Queens Hotel

There’s no reception or staff on site around the clock, and the welcome wasn’t very warm. You leave your keys in a basket and lock the door behind you at checkout. The rooms are dated, and loud music from the pub downstairs carried on until 1 am. There was no food available, breakfast included.

We booked by phone at the last minute after a week of wild camping. Honestly, our two-person tent was better, and I’d have slept better upright in the car beside the M6. I’d hoped for a hot shower and some TV in bed. Instead I was checking for bed bugs, listening to static and Slipknot, and “sleeping” fully dressed. I left before 8 am, with nobody there to see us off. We were in Room 3, though I doubt another room would have been any better. Wild camping is legal in Scotland, and even a bus shelter would have meant a better night’s sleep. There was no reception, just barmaids behind the bar, and the staff were rude when we arrived. The room had no socket by the bed, one of its two lamps didn’t work, and the light above the bed was painfully bright whether on or off. A gap in the window let in a draught strong enough to blow the curtains. The furniture was outdated and somehow looked less finished than the photos already posted. There were mould or water damage stains on the walls and ceiling, and questionable marks in the room and all along the hallways. The toilet lid was stuck to the seat, presumably from dirt. The shower was dirty and brown, and there was no hot water. The bathroom was tiny, the mirror was too low for me to see at 5'7", there was no chair, and there were no proper coat hangers. The hot tap had come off the sink and was barely lukewarm, while the cold tap produced only a trickle. The Sky TV had only basic channels, and even those went to static from a low signal. Loud music played well past midnight, like a rock concert in the function room below, and nobody warned us about it when we booked. Parking outside had to be moved by 8 am. People were fighting and screaming in the street late at night, and there was no soundproofing.

I’m staying here while visiting my grandson. The price is very competitive, and the rooms are clean. Number 8 is especially roomy, with plenty of complimentary toiletries and nice towels. The service has been excellent when I’ve had a couple of issues. The bar is always busy, and I’ve had lots of fun there with very friendly staff and customers.

The beer was cold, and the gentleman who served us was very nice. The food, though, felt like a bar trying to do restaurant meals. There were no menus, just a food list on a scrap of paper. The choices were a burger, “scampi” and chips, or a chicken sandwich. The burger was a small frozen patty with no vegetables. The “scampi” was small bay shrimp, 300-500 size, in thick batter that was clearly frozen. Don’t eat here!