Royal Highland Hotel in Highland

It's a dated, but very pleasant hotel. The staff in the restaurant was exceptional.

This was by far the worst experience in my time in the UK! Very poor quality bed, room, and the chairs in the room had rips and tears everywhere and had obviously been there for months. Upon checking in the man a reception gave the people in front of me tons of information about parking and the hotel. When he got to me he put paperwork on the counter and asked for my information and just put a key on the counter. I found it quite rude. Just wasn’t the experience we had been getting throughout our trip.

Poor Service, employees not knowledgeable and rude. Website claims room service person at desk says there is none. Food mediocre at best. Rooms subpar, ripped up chairs with foam falling out on floor. Hard bed. Horrible experience. Will Never stay here again. Been traveling Europe for 3 weeks. Worst experience so far.

Very well located, in the city center next to the train station. A very pretty entrance hall. But it stopped there. The rooms are very old, no heat in the bathrooms, no eggs at breakfast (except at extra cost!!) ... meh, not up to our expectations or the photos on the internet...

Beautiful hotel with lovely spacious room in the heart of Inverness. However they have VERY limited parking if you are driving in, so be expected to pay at a local parking garage about 10 minutes away (costs about £10 per day). The staff were a bit dismissive but fine nonetheless. My biggest issue was actually the breakfast, which I definitely misunderstood when purchasing the room. There are two breakfasts—continental and then hot breakfast. The continental is cold cuts, porridge and dry scones. Instant coffee for everyone which was quite disappointing. Luckily, we found a local cafe for a fantastic breakfast in downtown Inverness instead.

Good location, close to things in town. Friendly and helpful staff. Tea and coffee facilities in room. Hair-dryer, iron and ironing board in room. The doors and walls could do with a wee wash. Breakfast was fantastic, you order hot breakfast as you arrive and they make it fresh for you and deliver it to your table.

The royal days are probably long gone. But the old hotel still has its charm. Good central location. Moderate breakfast.

Don't stay at this hotel. The rooms are completely run down. Although parking is advertised as free on booking.com, it's only for 7 cars for the entire hotel. We had to make an extra trip tonight with our toddler and park there. It cost us £10. The breakfast is a disgrace. We had to wait what felt like an eternity to be shown to our spot, even though we were the only ones at reception. The tablecloths on the tables where the food was sitting were dirty, the coffee machine was dirty, the muffins were rock hard, and to top it all off, the Nutella had been out of date for almost a month. We went to reception, where a blonde employee was sitting who treated us very rudely. Then we went to the breakfast manager, who said nothing other than the apology that it must be fresh because it had just been delivered. We specifically showed her two boxes of Nutella, and we stopped having breakfast after that. We then went on an excursion and returned around 7:30 p.m. Since there were no available parking spaces, my husband had to leave for another parking lot. We had a tiring day, and then the same blonde employee from the day before came out and said very sarcastically, "Uh, you didn't get a parking space." Very rude and unfriendly. On the day of departure, they had the nerve: another employee said, according to her colleague, that she would have to charge us another 7 pounds for a cooked breakfast on the second day, which we neither ordered nor consumed. I said I certainly wouldn't pay that and that the stay was terrible. Overall, you feel like Gordon Ramsay in Hotel Hell. It's unbelievable. I wouldn't even want to be a ghost there. Please do not book at this hotel under any circumstances. It's a real nightmare. I don't understand any of the good comments.

Very friendly staff, great location. The room is considered very well maintained for a very old hotel. However, the sink in my room is somewhat choke (water takes forever to flow down). Hope it's just my room. Am very surprised not to see the standard mini refrigerator in my room. This is the 1st time in my entire life, staying I'm a hotel without that. For those driving, parking is 1st come 1st serve. It's free parking & and there are many non residence hogging the lots. Anyway, there is a multi-story carpark adjacent, but it's £9 per 24-hour (refer to my picts for the nearby parking information.

This hotel was really nice to stay in while visiting the highlands of Scotland. The people were super nice. Everything was clean and the food was delicious. I recommend it to stay in while on vacation.

Great aesthetic, beautiful Scottish decor. Old school interior for the rooms. Located near the train station and main centre.

