Hotel Reviews
<p>This weekend was a culinary delight starting with a 7 Course Seasonal taster menu at Edinburgh's oldest cookery school - The Edinburgh School of Food and Wine. Headed up by Chris Stewart ,the trainees served up an amazing taster menu after only 3 weeks . Anyhow i digress , i stayed at the Dalmahoy Marriot Hotel and Country Club just a mere 20 minute drive outside of the capital city - Edinburgh. I was not to sure what to expect from such a large hotel ( Experience has taught me to expect less and not be disappointed ) . A Star rating or Michelin rating does not always guarentee you a great experience so do your homework. A beautiful long driveway (Immaculately cared for ) led us to the A listed stunning building that is the Dalmahoy Marriot. The original home was built in 1725 for the younger son Earl of Stair and was designed by Wiiliam Adam. I absolutely love this type of Hotel mixing the old with the new effortlessly. The new hotel built in 1990 adjoining the original accomodates a restuarant , swimming pool ,spa and more accomodation. The countryside in which this hotel is set is quite breathtaking and definately feels like a retreat. The best thing about this Hotel is its quality of staff , cleanliness of everything you touch,standard of furnishings ,food , ease of sleep ,bed comfort , etc etc etc . I honestly could not fault this Hotel from start to finish . I ordered room service efficiently and effortlessly ,not overpriced. The pool was immaculate . For two nights in a large Queen room with side passage for extra room i payed £200 and this included all the facilities,breakfast and golf courses on site . The breakfast was a great display of fresh fruit, juices,pastries, buffet style breakfast with the addition of a cooked hot to order breakfast if you wished . As far as Hotels go this was a 10/10 . I will return one day for sure !!</p>
Today was a crisp cold and snowy day for a drive through the Perthshire countryside and on to Crieff Hydro . My initial pit stop turned out to be fully booked at Gleneagles so this was quite a relief to be in in the warmth . I have never experienced anything quite like this immense building elevated over some of the most stunning Perthshire countryside. Absolutely everything you could want is at your fingertips in this 4 * Spa resort. It has the obvious perfect setting , a fully equipped swimming pool with victorian spa and all the extras. It has about 3 or 4 different dining experiences . One of these dining experiences was inside a beautiful conservatory with stunning views of the grounds and countryside. This Hydro also houses a fully equipped cinema, golf courses,childrens entertainment etc etc etc etc . I could go on and on as i was impressed but i wont digress . Firstly the staff in this hydro were very friendly , helpful and eager to chat ( Extrememly rare in a place of this size ) and that makes your experience so much better. I opted for the Downstairs Brasserie which i found through a maze of corridors and gift shops and totally spotless surroundings. Again i was seated at the window by very helpful friendly staff. Service was quick, efficient ,friendly and best of all the Fish was Fresh - what a revelation in such a huge place . Excellent food ,iced water poured on arrival and in an informal atmosphere- great . My only complaint was the dessert menu ( About 3 choices ) and not a great dessert sadly but i would return if only for the fish . Great place and i would highly recommend for a family break or just the FISH !
Today was the fashionable West End of Glasgow for our weekly review on Afternoon Teas in 5 Star Hotels . 1 Devonshire Gardens is a B listed building comprising of 5 townhouses taking up an entire block on Great Western road . This early Victorian red brick Terrace built in the 1870s is quite commanding in this part of Glasgow and is impeccably well kept . Quite easy to park nearby and no horrific parking meters to pay for which is a bonus in the city . Afternoon Tea kicks off around 230pm most days but i arrived early and was served with no fuss . A Prompt and courteous reception on arrival was welcomed and we were shown into i presume a drawing room . Beautifully furnished in keeping with the Hotels age and historical background. Lovely leather comfortable seats and black watch tartan cushions abound with huge paintings of bottled "Vin" all adorning the walls . This Hotel is now part of the "Hotel Du Vin" group . We were served immediately our Tea and not long after a 3 tier plate of Homemade finger sandwiches with salmon,roast beef and tuna. Homemade Scones were next and an overwhelming top tier of tiny little individual and original patisserie. The huge portions of delicious clotted cream and tiny little jars of preserve just about had me jumping for joy ( Dislike skimpy portions) . If you are looking for a classy ,relaxing Boutique Hotel in the trendy West end of Glasgow and feel like spoiling someone special i would recommend . Nice to see a slightly different variation on the run of the mill normal cake and sandwich choices on a High tea . The scones also i would recommend and i will tell you why. When you get a warm scone served to you- i worry how old or how fresh or how dry it was . This is the first Hotel in my small list so far that has served a scone cold and it was as fresh and light and full of flavour . A good baker i would say . Most people like a warm scone but in my line of work it usually hides a multitude of sins . So for the purpose of reviews serve me the scone the way it was served here at 1 Devonshire Gardens - Fresh as a daisy . At a reasonable price tag of £18-95 per head i Look forward to dropping in again soon - slainte .
It was a crisp November day on my drive through Loch Lomond and onto cameron House Hotel . This 5 Star Hotel sits nestled in acres of beautiful scenery from mountains as you enter to shorelines on arrival. The Cameron House feels like a village all of its own .You enter from the Motorway into this oasis of peace and tranquility which i cant quite explain. An Extremely well maintained driveway takes the visitor around some of the most breathtaking views in Scotland ( In my humble opinion) before arriving at the Grand entrance of this 18th century Baronial mansion. Concierge awaits you should you need it, to park your car or to make sure your visit is as easy and as relaxed as possible. As i arrived the sea plane just landed just a few feet away from me on the shores - simply mesmerising. I entered the most stunning reception area dimly lit to enhance the atmosphere of log fire and tartan design .I knew i was in Scotlands best With beautifully polished dark wood panels lending itself to the age and style that the baronial period effortlessly knew. Anyhow i digress , i was lead into the drawing room overlooking the Banks of Loch Lomond where i was served one of the most visually attractive and traditional Afternoon Teas i have had . The Patisserie Chef who introduced herself at the end of my visit was most certainly a talented lady and for me this was a nice touch to introduce herself from one Professional to another. The Afternoon Tea was served in 3 parts . I had a dainty plate of Homemade Parmasan Choux buns,Salmon Mousse tarts, haggis and Pork sausage rolls. I was then served an enormous platter of finely cut sandwiches, Hot scones and too many fine patisserie cakes to mention. At the end of my visit the Chef then presented me with a further tray of Homemade sweets - I can honestly say i will not eat for a month . To conclude - For me Cameron House has it all - Golf Courses ,Boat Marina, leisure Club with Pool . Holiday Lodges , A stunning unrivalled location in Scotland , Stunning architecture that has been tastefully maintained , Excellent staff ( Lovely waitress ) and i can now report on the food that sometimes lacks in 5 Star Hotels - Not here . A price tag of £26-50 per head was well worth it In my opinion. Cameron House on Loch Lomond has it all . I will definately " Haste me back "