Lochside Hotel

Enjoyed an excellent stay at the Lochside while visiting Islay and the distilleries. The room was very comfortable and clean with plenty of space (I was in the family room). We ate 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 2 dinners in the hotel and all were excellent! There was a wide choice on the menu that catered for all tastes in our group. The views from the hotel are second to none and I was lucky enough to see them on a lovely day although I imagine they are just as good on a stormy day! The bar has an amazing whisky collection and the barman was very knowledgeable about them all. What made the stay though was the staff. They went out their way to make sure we enjoyed our stay as much as possible. I thoroughly recommend the Lochside and will definitely stay again!

This delightful small hotel stays open when just about everything else is closed! It’s a real hub of the local community in a stunning waterfront location. We loved everything about it, from the warmth of its welcome to its cool ‘boutiquey’ vibe (it’s still a proper wee Scottish hotel though). Nothing was ever any bother to its mainly young team. How professional were they! Food was great, especially the breakfasts. If you did want to eat out, there are other choices nearby and a dream of a coffee/gift shop just steps away. Stay here!!

We stayed here for one night, following our whisky tasting experiences! It’s about a 20 minute drive from the Port Ellen ferry terminal, and an easy drive through the Islay. This hotel was bustling with people, and much busier than I anticipated! We were promptly greeted and checked-in, given instructions (especially regarding sensitive smoke detectors) and were made a dinner reservation. The room was small but comfortable, and the bed was large and cozy. Dinner was convenient and delicious (though it was an added expense for us, and not included in our stay). Seating is limited and best to book in advance. The hotel is located close to many shops, the Bowmore distillery and the shoreline. There’s an attached bar (Duffy’s Pub), which was boisterous and seemed like a fun time. Our room was up the stairs, at the top of the hotel. Unfortunately, the walls seemed extremely thin and there was quite a bit of noise and very loud voices between 2200-0000. It was a little annoying, and made it hard to sleep. Breakfast was included in our stay, which we took advantage of. It took quite awhile to have any service once we were seated, and the gentleman serving us seemed like he wasn’t paying much attention. Scrambled eggs came out over easy, coffee was never refilled, and we weren’t checked on once the food came out. We were seated with a little view of the water this time, which was nice. We did enjoy our stay here, and would return if we had the chance.

The views are great over the sea and the food was good albeit expensive. I had langoustines and my wife had them two days earlier at the Bridgend Hotel but mine were £10 more expensive for roughly the same quantity. My wife had venison steak which she said was very good. We went on a Tuesday night and fortunately we had made a reservation as they were turning people away. I had a glass of Pinot Grigio which was not very nice but my wife’s Pinot Noir was very good. A 10% service charge is automatically to the bill which can be removed if requested.

Booked accommodation for three nights in the spacious attic bedroom. We were disappointed the room didn't have any seating area, which the room was large enough to cope with but instead had two additional beds at different heights which went unused. The hotel knew there were only two guests booked and not a family of four. The room had a fab view apart from overlooking the metal roof of the hotel kitchen and noise from 6:30 am - 8:30pm of the kitchen fans. The room had a damp smell and unfortunately the biggest issue was the velux window didn't have a blind. The first morning we were awake at 4:30ish, sunrise and when asked for a solution or moving to an alternative room the staff member offered to cover the window in foil. When arriving back into the room a blanket/duvet cover had beef wrapped over the window. Paying £220 a night felt like a lot, especially when the room was so disappointing. The staff were friendly but inexperienced in working in hospitality and hadn't been fully trained.

Wir waren begeistert. Alles unter einem Dach. Frühstück, Übernachtung, Abendessen und eine Bar mit diversen Whiskysorten. Vom Restaurant hatten wir einen schönen Blick auf die See. Ein Ort um Körper und Geist neu aufzutanken für künftige Aufgaben