Cozy hotel in Central Inverness, right by the station.

The Royal Highland Hotel I recently stayed at The Royal Highland Hotel, and unfortunately, my experience was far from what I had hoped for. The hotel has a distinctly dated appearance, which gives it an overall neglected vibe. It’s clear that some updates and renovations are needed to bring it back to its former glory. The dining options were another disappointment. I found the food to be significantly overpriced for the quality and variety offered. While I understand that hotel dining can come with a premium, I expected more for the cost. Additionally, the heating system in my room was quite disruptive. It made a loud banging noise throughout the night, which made it challenging to get any restful sleep. This was particularly frustrating, as a comfortable night’s sleep is one of the primary reasons for choosing a hotel stay. The Royal Highland Hotel used to be a good choice for travelers, but it seems to have lost its appeal. I hope the management considers making some improvements to enhance the guest experience. Based on my recent stay, I cannot recommend this hotel at this time.

We spent 2 nights here for a short break and were delighted with the hotel, service and friendliness of the staff. Location perfect for all sights and city centre. Very impressed.

This hotel became one of my favorites in the world 🏆 next to the train station and around the corner from the bus station. Very good views, beautiful rooms, recommended!

The customer service is really good. And the location in the middle of the city every thing near you.

A nice, quaint hotel in the heart of Inverness. Got exposed to Haggis for the first time here - didn't disappoint, quite the opposite really! 😁

The lobby was nice and the staff were friendly. However, the water pressure in the shower was not good and the shower was fixed, making it inconvenient to wash. You can choose breakfast, but the Scottish breakfast was too salty to eat. I think it would be better to just go to Burger King or Subway in the nearby shopping mall. There is parking for about 6 cars, but if you can't park here, you'll have to park your car yourself. Because it is in front of the station, it is very crowded with many taxis and pick-up vehicles. I think it would be a good idea not to bring a car. Still, considering the price, it might not seem that bad, right?

Limited parking outside the hotel. Easy access by train and not far from the bus depot.

Great location in the centre of Inverness. We booked the highest cost room but it looked nothing like the website implied. Very drab, no cushions or runners as in the photographs. Poorly maintained; severe damage to walls, woodwork, desk, with rust and mould apparent in the bathroom. No suction on the extractor fan. The room was described as "quiet with views across Inverness city". We had the railway station roof and rubbish bins. We asked to be moved to a better room but the receptionist laughed and said we had the best room in the hotel. This hotel has potential - central location, wonderful public area, and a decent though very expensive restaurant, but without attention to the rooms will continue to disappoint. Continental breakfast was also disappointing so we ate out the second day.

Great location in the centre of Inverness, right next to the train station (so the trains can be audible in some rooms). Very traditional and historic building. Very friendly and helpful staff.

This hotel advertised as free parking but this was not the case. I had no where to stop so I had to park at the nearest shopping centre and pay for 1 hour parking just to walk in and check in. Lady at counter recommended to move car and park at multi storey parking building down the road which I did and parked in a empty spot and later was handed a parking fine of £50 pounds saying I parked in a restricted spot. Beware of this hotels misleading advertising the car park is so small and there are many taxi cars waiting to collect train commuters at the train station. The lift in the hotel is very slow best to use the stairs instead which is much faster. The lift is due for an upgrade. Also the shower pressure was terrible when using warm water and the water was not really that warm. The room was heated in winter well. I just wish the hotel was much clearer and communicated better and gave some kind of instructions beforehand on where to park before arriving for check in . I contacted the hotel about the parking fine and they said they can't help me so I tried to appeal on the website but because I didn't have a UK postcode it wouldn't let me appeal the fine. I emailed the local council and received an email from the carpark that advised me to pay or appeal from the website I wasn't able to appeal and if I did I had to contact car hire for authorisation to communicate with car park, the process sounded complicated and because I don't have much time in the UK I just gave up at the end as I have only 14 days to pay or the fine will increase to £100 so I just wanted to enjoy the rest of my holidays here in the UK as a tourist so I just paid the £50 fine. The worst experience i have had so far. I hope the hotel next time has their own customer reservation parking spots at this car park which would prevent this issue happening in the future for overseas customers.

