Allangrange Hotel near Inverness

Had stayed before a few years ago and all was good - the staff, the food, the rooms, the breakfast. Not now! It is under new ownership since my previous visit, an owner who I was reliably informed owns other hotels busy with weddings etc, which I guess was shared to make the problems I encountered down to my naivety and misunderstanding rather than that of the professionally run Allangrange Hotel. There is a cereal bar in your room for breakfast, the window doesn't close in the room and the shower goes from freezing to scalding, which appears from other reviews to be an issue for years now, and the dining experience I'd rather forget altogether, but for the sake of others I will share more of below.

On arrival I was told that I had arrived too early and that Booking.com had the wrong time on their site. I apologised and said I can come back as was just going to leave a bag and head out, but was told 'it doesn't matter, I am here anyway'. The first words and greeting was one that made me out to be an inconvenience, and that was just the start. The bar is not a bar. You have to ask for a member of staff to come and take your drink order from your table a few feet from the bar, fine I guess, but the bar was part of the appeal on my last visit. I guess they don't want locals drinking in the village pub? So, I am now at a table that was dirty and sticky and not cleaned from previous spilled drinks waiting for someone to walk 5 feet to take my order. The young staff were doing their best and were mostly cheery and polite - the ones that spoke. However, the service was slow and poor. Then to the dining room. A piece of bread was delivered to the table, with no butter or any words when placed down. I asked several times if I could please have some butter, but that never arrived. Then when the food arrived, it became a whole lot worse. I would have thought a burger would be an easy meal for any kitchen to produce, but not on this occasion. First site was the sad dry gherkin on a stick on top of the bun. The bun was wet on the bottom and stale on top, the chips soggy, and the burger inedible. I am not one for complaining, but this had to be reported back to the kitchen and management. I asked the young friendly server for the manager, as this was not something she needed to fix, but the manager did not come to the table (on a quiet night of only two other tables) until I had finished my drink (food untouched) and ready to leave, some 40 minutes later. When she did finally appear I was told that there had been a bereavement and the kitchen staff were new and that hopefully I can understand why the meal wasn't to expected standards - no, I cant.

The lack of breakfast turned it into more of a self-catering option, but without the convenience of self-catering facilities. A tray of the usual tea bag and instant coffee sachets is provided, with biscuits and - a token offering to fill the breakfast void: cereal bars and pots of instant porridge. Fine if you like them, but not very satisfactory if you don't. We took along our own cereals, fruit, milk, bowls, coffee and plunger jug, which was reasonably satisfactory - although with only one chair in the room and limited space on the table, it wasn't ideal. It's maybe ok if you're only staying one night... The other downside was the food in the restaurant. The reviews we read in advance were all very positive, but both meals we had were disappointing - smoked haddock and pea risotto where the peas were solid; a hot smoked salmon dish where the salmon was dry, flavourless and not hot-smoked, and the parsnips and carrots dry and overcooked; a chicken satay starter that was dry and uninteresting.....

I was disappointed that as a late walk-in on a weekday evening there was no latitude on the price of the room. Understand that this may be down to the tyranny of Bookings.com, but it reduces the human experience. I couldnt even book at the bar - the barman had to help me get online (not easy for some reason). There wasnt any breakfast, so 120 for bed and none.. . I wished that this village Inn/Hotel had a little more bar culture; the focus felt on eating. Not so good for for the single traveller! Nice comfy bed. Boutique furnishings lack character - depends what you like, I suppose. I like something that speaks of, or belongs to, the buildings past as well as its present, not all new out of a furniture shop.