Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa & Golf in Argyll & Bute

We just spent 3 wonderful nights at The Isle of Eriska. The weather was not the best, but we are in Scotland, and that forced us to just unwind. As an older couple travelling from Australia, this was just what we needed after 2 weeks of hectic travelling in Europe. Now feel refreshed and ready to finish our journey. The food was great and loved the meet and greet in the bar prior to dinner. You are given the menu and wine list whilst enjoying your drink and then when you have made your choice you are escorted to dinner and everything is ready for you. The rooms are wonderfully restored and fitted out, I especially loved the mirror TV. All the staff have just been so friendly and happy to engage with you, in particular Sarah, who was extremely helpful and professional.

After a 4 hour trip we arrived at the Isle of Eriska Hotel. We had arrived for a 2 night winter package to celebrate 50th birthdays, It is a truly beautiful location with quite a drive from the main road. We were shown a beautiful room. We had the usual water and tea and coffee facilities, but no mini bar. Housekeeping were very attentive. The hotel has a number of rooms to enjoy a pre or post dinner drink and cosy fires to sit beside. Bar is very pretty, The staff are amazing and couldn't do enough. The food was nice, but probably not of a 5 star standard and small portions. Breakfast was nice, but again portions small. The Spa appears basic, with an ageing pool. Not enticing us in to pay the prices. Sports facilities available, but all locked up. Golf Course no longer in operation and driving range is not what the average golfer would call a driving range! Grounds are beautiful. Deer visible at breakfast. Croquet and putting area available. There are self catering Hilltop residences available to book, but from the outside don't appear to be the most aesthetically pleasing. The pier and being by the water is amazing and the views of the mountains on a sunny day are hard to beat. We had a lovely time, Very relaxing, but food standard was not up to the level you would expect for £758.00. In addition, we had a daily energy charge added to our bill. The trip home via Fort william has the impost amazing water and mountain views.

We visit IoE whilst on holiday and enjoyed the most amazing pescatarian tasting menu. Every course was sublime with stunning attention to detail by chef Ernst and his team. The menu was full of gorgeous flavours beautifully paired together and every course had lots of ooo’s and ahh’s. I have never wanted to try oysters but my mind was definitely changed for the better. One of the many highlights was the cheese which looked like a wafer ice cream, it was just stunning. Thank you Ernst and team and Liz for your beautiful wine pairing.

Three of us arrived at this hotel with high expectations. The hotel / manor house is situated in huge gardens and we were checked into our rooms by the friendly staff. My Tanera suite was on the 3rd floor and very spacious. Nicely decorated but no minibar or tea/coffee facilities. On request a tray of tea / instant coffee and a kettle were brought up. I would have thought for a hotel of this standard the least would be a Nespresso machine in each room. Dinner was a 12-course tasting menu that took hours to get through. It was interesting and the duck course excellent - I would have loved another piece. Cheese was £15 extra making the bill £105 per person which is steep for what we got. Wines ordered were eitheir out of stock or "our last one". The same happened at the bar with some whiskies. I would have thought that at the beginning of the tourist season the bar would have been fully stocked. Breakfast was good. We then tried dinner at The Deck - the hotel's informal restaurant. Absolutely stunning views but what a disaster! Lamb we had to send back due to it being cold. Second time around still cold! Grilled vegetables at £16 was not enough on the plate to feed a child. Steak was also cold but our friend decided to eat it as is - cold beef is one thing, cold lamb quite another. Credit to the manager that did not charge us for the lamb and gave us free ice cream. This is a SLH hotel and with a bit of effort can become a top 5* edtablishment, but oh dear, the food needs to be sorted out big time. Simple country fare can't be that difficult to cook - and prepreparing meals in advance for The Deck is not on.