Very attractive and recommended

We went for dinner, and I had the chicken Balmoral. I would say it was a lovely place to eat and drink. The waitress was nice, as was the girl behind the bar.

Spacious rooms (especially the bathroom) and "historic" hotel. Too bad the hot breakfast is extra and the cold is of low quality

Beautiful hotel, good breakfast. The heating is a bit loud at night.

Amazing experience. Feels like coming back to Victorian times

A quirky mix of antique furnishings and modern art. Very walkable from the bus station and adjacent to the train station. Easily walked on the river to Eden Court and back to other end of town. Good choices for everyone at the vintage market just across the street. Hotel let us drop our luggage in a common closet. The lady at the front desk didn’t want to be best friends but was efficient. Rooms aren’t updated, but the furnishing are nice and the shower was hot (if very small).

Next to the Inverness train station. Old and classic building but modern room.

A great hotel for exploring Inverness and the surrounding area. Located next to the station and near the bus station. The city center is in front of the hotel. Restaurants and bars are within walking distance. Nice breakfast and the hotel also has a restaurant and bar.

Would not return cold breakfast mould rust and dirty bathroom no oat milk for my ditery for tea in the evening

It’s right off the central train station and very close to many sights so it’s a very good location. Night staff is rude and generally reluctant to help. The rooms have a musty smell and the steam from the shower can set off the fire alarm. They have a ton of half stories so you can take the elevator up and still have to climb up a bunch of stairs to get to your 2nd floor room, big oof if you’re older or have huge suitcases. Their room keys are on these massive keychains that are a pain. WiFi is unencrypted??? It’s 2024. Wouldn’t stay here again.

My sister and I stayed 2 nights at this hotel as it was close to the train station. The room we stayed in was old and outdated. Nothing like the photos on the website. I asked for the room to be cleaned and the beds to be made the next day but unfortunately it was not serviced when we returned in the evening. Very disappointing! Would not recommend this hotel.

Worst customer service ever. How can you charge £12.50 (I'm a Londonder and I'd expect that but not here) but with no fresh lime for a simple vodka soda half full and mostly ice. When I brought it back the manager was so rude and condescending that I'd asked for my drink (unfinished - what there was of it in the first place) to be remade. Abhorrent and so so overpriced. Avoid and go to Platform 8 a few doors down!

Beautiful old hotel in an absolutely central location right next to Inverness train station with a very special ambience - that includes one or two "quirks".

The location is convenient and central, but the area of the city it is in is a bit down at heel compared to the other side of the river. Very limited parking but ample public parking facilities nearby. The female receptionist, upon our arrival, was first class, and the staff at breakfast were all polite, friendly, and well turned out and smart in contrast to the guests. The bar area is a little dated and quite expensive. The restaurant menu seemed overpriced as well, and the dishes were quite pedestrian. The double room was spacious with a large, roomy, and comfortable bed with very clean linen. The bathroom was dated, and the windows there and in the bedroom needed replacing. The tea selection was limited, and the TV was not tuned in on many channels. The overall decor in the hotel is quite tired, but they do have some nice original features and mirrors/items of furniture. The continental breakfast was actually better than expected and was all that was needed to set you up for the day. The one lift in the hotel serving three floors was very slow, and at one point, the doors didn't open for some time when we were waiting to exit. On balance, we would stay there again, and the strong point is the excellent and helpful hotel staff who made our stay more enjoyable.

Room No. 305 Do I have to say anything else? The pictures tell more than I can tell … Oh and the lift sometimes doesn‘t work. But don’t worry, there’s an alarm button…What an adventure to stay in here.

I booked this hotel after reviewing the pictures and amenities on the hotel’s website. Based on these, I thought that this hotel would be very nice, but with a smaller room. I was completely wrong and was left feeling completely duped. Don’t make the same mistake I did! The only positive to speak of for this hotel is the lobby. If you would like to spend all of your time in the lobby and grand staircase, then this hotel is for you. After arriving, I learned that I was completely wrong. The room was dated and dirty. The pictures provided by the hotel are very misleading. Please don’t be misled as I was. I have provided pictures of my rooms and the hotel that show the reality. Additionally, there are 6 parking spaces for the hotel. If you cannot get one of these, they you have to pay to park in a city parking garage 2 blocks away. The hotel provides no adjustment or reduction for having to park in another location.

