Craiglynne Hotel

I arrived without a booking to ask if there were rooms, and the staff welcomed me warmly. Aaron was especially friendly and attentive, and offered me a lovely room at a very reasonable rate. I liked it enough to book a second night. The chef deserves compliments for the fantastic breakfast and evening meals. All in all, a wonderful stay. I’d happily recommend it, and when I’m next in the area, I’ll stay here again. Many thanks, Chris Burrell.

The bathroom flush didn’t work, and the shower was almost impossible to use. Its temperature swung between scalding hot and freezing cold, with no comfortable middle. Our window seemed centuries old, jammed and impossible to open or close properly. We also couldn’t find our way to the rooms easily because there were no clear directions for the room numbers, which felt random and confusing. From arrival onward, everything seemed disorganized, and for what we paid, the basic comfort and service were far below what I expected. The place felt more like an old haunted hotel than somewhere meant for guests. After checkout, we realized we’d left a North Face jacket in the wardrobe. Staff said they could send it by Royal Mail for £30. We agreed and paid, and they promised a tracking number, but it never came. It’s been over a month and the jacket still hasn’t arrived. We’ve lost both the jacket and the £30. If they couldn’t return it, they shouldn’t have charged us. Broken facilities, unhelpful service, and what felt like dishonesty over lost property made the whole stay a disappointment. I’d give zero stars if I could. Definitely not worth the price, and I strongly advise others to avoid the Craiglynne Hotel.

The Sticky Toffee Pudding I had with dinner at the on site restaurant in March 2010 is still the best I’ve ever had. Fifteen years and dozens of puddings later, none has come close. I don’t know if they still serve it, but I wanted to finally write the review it deserved. The Craiglynne Hotel had amazing staff, comfortable rooms, and a beautiful historic building, and that dessert was so good I’m still talking about it after all these years. I truly hope the hotel is doing well and that the people who make it special are blessed!

My elderly disabled mum fell in the bedroom and tried to alert staff, but there was nobody on duty to call for help. Thankfully she had a call bell necklace. They couldn’t reach anyone at the hotel, and when an ambulance was called, the paramedics couldn’t get inside. She was isolated and vulnerable until they broke in. When staff were told what had happened, they seemed disinterested and showed no empathy towards my mother. She cut her stay short as a result. This budget hotel really isn’t suitable for elderly travellers. There are no disabled parking bays or phones in the bedrooms. Terrible experience, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.