The only saving grace was that we didn't pay the full price and we got a late deal. We stayed one night and that was more than enough. Firstly when we arrived there was no one to check us in. Finally someone came to serve us and said that there was only one person who had authority to check us in, so we had wait a further 5-10 minutes waiting for him. Found it slightly ridiculous that they had to get a "special member of staff" to do what is a basic hotel service. Our room was a cell - the smallest hotel room I have ever stayed in. You could barely move around the room and there was no where even to leave luggage without risking tripping over it. The bathroom was clean and reasonably sized. The next morning we had to step over the cleaners who were sitting in the corridor having a chat - made no attempt to move. Hardly what you would expect of a 5 star hotel. Overall the service seemed lazy and not up to standard.

From reading the reviews I didn't expect much. Add to that the fact I was on a cheap conference rate I thought i'd get the worst room in the place. In fact the room itself was excellent... The view over a building site was the only downside. The builders were literally 10 feet away and when you opened the curtains they all had a good stare!!!!! Great location, decent breakfast and the staff we very polite and helpful

No parking but centrally situated and easy to get to by public transport/taxi. Very limited lounge and bar space, none reserved for residents (planned roof top extension may rectify this). When the hotel is busy you may have to queue for breakfast. Staff generally helpful and courteous. We were there for a wedding which was well managed by the hotel. The ceremony, meal and ceilidh in the King's Hall were excellent. The Library, where the drinks reception was held, was too cramped for our numbers (120) and very warm. Bedrooms were comfortable with attractive decor but varied considerably in size. Ours, in the Forth wing, was very spacious, although the bathroom was on the small side.

Apart from the fact that the rooms I've had have been a bit on the small side I've no real complaints about the hotel. There's a great atmosphere, a good bar, an excellent breakfast and the staff are pretty helpful.