Glenapp Castle

Nine of us stayed at Glenapp Castle for five nights in June. We had the 4 bedroom penthouse suite, which comprises the top floor of the castle. The suite is decorated nicely. It is clean and comfortable, and there are plenty of toiletries for easy travel. My husband and I found the bed in the master bedroom to be extremely comfortable, and our guests in the other three rooms all mentioned how amazing the beds were as well. The bathrooms are all large and beautifully decorated and the water pressure in the showers is great. The castle was originally built in 1870, and they have done a lovely job of renovating/ modernizing the rooms it while also maintaining the architectural integrity. The suite is very cozy, and I bet it would be absolutely lovely in the winter months. The best I can describe staying in the suite as is almost like staying in a life-size dollhouse. The floor plan is charming, but awkward (like most old houses and castles are). There are stairs to get up to the master, more stairs to get up to the master bath, stairs to get down to the bathroom from one of suites, and steps and halls and more stairs to find the other 2 bedrooms (which are way at the opposite end of the first 2). I would like to note that although there is elevator access to the one side of the suite with the two latter bedrooms, I would say it is only partially ADA accessible based on the difficulty it would be to navigate to the opposite end of the suite. Our main complaint about the room was that when we arrived our bedroom was extremely warm. This was due to a combination of the fact that the heat was on in the rest of the castle due to weather, the windows are small with little air flow, and the large skylight they designed above the bed in the master bedroom resulting in a bit of a greenhouse effect. The master bedroom is up an additional set of stairs from the main living area (actually, 2 sets of stairs and one is wide open to the living room below), which resulted in all the hot air rising into our bedroom. We like to sleep cold, so were extremely uncomfortable the first night. However, the staff was able to provide several fans for our room and change out the bed linens to lighter blankets and sheets, which made it much better. (Note: there is no air conditioning in the castle). The staff at Glenapp is some of the kindest we have met in our travels. Benjamin, the Operations Manager, even took my parents with him to church on Sunday. I would describe it as one big happy family that truly wants you to enjoy your time in Ballantrae. They go out of their way to make you happy and accommodate guest needs. As mentioned above, there were nine of us on the trip. Our sixteen year old son has a rare genetic disorder that can make travel difficult with him. He has both medical and behavioral needs, and the castle staff was extremely respectful and responsive to this. For example, when we asked if we could change up the prix fixe dinner menu, they offered themed

What an amazing experience, from the personal welcome upon arrival right through to departure. We particularly liked the subtle nature of the staff and their ability to be attentive without being overwhelming. We loved the magic behind having our room tidied whilst out and the bed turn down whilst dining. A real treat to visit and something to experience.

Back after some years, it is still a fine building, with super garden/estate. We booked the 2 night D,B&B rate with Archery lesson included (great fun). Was expecting one of the basement large "Garden Rooms" but we were allocated "Viscount Glenapp" smaller and 2 floors up, however it and windowless Bathroom were fine. Being a heat wave, on checking in I requested an electric fan for the room, it was never delivered ! That apart Housekeeping & turn down are excellent. Glenapp is mostly very well maintained (public rooms great) but they have let many sash window frames rot from lack of paint etc! The famous (I think Listed) 150 foot walled garden glass house (now known as Azalea restaurant) is not nearly as smart as I expected. It works for functions, but for dinner we were ushered through and out to the rear lean to dining area! Dinner was very good, my best half lobster starter ever. Following night dinner in one of the two main dining rooms (different menu) was a lot smarter, however service from so many young people needs far better training/supervision. Breakfasts were average, poor fruit juice, poor pastries, no estate made honey, poor service. Good coffee. For me it will never be the 5 star venue untill these areas are addressed as they used to be.

Top quality hotel with excellent facilities and friendly and attentive staff. I would have scored 5 stars if it wasn’t for a couple of slip ups. We discussed our requirements when booking and we’re allocated a room that would be perfect. When we arrived we were a given a different room (which the terms allow them to do) but it did not have the walk in shower needed due to a back problem. We were offered a different but very small room that did not really work for us. The food is exceptionally good but on the third day I think they were overcommitted which meant the service suffered and for a 7:30 booking we had our main course at 9:50 which was quite a wait! Apart from those items the attentive service was very good and the building and rooms beautiful to stay in.

Location, stunning!! Quality, amazing!! Service, impeccable!! Attention to detail, fabulous! Will we return? Many times, because it is such a tremendous facility, with views matched only by the quality of food and service. It is unique, and great with it