Dunalastair Hotel
2nd January 2008
After our telephone conversation I would like to confirm the points and issues which I raised at the hotel. I regret that some aspects of our stay did not live up to our expectations, in particular the hogmanay celebration and some items in our room.
I can confirm that your staff were excellent at all times. The food was very good and we enjoyed Crooked Jack and the whisky tasting.
All your promotional material promised a ceilidgh till the “wee small hours”. Unfortunately there was only a single accordion player who was unable to call the dancing. Your guests were very keen to get involved but there was no lead for the full range of dances and it turned into a bit of a shambles. This should have been the highlight of the stay at Dunalastair.
It was also disappointing that the guests had to take the initiative and arrange the new year celebration in the square and countdown to midnight.
I would not raise any issue with the room if all else had been up to expectation. However there are a number of points you need to be aware of. They are general repair and maintenance items and I appreciate the constant need for reinvestment. Room 26 is a Malt King Spa and you have made an excellent investment in the bathroom. It is a pity that you did not follow through with minor repairs in the bedroom. The central heating is inadequate but topped up with an electric heater. The curtains are badly fitting, one of the chairs is threadbare and there are holes in the bed top cover. The light fitting on the left of the bed is loose and may be dangerous. The general paint and décor was poor and the door had been broken in at some time and badly repaired.
We were disappointed that there was no view from this room – it overlooks the kitchen. We did book in April. Do the other Malt King Spas have views?
There have been a number of other comments made by guests who have taken new year breaks in Scotland in the past. Probably the most poignant is the lack of a suitable greeting pack on arrival. Indeed there were no glasses in our room.
I regret that we have not had value for money from this break. I even have the suspicion that there may be some exceptional profiteering as drink prices may have been manipulated to a higher level than normal. I do follow wine prices and quality quite keenly.
Your quoted rate for the Malt King Spa room is £195 and you have loaded this by £75 per night for the duration of the break.
This should have been a mutually satisfactory event at Dunalastair and I really do regret the outcome. We were happy to pay a premium for a superior highland experience. As it is I now feel that even the £1100 we have paid is still too much and I would welcome your comments. Probably the most serious point is that you were not there to deal with the situation.







Value
Location (e.g., convenience, views)
Cleanliness
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