Fonab Castle Hotel

Beautiful place and friendly staff, loved the pool and breakfast was excellent with views over the loch.

This was our first visit and it definitely won’t be our last. Everything about our one night stay was perfect. The castle room was so comfortable, the spa was a delight and the Sandeman restaurant was a treat. The staff were beyond helpful and the surroundings were breathtaking. A very special stay in a special hotel.

Fonab Castle with huge ambitions welcomed us in a manner that left a lasting impression. We arrived in our hiking close and with our three boys. The receptionist looked “tired” and annoyed by our arrival and disgruntled by my wifes query about check in time. This came after a fantastic tour around Scotland meeting one after the other good experience in Loch Lomond, Glencoe, etc. And we had just talked about one of the top five features in Scotland was the warm welcome and great service. Perhaps we were unlucky, perhaps it was us? But the impression of a hotel which is understaffed (and I am certain this is what was the cause of the reception we received) stayed with us the entire stay. The concierge staff did their best (as an example we wanted room service, but no one was actually able to give us a menu or tell us how we order). The reception attempted to get back, but the place has lost its charm and whereas we can warmly recommend the Pitlochry area (!), we will highly recommend that you find another (and likely cheaper) hotel in Pitlochry area. It is a shame and we are sad to leave this review of a place and of staff which we are certain did their best, but did not have the necessary ressources.

When we checked in our initial room was a huge disappointment. The bathroom wasn't clean, there was wallpaper coming away from walls and the bedding set was ripped and torn. We have stayed at this hotel on a few occasions so were quite surprised that this establishment would consider this standard as acceptable. On a positive note once I raised these issues with reception they were very helpful and quickly arranged another room which was still tired but measurably better than the first. My opinion is that Fonab Castle is living off past glories and is in desperate need of a refurbishment to bring it back to the standard it once boasted. The staff are 5 star, but sadly the hotel is letting them down.

Bad- Had a few problems compared to last time we stayed (2020). No fridge in our lodge which wasn’t ideal during a heatwave. The spa needs maintenance as rust and limescale visible throughout, and no refreshment station (water) as you would expect in a 5*. Breakfast on day 1 to our room was impeccable, day 2 in the restaurant we didn’t receive our food for over an hour, then unfortunately had to leave, which meant we didn’t get our breakfast at all. We didn’t complain as could see the stress the staff were under, however it was disappointing when we received a passive aggressive comment from the waiting staff. Good- lodge was brilliant, huge bed, lounge area and table and chairs. En suite was gorgeous and very spacious. Restaurant and bar were lovely and service was top notch. Overall a lovely stay in a beautiful part of the world, we would recommend but wouldn’t call it a 5* anymore.

We recently stayed here to celebrate our tenth anniversary and, while there were some enjoyable aspects, several issues really let the experience down, especially given the price point. First, the positives: the staff were absolutely lovely. Friendly, helpful, and genuinely warm throughout our stay. Special thanks to Davey on the concierge team, who went above and beyond. The location was great and the overall atmosphere of the hotel had real potential. Unfortunately, a number of things detracted from our experience. Our room was poorly soundproofed—we were kept awake by noise from the room next door and footsteps above. There was also visible water damage in the bathroom and discoloured cupboards, which didn’t reflect the standard we expected. The spa facilities were a real let-down. The hot tub water looked discoloured and the filter cover was missing. We noticed rusting on the stanchions by the pool, and when we lay down in the steam room, loose tiles actually came away—definitely not what you'd expect from a high-end spa. Breakfast was the most disappointing part. On day one, our in-room breakfast arrived over 30 minutes late, with overcooked eggs, cold sauce, and soft toast. Day two was worse, we waited over 90 minutes and were given the wrong (non-vegetarian) order. This made us late checking out and late collecting our daughter from her grandparents. The food, once it arrived, was both overcooked and undercooked in parts (eggs hard, black pudding raw). Although we appreciated the staff’s apology and a refund, the whole experience was stressful. Even in the restaurant, we had to wait a long time to be seated, weren’t given menus, and never received toast. For the price we paid, we expected much better. It's clear that the staff are doing their best, but the facilities and service standards urgently need attention. A disappointing experience overall for what was meant to be a special occasion.