Mercure Inverness Hotel

We chose the cheapest room, so I wasn't expecting anything special, but it was much bigger than I thought and reasonably well equipped. My two small gripes: there weren't plugs or USB sockets near the bed, and the kettle was too tall to fill from the sink tap. The staff were lovely. We dropped off our bags in the morning, then got a call that the room was ready early. When we arrived, they'd brought the bags out for us, a nice touch. We had dinner and breakfast in the restaurant. A system breakdown between the restaurant and kitchen made dinner take a long time, but the food was beautiful, and the breakfast buffet was great. Excellent value for a night.

It's about a five-minute walk from the station, with plenty of places to eat within walking distance if you want to head out. On site, there was a decent choice of evening meals and drinks, and the breakfast was high quality. My premium room was spacious, had a good shower and coffee facilities, and looked out over the river. The car park seemed small for a hotel this size, though I didn't have a car, so I can't say whether that was a real issue.

The bar had lovely views across the river, and breakfast offered a good selection, with hot cooked items that were tasty. Every staff member we met was friendly and professional. Our room was spacious and had everything we needed. It could have used power sockets nearer the bed, but otherwise I had no complaints and would highly recommend it.

We were so pleased with everything, especially room 303. When snow cancelled our train, we added a night and got the same room at a really cheap price. The food was good, with a huge choice at breakfast, and all the staff were friendly and helpful. There was a snag with our room assignment, but the receptionist I first spoke to sorted it quickly with a smile. I don't know her name, but she had blonde hair and large framed glasses. She was lovely and made everything feel easy.