Port Charlotte Hotel

The food is sooooo delicious. I really like the bar.

Fell into it on a gruelling cycle last Saturday. Best pint of lager shandy ever Went back for dinner and it was a hot. The staff are superstars. I had the Gruinart oysters to start. I’d also had them at The Oyster Shed on the island and they are sensational. My pals had steak and they were drool worthy. Location is the star too though.

This hotel is pricy, but well worth it. We had a lovely room overlooking the bay. Outside the hotel there is a seating area which leads out on to a small beach. The food is very good, especially the seafood - scallops and crab were particularly tasty. We stayed 4 nights and found that that was adequate to explore the island. There was a live band in the bar on Sunday, which was a bonus. All the staff were friendly and helpful, especially, Kate, Lorna and Marianne. Throughout the hotel there is an eclectic mix of paintings on the walls. One bugbear of mine is the pillows in hotels. Frequently they are like lumpy bricks. However, these were lovely and soft and could be moulded to the shape required. We had a good nights sleep after all the good food and wine.

Recently stayed for a few days and couldn't rate it highly enough. Comfortable rooms, great food and an extensive whisky collection. Very friendly team especially Lorna and Gary, it really felt like we were staying with friends and not a hotel. If you're looking to book on Islay no need to look elsewhere you cannot get better than the Port Charlotte. It was our first visit here but definitely won't be our last.

We called in at the Port Charlotte for a drink on the way back to Bowmore. I ordered a pint and a half of very average ale and nearly dropped my glass when asked for ten pounds! The server noted my look of incredulity and said 'you're not drinking in Wetherspoons here you know'. I have a feeling that's not the first time he has had to use that line. He was quite right too - the beer in Wetherspoons is usually better too.

Family dinner on a Tuesday evening. Had visited on a couple of previous occasions when visiting Islay and it seems that service has gone downhill slightly recently. Food was excellent as normal. No qualms about that whatsoever. Service was the issue. Seated in the restaurant and after menus were handed out and after a short while before any drinks orders were taken, one of the waitresses started collecting wine glasses off the table. Had to tell her that we were going to be ordering wine and the glasses were replaced. The main waiter in the restaurant was very softly spoken and so was difficult to understand at times. Seemed awkward when serving. I honestly think the evening was missing Lorna - the times we were there before she was managing the restaurant. When I asked at the end if Lorna still worked here, got a very vague reply that was "sometimes". The Lorna equivalent that evening (didn't get her name, assume she would be the restaurant manager for the evening) made one appearance at the start, seemed quite brusque and wasn't seen again throughout the evening. Total contrast to previous experience.