Grange Manor

The staff were the real highlight for me: welcoming, helpful, and they seemed happy to be there. I used a Groupon voucher for this stay in the Garden Annexe during my first trip to Scotland. The bed was very comfortable, and the room was quiet enough for a good night’s sleep. There’s a garden outside, and during our visit wedding groups were celebrating and seemed to be having a great time, which added to the atmosphere. The whole complex was exceptionally clean, including the Annexe and our room, although a few spots were beginning to look grubby. The bathroom was modern and clean enough to use comfortably, despite some marks. The dark wood trim gave me an 80s working men’s club impression, and the furniture and carpets felt tired. The room seemed set up more for business stopovers than a holiday, but was acceptable for what we paid. Breakfast is in a lovely restaurant, and the staff there were great too. You can choose a full traditional breakfast, breakfast baps or continental. The bacon and sausage were good quality, presumably from a local butcher, but I wasn’t keen on the sides: tinned or oven-baked mushrooms, soggy scrambled eggs and black pudding. That’s personal preference, though. The hotel faces a main road, but it wasn’t too noisy, and access to the motorways and other areas was easy. We’d stay again and would like to try the main building next time. They also serve Balvine doublewood whisky, which earned them extra credit.

The Garden Wing rooms had poor wifi, but we’d still come back. Ours was lovely, the staff were friendly and helpful, and breakfast was good. It’s a nice hotel, very handy for the motorway, with plenty of free parking.

The breakfast service was good, and the reception staff were so kind they felt like your old mum welcoming you home. The motorway location is very convenient. I didn’t like groups smoking around the entrance doors, though. I also had to run a wire across the room from the socket opposite the bed to power my res med, since there wasn’t an outlet beside the bed. Still, it was OK.

I wouldn’t stay again. Room 206 in the Garden Wing was so dirty I took photos. It was dim and smelled, the sockets beside the bed were unusable, and one on the wall nearly came off when I tried it. Cobwebs everywhere and dust an inch thick on all the skirting boards. I nearly booked somewhere else, but thankfully it was only one night.