I didn't just come to Scotland to enjoy the beautiful landscape and to consume Scottish culinary specialties. During my visit I also wanted to get to know the soul and heart of Scotland. Until that day, Scotland was just a part of the map and in my subconscious also the bagpipes, and a food that had to do with the stomachs and entrails of animals, and the question of whether the Scots wore anything under their strange skirts, and whether the men all have long hair. I was inspired by my acquaintance with a true Scot in Berlin, also a native of Dunblan, in the immediate vicinity of the William Wallace monument near Sterling. I also became curious about Scotland through the film “Braveheart” by and with Mel Gibson. The Royal Highland Hotel played a very important role in this search for people to get to know each other. When I entered the Entre', the sight of the grandiose staircase made me feel like I was traveling back in time to the Titanic. I think everyone knows this wonderful tragic film. Overwhelmed by the entire original and tastefully put together ambience, through which the years of the late 19th and early 20th centuries became vividly tangible, I couldn't help but be amazed. How surprised I was to also discover a bookcase with books for the hotel guests. Each hotel hallway was decorated with beautiful original paintings, which were beautifully highlighted by special lighting. Most of the paintings were about the wonderful, sometimes rough but loving nature of Scotland, from which livelihoods were wrested without complaint. The dining room, worthy of a king, named after the great Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace, whose indomitable courage and fight for the freedom of Scotland, despite the centuries and through the centuries, shines like a torch, and who shines like a torch in the film "Braveheart" Finding its way into our memory left me completely speechless. Anyone looking for the soul and heart of Scotland and its people should definitely be inspired by this hotel, which includes the ingredients of empathy, imagination and curiosity and a great deal of respect and humility. Mine, in his 84th. Year of life {born 1936, died 2020} deceased colleague with many years of professional experience as a general practitioner, expressed his human experiences in this way on certain occasions Quote: "You can only expect beef from an ox". Be inspired on your journey to discover and find the soul and heart of Scotland. Your Dr. Karin Pscheidl Berlin, July 2024

love this place and all its history

It is a lovely Victorian hotel next to the rail station in an area of interesting shops and cafes. My room was very good. The reception staff were kind and very efficient especially over helping me with and storing my luggage. The breakfast was mediocre for a hotel - packaged cheese, plastic looking meat though the coffee and pastries were acceptable. The bar let the place down. Twice, once when staying and was when changing trains a week later, ordered a coffee and whisky. Both times I was told to stand a different place at the bar??? Problems when a wanted to pay. We all have a bad day but twice ... I would stay again but maybe go out for breakfast and drinks.

This hotel has been unethical by not honoring their refund policy. I would recommend working with another hotel in the Inverness area. I provided a time-stamped cancellation email as proof, however, they ignored it with no further explanation. I also left a voicemail prior to the refund deadline.

Old charming rooms Had a large room with two single beds. The service was very nice and the food was super tasty. Breakfast buffet the best so far on our tour.

Nice hotel for a short stay a little bit dated staff really helpful breakfast was OK

Very spacious room with a very comfortable bed, but I have to say that the neighboring ones were small... there is a lot of noise during the night, and the buffet breakfast is somewhat scarce. The location is excellent.

Beautiful but outdated. Style hotel bathroom in need of renovation

Superbly cosy, comfortable, with friendly and helpful staff. Very clean rooms and bathrooms. Staff work hard.

