We’ve visited several times over the years, but this weekend probably marks our last. James in concierge was superb, as was the overall reception team. However, the restaurant “refurb” is not good, the US style booths are out of place, and appear to have reduced capacity; they’ve certainly affected the ambiance. The dining experience was so noisy on Saturday night it was more akin to an inner city chain restaurant. Despite this obvious push for numbers Hotel guests struggled to get a reservation for dinner. We were given a booking after 9pm. I meandered to reception at 5.30pm thinking I’d have no problem for 7.45pm …oh well, rookies error! Anyway, the menu has morphed into a rather odd (&limited) selection of Italian plates, utterly incongruous to the overt Scottish fabric of the place. The rooms remain spacious & pleasant, but we struggled to understand the choice of wallpaper which has quite a claustrophobic effect!! Clearly it’s each to their own as others seem to appreciate it. The Marine is a beautiful hotel and (thankfully) the public areas remain a jewel in the crown, but bar & restaurant service was frustratingly poor. Seemed to be a combination of inexperienced staff & limited leadership. My impression is this hotel will eventually lose its loyal clientele & become a “one visit” tourist spot, which is a shame because it has all the attributes of being a trusted hotel in that part of Scotland.
We have just had a wonderful stay at this gorgeous hotel for Christmas. Our stay here felt like a home from home, very quiet and relaxing, very clean and attention to detail is excellent. It is a very comfortable hotel with cosy areas to relax in. The room was spacious, we booked a premium double and the bathroom was also large with Victorian style fittings and a lovely roll top bath. Everything ran smoothly and all the staff including the manager Ian were so polite and friendly, nothing was too much trouble. I can’t not mention the food which was absolutely exquisite and everything we had imagined it to be. We felt like welcome visitors rather than hotel guests. Thank you to all the staff who worked so hard over Christmas, it was truly appreciated! I’m sure we will return.