We ate at the restaurant in the spa. The welcome was chaotic. Drinks came eventually (the jug of water at the third time of asking), but for food we had to ask if we could order. Eventually someone appeared and wrote our order on a paper napkin. The menu is odd, with apparently little if anything, in this area of excellent raw ingredients, that was local. In fact one of the dullest menus I can remember. We had salad to start (microscopic and with no dressing), and simultaneously ‘sharing plates’ (‘lamb’ - a cold small slab of pre-cooked wizened gristle, at £19, and an anonymous farmed fish that was mis-labelled on the menu) that were really atrocious. I mean shockingly bad. Service was dreadful. The female front of house manager was absent most of the time, and when present seemed to do little, the young waiter helpful but thoroughly out of his depth. Wine, at nearly £50 a bottle, was third rate. The final insult was the cost - £60 a head for a meal that would shame MacDonalds. It was my third visit over the last six years. Each time I swear never again, but then think surely it must have improved. It’s actually got worse each time. Never again. This time that’s definite.

This hotel is no longer anything special. When it was owned and operated by the Buchanan-Smith family it had a unique ambiance. Eccentricity and generosity on the part of the family offset the high cost. Gone are the drinks parties before dinner where everyone packed into the lounge and mingled. Now it's a very dry and stuffy atmosphere. Just another very expensive hotel with no sole. If you are happy to spend £500 for bed and breakfast don't expect value for money.

We had so looked forward to our stay , the approach was stunning. We were instantly told what we couldn’t do . Our room was very jaded. Due to Covid we were told there would be no housekeeping for our two night stay so our bed was not made, no water replaced, no toiletries replaced and the tray of tea we requested rapidly turned from milk to yogurt. No bins apart from in the bathroom. There was only two choices on the menu which was disappointing . The breakfast was very slow and also disappointing. Poached eggs with solid eggs and no seasoning. Whilst the island was delightful we found the hotel incredibly expensive for the decor, service and drab menu. The staff were mostly very helpful and pleasant and we really appreciated the crackling open fires. Unless the hotel invests in some refurbishment and upping the game on the restaurant, we could neither recommend nor return.

The Isle of Eriska Hotel is located on a 300 acre private island overlooking Loch Linnhe. The property features a spa and other outdoor activities including a 6 hole golf course. Covid precautions were strictly adhered to by staff and we felt very comfortable in that regard. The staff are clearly well trained and work very efficiently as a team. They were all very friendly and welcoming which created a lovely atmosphere. We stayed in a spa suite (with its own hot tub) which was more than adequate for our needs and very comfortable. While the furnishings were good, the worktops surrounding the sinks could be upgraded as those were dated and the taps badly situated over the sink. We took advantage of the two night dinner bed and breakfast offer. The hotel’s restaurant has a Michelin star and the food was of the highest quality both at dinner and breakfast. We spoke with a number of other guests a number of whom had been coming for several years which is a good testament to the consistently high standards set by the property. We would certainly recommend this property highly for the warm welcome from their great staff, its beautiful location and excellent dining.

If old fashioned Scottish luxury is your thing then you will love this place. On the other hand if modern boutique-style luxury is your thing, then this is not the plans for you. We really liked it. The deluxe double (Lismore) had a huge bay window looking out into the grounds and the croquet lawn. The bed was big and very comfortable and the bathroom enormous. The service was impeccable without being obsequious and the food was superb. My only gripe is the golf course. I had my clubs with me but took one look and decided not to bother. It’s woeful. The fairways are mown to to 2nd or 3rd cut and the greens to fairway level. The bunkers are totally overgrown and the driving range is a joke. The Eriska needs to decide whether to take itself seriously as a golf resort and employ a qualified green keeper or forget it and allow nature to take over. If scored as a golf resort it hardly warrants one star so hence a three overall.

We had a good table in the conservatory but we were sorry for the diners that had tables in the corridor between the conservatory and the dining room. Covid precautions were taken to a new level; we thought it was unnecessary to substitute disposable napkins for linen, cutlery was not laid on the table but provided in a cardboard box, the menu and wine list were on a tablet in very small print, which we had to wait for as it was with another diner and a tasting sample of the wine was not poured by the sommelier. I enjoyed the cuisine but have had better at other 1 star restaurants. The wine list was very safe and not extensive.