I’d give this hotel ZERO stars if I could. The smell walking in was dusty and musty. My room was on the second level of the second floor. I was not told there was a second set of stairs where a separate set of rooms on the second floor were located. I had to go back down to the front desk and ask, and the woman told me to “follow the numbers”. She was dismissive and rude. I went back up to try again and I ran into another person looking, as well, and we figured out the “secret” stairs on our own. As I was getting ready in the morning I found an insect crawling in a towel and another type of insect moving on the floor. The bath tub drain was backed up with a wad of hair. I reported the bugs and the hair to the front desk. They apologized and took down my room number. I went to have breakfast and found out there was only toast available for people with gluten sensitivities. Eggs, which are the standard offering for people who are avoiding gluten, were 7£. I returned to my room several (6 hours) later and my room hadn’t been serviced. I went down to the desk to inquire when it would be done. The same rude woman at the front desk from the previous day told me they only service rooms after the second day. I explained to her the issue with the bugs and the hair, and she began making calls to other staff. After three different calls, she told me I would have needed to put the sign out on my door for it to have been cleaned. I told her that after the live insects and the hair were found my room should have been serviced immediately, and based on the conversation with the front desk in the morning, that was the impression I was left with. I left again for a couple hours and found that my room had finally been serviced. The hotel is run down. The carpets are worn and discolored. The wallpaper has been painted over. They claim the hotel was recently renovated, but it is old looking and old smelling. My stay here was extremely unpleasant and I felt dirty the entire time. I DO NOT RECOMMEND.

Had an amazing stay at the Royal Highland Hotel. Service was great and the staff very nice. Loved the abundant tea and milk stash at my room 😃 Thank you very much 🙏

Older place, overpriced for furnishing of rooms which are small, not completely clean and with everything from windows that don't stay open and dripping faucets. The cleaning staff is good, but otherwise the employees try to be nice and helpful but the owners don't let them. Check-in was bed, most requests are denied, service at the Ash restaurant is rude and the prices too high for quality which is ok.

The house is getting old. Although it is centrally located and has authentic charm (of the last century), the staff is not very accommodating and was unable to grant the conditions booked in advance. As a result, the performance of the house is not sufficient compared to the price. In particular, the food on offer is of inferior quality.

The problem with giving the Royal Highland Hotel the four stats it deserves is that it might make it fully booked up when I want to stay here.

Location is superb and includes parking. However does get full and is shared with scotrail as it is attached to train station. Manager was helpful in allowing us to park provided I was able to move it when a space became available which I was happy to do. Very good if you come via train though! The lounge area is spacious and comfortable. The hotel itself seems a little tired but is bought to life by all the lively staff. Others complained about sounds of trains but we did not hear them. We did leave fairly early in the mornings (7.30 & 8.30) so may have missed it. Also our room was above the entrance so a little removed from the trains.

Good hotel with good shower and a key instead of a card to open te door. It was a pleasure!

Dated but does the job if you need a centrally located hotel. Everyone friendly and breakfast is good.

Lovely hotel with really friendly staff right in the heart of Inverness. Lots of pubs and restaurants around and the Eastgate shopping centre is just around the corner.

Hotel em estilo antigo mas limpo e confortável sem odores estranhos. Mobiliário e acessórios antigos mas creio que faz parte do ambiente. Pequeno almoço continental, com boa variedade. Voltaria.

The room and hotel was okay. Parking was limited though.

Leider ziemlich in die Jahre gekommen. Die berühmte Treppe im Eingangsbereich ist auch das ziemlich einzig schöne. Ich schwanke immer ein bisschen zwischen altmodisch schön & Marode. Zu mindest Sanitäter Anlagen müssen überarbeitet sein und Fenster durch die es im Februar leider sehr kalt rein zieht Dichter. Das Frühstück wahr sehr lecker. Das Personal an der Rezeption leider sehr wechselnd freundlich.

Location superb if getting a train and friendly service. Sadly too short on time to try the food. The whole place has an aged grandeur that is still magnificent. OK it's not to everyone's taste of modern sterile box hotels but personally I wished I could have stayed here all week! Everything worked, what else matters?

Wasn't a good experience. The first night I was kept awake from 3am until 6.30am by the people in the room above me drinking and partying all night. The night porter did quieten them down a bit but not for long. I walked into the reception in the morning to find the staff talking about it. The manager was also there. She didn't speak to me about it and I never received an apology for it from anyone. I was also given 3 different stories from staff about those guests so I was lied to. Hotel itself is ok, nothing special although it is a beautiful building and is perfectly located for train station.