The Gleneagles Hotel

The whole experience of staying at Gleneagles cannot be fully described it is an experience to cherish. I first stayed at Gleneagles when I was 21 and had several of my friends join me. This time 60 years on was special as I was joined by my daughters and their families

What a magical week in Scottish paradise! We took a family vacation to Gleneagles from the US and it could not have been more incredible. The hotel and its grounds are impeccable, the rooms are cozy, clean and comfortable, the food is excellent with tons of variety and we even lucked out with lovely weather. What made our stay so memorable, however, was the wonderful staff. From the moment we arrived, we were met warmly by a wonderful receptionist named Chloe who went so far above and beyond to make our stay perfect. She remembered our daughter by name (and even her stuffed animal’s name). My daughter looked forward to seeing her every day of our stay and Chloe made her feel so special and welcome. She truly was a highlight of our trip. We also had wonderful experiences horseback riding, meeting the ferrets and climbing the low ropes course. This place is magic amongst the highlights and we will definitely be back!

I was lucky enough to win a night bed and breakfast generously gifted to NHS by the hotel. Entire 24 hours was absolute luxury. From our warm and friendly welcome at reception by Douglas, to our stunning room and the luxury of a turn down service. Fantastic steak at the Dormy restaurant in relaxing environment then delicious cocktails in both the American bar and the Century bar. Particularly good service from the lovely Melvin in the century bar but every single staff member was polite, helpful and friendly. Made good use of the 3 pools this morning followed by a breakfast fit for Kings! 2 exceptionally nice young waiters looked after us at breakfast in the Strathearn restaurant and couldn't do enough for us. All in all a night of utter luxury and pampering in the most beautiful hotel. Thank you all xx

How to expect our stay was extra ordinary. The room was luxurious, the bed extremely comfortable, the bathroom spacious and the service outstanding. The breakfast buffet was the best I have ever seen. We loved the amount and variety of bookable activities.

Large 1920's era golf hotel an hour from Edinburgh airport. Super busy in summer with guests wanting to escape the heat of the mid-west . 3 excellent golf courses that provide a challenging alternative to the links courses at Turnberry or Carnoustie. We found the Michelin starred Andrew Fairlie restaurant to be one of the best in Scotland with a top-notch wine list and attentive, friendly and efficient service. The smoked lobster signature starter is a must . All in all, the hotel is a good place to stop on the way North to Skye or the Fife Arms. However, the hoped for experience falls short in a few key areas. The staff seem to have been taught that smiling devalues the guest experience. Outside the restaurant the only smiles we saw were given by the man at check-in, a hard-working Indian guy in the bar and a bearded and friendly Scots lad at breakfast. Elsewhere the scowl seems to be the norm. Checkout took indifference to a new level even for those guests used to New York service. Our one night in the hotel had an all in cost of $3,000 which is pretty much par for this level of resort in high season. What let it down were little things : gull droppings left on bedroom windows , chipped paintwork and an ancient shower that sent the water in unexpected directions. To get under the shower required clambering over a high sided bath which was tricky due to the lack of handrails .  Maintaining a huge old hotel like this must be a difficult job but the experience  ( restaurant and golf excepted ) is more faded 4 star than 5 star comfort.