 |
De Vere Deluxe Cameron House Hotel (Loch Lomond)
by etherealD
This hotel was my first choice when recently booking a local short break, as my first visit there blew my socks off. You enter the hotel from an impressive facade on the shores of loch lomond into a huge dark wood foyer, decorated with fake big game heads and a welcoming fire. The doormen are dressed in a wacky uniform of short golfing ... trousers, long socks and tweed, but don't let that put you off, as there are many touches like this that seem designed to appeal to the american tourist market who must enjoy this caricature of the Scots.
The rooms are large and impressively decorated with lots of plush pillows, chairs to lounge on and plently of room to sit at a desk (internet provided), or just lie back and look at the gorgeous view of Loch Lomond from your window. The bathrooms reflect the quality of the bedrooms, with small touches like a silver tissue box to match the fixtures making the decor feel very luxurious.
Outside, the views are second to none as you are right on the loch, but I found that a path beside the loch would have been very beneficial, as to get to the shore you need to trail through a field of goose poop!
If you explore the hotel itself, you will find a great bar with huge comfy sofas where the staff come to serve you drinks while you are surrounded by photos of great scots from history. Further along this corridor is the great games room with pool, snooker, air hockey and fussball and then the huge swimming pool which also has a kids pool with flumes, a jaccuzi and a sauna and turkish bath. I found the sauna area to be a bit dissapointing compared to other luxury hotels, as it was a bit basic, but it does the job ok.
There is a hairdresser and nail bar on site, but dissapointingly they have moved the spa treatments to the Carrick Spa just down the road. Although that complex is very large and impressive and the spa is lovely, the simple fact that I was kept waiting by the concierge service to take me back on the 3 mile journey to the hotel for 50 minutes spoilt it a little. I much preferred when I had my treatment in the hotel, then could wander over to the pool, take a dip and go back to my room for a snooze.
Overall, this is a great place to go for a short break, the service from the staff was fab and the food and drink were amazing. I will definately be going back at some point.
Read the complete review |
 |
Hilton (Glasgow)
by cvernon
I love the Glasgow Hilton :) I have stayed hear twice now with my boyfriend, just because we have managed to get good deals!
I allready stay in Glasgow so for me it's very easy to get to, just a train to central station and its about a 15min walk from there.
We have managed to get deals for £50 last year and in January ... 2010 we paid £69 (both prices for B&B Queen size room).
The staff are friendly and polite, you are greeted at the door and shown to reception. The first time I stayed i was't too impressed with the room, we asked for smoking and the room was very old fashioned and not too clean so the 2nd time we came we asked for non-smoking, what a difference! The room was smaller but much nicer, fuirnature was nicer, room was bright and it had a much nicer feel to it.
The main reason i love the hilton is the facillities and the breakfast! The pool is great, sauna steam room are all there too, you go down and sign yourself in and you get towels down there! The 2nd time we went though my boyfriend hit his head of the side of the pool and ended up in A&E for a few hours, but when we returned we still had a great time.
The breakfast s great too, i think its from 7.30-10.30 ish? Theres everything you would want, cereals, fruit juice, tea&coffee, cakes, patries,fry ups, pancakes, fruit, toast everything! You help yourself so you can have as much as you want, i could spend all day there!
Overall its a great hotel, i wouldnt pay £100+ to stay there though, would only go if I was to get another good deal!
Read the complete review |
 |
Jury's Inn (Edinburgh)
by Supermaz
As a regular short trip visitor to Edinburgh, I have stayed in a selection of hotels and guest houses. I would definitely conclude that the Jury's Inn is probably the best and most convenient.
*Location*
Located on Jeffrey Street, it is within a 2 minute walk from Edinburgh's main Waverly Station. When you leave the ... platforms simply take a right, ascend the nearest staircase and when you leave the station on the left, you are on the same road as the hotel. Simples! Make sure you leave on the side of the Edinburgh Dungeon and you should see the Sports Bar just in front of you.
Just behind the hotel is the Royal Mile, which is accessible by a little lane that runs right beside the main entrance which is perfect and well lit at night. The new town is also around 5 minutes away. You can either leave the main entrance and go through or round the train station, or walk up the Royal mile for a few minutes then cross the North Bridge. Either way, it's a nice walk and not far at all.
*Rooms*
The rooms in the Jury's Hotel are basic, simple and clean. Ok, so it is a chain, and lacks some of the charm you would expect in maybe an independent or boutique hotel, but the rooms are a good size and have all the amenities you would expect. I have never had any issues with the room quality with any of the Jury's I have stayed in and all double rooms come with a good sized double bed and a single. Some rooms I believe have a bed settee, however I have never stayed in one and if there are only 2 of you the this really isn't a problem. If there are 3 of you then you may struggle a little for space but if it just somewhere to put your head down at the end of the day then it will do the job.
Tea and coffee making facilities are in the room as are the usual bathroom accompaniments and the local city guides etc. What more do you need?
Once slight warning however with the Edinburgh Jury's, due to its location, some of the front facing rooms directly overlook the railway line at Waverly, so be prepared for a some noise. It isn't excessive but on the lower floors it is noticeable and may disturb the lighter sleepers. Despite this, it is an amazing view of the new town and Calton hill.
*Bar & Restaurant*
The Jury's has a reasonably sized bar on the ground floor which is nicely decorated. The drinks prices are also reasonable for a hotel. Bar food is also available however if you are staying that close to the Royal Mile, there really is no reason to stay in the hotel as there are a huge selection of lovely traditional Scottish bars that serve great food and drink at better prices right on your doorstep.
The Restaurant is also basic but stylish and serves a selection of starters and mains, but for the reason I outlined above, I must admit I have never ate there.
*Price*
The standard room rate for the Jury's Edinburgh is £59 although I know it differs depending on what city you visit. Some Jury's charge around £69 per night. I, however, always keep and eye out for special offers through agents. www.booking.com and www.hotels.com often offer discounted rates and I usually only pay on average £50 for a double room. Single rooms come in a lot cheaper at around £40 with a discount.
There are guest houses in Edinburgh with much better rates but you would be hard pushed to find one with such a great location and most of them are slightly outwith the city centre.
Word or warning, during the Edinburgh Festival, the prices can go up considerably. I tried to book last year and the room rate had jumped to £120 per night. Availability is also limit during this time (usually early August to mid-November).
*Things to do*
There are far too many things to do in Edinburgh for me to list here and would require a whole new review but my highlights would include:
- The Edinburgh Dungeon is great for the kids;
- Edinburgh Castle is stunning
- Take a walk at dusk round the Old Kirk Graveyard;
- Have cocktails in Harvey Nicolls;
- Take the kids to Our Dynamic Earth for some fun and education;
- Holyrood House is a great insight into the Royal family in Scotland
Enjoy!
Read the complete review |
