Murrayshall Country Estate

We had booked lunch at the Cairns restaurant at Murrayshall but our first challenge was finding it. Our car satnav first took us into a housing estate which felt wrong so we retraced our steps and eventually found the hotel. There were plenty of estate signs but it wasn't clear how to find Cairns - only one which seemed to suggest it was an entrance for deliveries. We asked at the hotel and were directed to the restaurant which involved a circuitous driving route only to end up apparently at the back of the hotel building we'd already been at. There were no signs to indicate this was Cairns and we had to ask some guests who were sitting outside. Once inside, the restaurant was pretty quiet but we had to wait some time before someone came to help. We gave our order and got drinks fairly quickly but the food service was very slow and we ended up sitting for an hour and a half for a two-course lunch. Having said that, the chicken curry was delicious and the steak was perfectly rare. We paid the bill - £68 including a beer and a sparkling water and 10% service charge - but only noticed afterwards that we had been charged full price for the food in spite of the menu saying the two-course lunch was £22 (£44 for two people)....instead of the £52 we were charged. Even leaving the restaurant - which felt more of a golf club with a similar atmosphere - was a bit of a challenge with no obvious exit signs. All in all, a bit disappointing.

The hotel has been beautifully renovated and enjoys an idyllic location overlooking one of the local golf courses. Unfortunately, our stay got off to a poor start with an underwhelming reception experience — the receptionist was on the phone, and their colleague in the back office made no effort to assist, leaving several guests waiting. Once checked in, our room was clean and pleasant, though the TV signal was so poor that no channels were watchable. We had booked a table at Restaurant Cairns for 8:15 PM, but upon arrival, we were told there were no available tables and others were already queuing. We ended up eating in the bar, but sadly both experienced stomach discomfort afterwards. Breakfast the next morning was a much better experience, with attentive and service-minded staff who helped leave us with a more positive final impression. It’s clear the owners have ambitious plans and have invested heavily in the property. However, the service experience does not yet match the expectations set by the setting or the room rates, which makes it difficult to justify the price.