After reading the ICMI website regarding the actions they were taking regarding COVID-19 then we were convinced our short break could be more relaxing than expected. We weren’t disappointed, we felt safe and all the measures being taken gave us confidence. What did make our holiday was the staff who were all exceptional and did their very best to make it an enjoyable time. The food was of a very high standard and dinner was a highlight. I understand how difficult it must be to get things moving again and given hotels only opened on the 15th July then you have done a fantastic job thus far. Felt a little sorry for the guy cutting the grass for the first time in 4 months. Well done to you all for making a short break special and we look forward to returning.

Difficult to find fault. Despite horrendous weather, we felt no inclination to leave the island. The service was universally excellent, we made good use of the spa facilities, had a number of walks throughoput the island and enjoyed two exquisite dinners.

Our third visit to this haven of tranquility, amazing food and wonderful service. This time our visit was to celebrate our wedding anniversary. As soon as we drove over the rumbly bridge we relaxed and moved into “Eriska time”. Perfect. Lovely large room with the comfiest bed. Dinner was exceptional and deservedly has a Michelin star. The dining room was being completely refurbished so the team set up the dining room in the drawing room. Food both evenings was exceptional. From canapés to the amuse Bouche right through to pudding - it was fabulous. We had a massage one day which was fab. The changing rooms could do with being refurbed, but had everything you needed. The best part of the visit though is the staff. Wow. What a fabulous bunch. Akira was a delight. The absolute star is Sashi - so kind, so professional. Wonderful. We will be back!

We chose Eriska for a family Christmas vacation on a whim and couldn’t have been more pleased. Came to learn that they had had a major staff turnover with new general manager back in June of 2019. Understandable why the prior review did not have a good recommendation as they must have been still working out the kinks. The building is old but classy and an excellent atmosphere for Christmas. Multiple rooms with comfortable couches / chairs to just sit and read by a roaring fires. Excellent bar and different atmospheres to appeal to many who just want to go slow and relax. The island is a joy to explore being big enough to take multiple days to conquer. Oban is a short drive away and very fun to explore as is the surrounding west highlands. We were pleasantly surprised by the food - which was awarded a Michelin Star in October 2019. We were on a fixed menu for the holiday package but the first night we were able to order from the regular menu - which was excellent. I heard from individuals who have visited for golf that the course is a bit disappointing (being soggy). I would recommend Eriska for Christmas and plan on returning.

My wife and I and good friends recently stayed at the Isle of Eriska Hotel. While the staff was very nice, our room was absolutely not. It was in the attic and poorly appointed. I successfully dodged low points in the ceiling until the morning we were leaving, when I hit my head just trying to retrieve a pair of glasses from the table next to our bed. In fairness, not all their rooms were like ours. The room our friends had was very nice. Yes, there is a nine-hole golf course and a spa. The golf course isn’t worth playing, even though there is no additional charge. The condition of the course is terrible. The spa is little better. Apparently, the property has been recently purchased and the new owners are planning on a major renovation. It is needed. Importantly, we arranged our stay through American Express, which recommended Kensington Tours for our trip to Ireland and Scotland. Other than our experience at the Isle of Eriska, our trip was very nice and we enjoyed it very much. However, when we tried to ask for information from Kensington about the cost breakdown for our two days at this property, they refused to provide it. Since the value add for a travel service is to not only recommend properties/experiences consistent with a traveler’s objectives and to provide support when there are issues, Kensington’s lack of transparency was as disappointing as this property.

My husband reviewed the area months in advance to celebrate our wedding anniversary, on the same night we stayed at a castle. This restaurant was very near by and also a Relaix and Chateaux restaurant, do one would expect a great experience. It was a...