Ballathie Riverside

In a quandary - just how to review this. We had a lovely time at reasonable cost but standards are slipping. We knew last year that big changes were planned but no sign yet ! Grounds are lovely as ever We enjoyed a lovely big bedroom at a very fair price - but it will require serious updating for modern expectations. Also failed the dust test pretty badly. Mattress was in poor condition. Breakfast was included and therefore good value - but a level below our last two visits. My wife was really looking forward to her Eggs Benedict (fraid not !) Dinner was both good and irksome. Meal was very nice but the format was not. I’ve never been charged for an amuse bouche before - or had it counted as one of your 3 courses. Cheeky and self defeating really. Wine (by the glass) mark ups are at the top end of acceptable. Bill was produced at 10pm without request and our time was up ! Apparently. 2 years ago - we had a lovely dinner of amuse bouche , three courses and coffee with petit fours. Last year coffee was extra. This year …. There were some nice touches but hope the direction of travel changes for the future. Also Wi-Fi was awful…. Still - we did have a nice time…

Ballathie House enjoys a lovely setting beside the River Tay, and the main building has all the character one would hope for from a traditional Scottish country-house hotel. The public rooms are spacious and elegant, with high ceilings, fireplaces, period furniture and plenty of quiet seating areas. I initially booked one of the cheaper “garden rooms”. It was clean and functional, but extremely plain, with basic furnishings and little sense of being at Ballathie. In truth, it could have been a room in almost any modern budget hotel. I had not studied the photographs carefully enough when booking, but prospective guests should be aware that the garden rooms provide a very different experience from the main house. Fortunately, a room in the main building was available for a modest supplement, and the upgrade transformed the stay. My upper-floor corner room had high ceilings, sash windows on two sides, a view towards the Tay, better furnishings, complimentary water and a proper selection of bathroom toiletries. For the extra money, it was unquestionably a worthwhile upgrade. The hotel grounds include terraced gardens going down to the riverbank, making for a very pleasant stroll before dinner. The hotel’s public areas and riverside setting are excellent, and the staff I encountered were pleasant. The main weakness was the guest Wi-Fi. My phone remained connected, but my laptop was blocked. When I reported it, reception acknowledged that I was “not the only one”, suggesting this is a known problem. Dinner was excellent, as you'd hope for the price, with impeccable service which I'll review separately. I did not take breakfast, although the buffet appeared to offer a decent selection of fruit, cold meats, croissants and the usual cooked Scottish items. Overall, Ballathie is a very attractive country-house hotel, but I would strongly recommend booking a room in the main building. The garden rooms may suit someone seeking cheaper, practical accommodation, but they do not offer the same character or atmosphere.

A perfect location, beautiful main building, with a deceptive experience. The room was in what most seemed to be a campsite that in no case deserves a class of 4 stars. The outdoor lights lit until after 2am enter through the door window. The windows have no blackouts or locks, forcing to wake up with sunrise. At breakfast, which is marked in advance, the cheese, for example, “is already done”.