The Garrison

Once the building work is finished, this should be a suitable place to stay. It's very central to Fort William high street, with several spots for food and drinks a short walk away. The price was reasonable. Parking at the hotel itself is limited, though the apartments have enough spaces for their number of suites. We were a family of four staying for four nights in February, off peak. The booking site didn't make it clear that our two-bedroom apartment was on the road behind the hotel. A few days after booking, we were emailed about construction noise from an extension being built between the hotel and apartment block. The workers weren't there at weekends, but on weekdays they arrived at 7am and played the radio full blast, waking everyone. The modern apartment had just been decorated, but the strong oil paint smell was awful. We asked to move and were told it had been painted a week earlier. It seemed no staff had recently checked whether it was habitable. We were offered a room in the main building with a sofa bed for our son, and made that work to get away from the smell. Two days later, my wife heard another guest complain about the paint too. There was also a lift notice saying breakfast was available, though the breakfast area seemed closed.

I liked the urban chic feel of the hotel and enjoyed my stay. The bed was comfortable, the shower was great, and breakfast was okay. I'd stay again. Check-in on the tablet took ages and felt off-putting, even though staff were right there at the desk. Other guests found it annoying too. Maybe guests could check in online beforehand. The heating didn't come on until 6pm, but the room was warm enough. Watch out for the bathroom notice asking you to put a towel in front of the shower door to keep water off the carpet. There's no cupboard, which didn't bother me personally. I couldn't get terrestrial TV channels, so I logged into my Netflix account. Parking costs just over £10.00 at a car park about a 4-5 minute walk away. The hotel seems to be extending its existing car park, but the walk isn't ideal in heavy rain. Building work starts around 8am.

After finishing the WHW, I appreciated having decent snacks and drinks in the room, so I could refuel without immediately going to find food. I didn't try breakfast, even though it was included in my rate, because I had early starts both mornings. Check-in was straightforward on a self-service screen, with a staff member there to help and answer questions. A couple of bathroom details were odd. The towels were impressively heavy, but the two towel rails felt flimsy, and one was loose. It also seemed a light was missing or broken in the shower area, which was very dark, and a switch appeared to do nothing. There was a lot I liked about the Garrison, though a few things fell short.

We were so touched by the welcome during our honeymoon in Fort William. Earlier in the trip, at the beautiful Laggan Hotel, we met Carly and her husband, who runs this hotel here. Sorry, we can't remember your name. We mentioned we'd be continuing our honeymoon in Fort William later that week, and the team had arranged a lovely surprise for our arrival: an upgrade to a gorgeous suite, with complimentary champagne and snacks waiting in the room after a long day of travel. That kind of care and coordination between properties is rare, and made us feel very welcomed and looked after. Small gestures like that make a trip unforgettable. Thanks for such a warm welcome. We'll always remember it and would happily recommend staying here.