The Caledonian Claymore Hotel

The views from the hotel are fantastic, and the staff were faultless at reception, in the bar and in the dining room. We had four free drinks a day, plus decent entertainment and bingo. There's a good choice of evening meals, though they were lukewarm at best. The hotel only needs a few tweaks to be close to perfect, especially for the price. I'd consider going back if the small issues were fixed. We came for a four day Twixmas break. Because of mobility issues and the lack of a lift, we got a ground floor twin, room 207. It was small but adequate. The bathroom was tiny, and although the shower was walk in, the sink partly blocked its doorway so it was hard to get in. The beds were clean and comfortable, the towels were fresh, and the room was lovely and warm. The carpet hadn't been vacuumed.

After a long coach ride, the hotel made a good first impression at the front, with an impressive spot overlooking Loch Long. We were glad to have the ground floor room we'd requested, though the walls were so thin we could hear everything from the adjoining rooms. The room was on the small side, as was the bathroom, which had just enough space to move around. The shower was tiny and took ages to get hot. We only had one hand towel between us. Breakfast and dinner were fine, and the food was perfectly adequate, but service could be slow. We were lucky to be there for an early Burns night celebration, which was brilliant and enjoyed by everyone.

The food was generally good, though on two nights we were given the wrong desserts. The staff seemed rushed on burn night, and it made us uncomfortable, as it felt like we had to eat quickly so they could rest or serve someone else. I only wished there had been fresh fruit at breakfast, or fruit salad sometimes. The hotel is a bit outdated, but has a cosy, warm feel. The staff were so helpful and friendly.

Everyone at the hotel was welcoming and attentive, and the service was quick and friendly. The food came out promptly, with plenty of choice and reasonable quality. It's a hotel serving coach parties, not fine dining, so I wasn't expecting cordon blue, but everything tasted good and I have no complaints. We booked a three day coach trip with Caledonian. Our driver, Mick, was knowledgeable and chatty. The hotel is in a lovely location, though the trip schedule didn't leave us time to walk around the area. Yes, the building is dated and needs an upgrade, but with meals and drinks included, the holiday was decent value. We thoroughly enjoyed the break and would stay there again.