The Caledonian Hotel

The food was tasty, the hotel was quiet and comfortable, and the rooms, staff and location were all 10/10. We had an amazing lake view, and free parking was included. For anyone allergic to dogs, just be aware that puppies are allowed in the hotel and bar, though they likely have designated rooms. It didn’t bother us at all, and there was no noise.

The location was stunning, and I’m glad I got to try the mystery coach package. The staff were apologetic and helpful, even though a few things went wrong. With so many people arriving, they couldn’t get everyone checked in half an hour after check-in began. They tried to seat us in the bar, but some of us had to stand, and you had to be quick to get a seat. I was also given the wrong breakfast start time, so I arrived late and faced long queues. The room was great for one night, though the window was dirty and the carpet wasn’t fitted properly in one corner. There’s no room service, but you can order food from a menu and take it to your room. Meals cost about 17-25 pounds. I didn’t order any, so I can’t comment on the food, and the quality or quantity might justify the price. Our package included a 3 course meal. The food came slowly, and the kitchen lost our table’s ticket. Staff apologised profusely, but it was about 50 mins between the starter and main. What we did eat was really nice, although both courses felt heavier on salad than on the protein we’d ordered. The view from my window was just a random back garden, so I didn’t take any photos from there, but I’ve attached some from the front door. It was a fab experience, though with quite a few things going wrong, I probably wouldn’t go back.

This was my first visit to Highland, and I chose this hotel for my stay. My room looked out over Loch Linnhe, with a stunning lake view. The cosy place sits among the magical mountains, and the lounge was comfortable and ambient, with amazing staff. Fort William was just 2-3 minutes away by car.

For what we paid over Christmas, the room was just what we expected, so no complaints there. The food, though, was awful. The ice cream on Christmas Eve was full of ice, as if it had thawed and been frozen again. At Christmas Day breakfast, the black pudding was solid and the fried egg yolks were hard. The so-called Christmas Buffet was the worst of it. We arrived 10 mins before our 7pm slot to find stale sandwiches, chicken nuggets and chocolate cake, with nothing that felt remotely related to Christmas. The lunch had been at 1pm, so perhaps the sandwiches had been sitting out since then. There seem to be serious storage and food safety issues. Serving food that should have been thrown away and charging for it is completely unacceptable. Every guest who paid should get a refund.