too. In an old building in winter, I find it bizarre that you can’t turn on the heat when you want. If you’ve booked a winter stay, bring an electric heater or hot water bottle.