Stayed here one night in connection with a trip to Islay the summer of 2017. Wouldn't go back.
The hotel is centrally located and the staff were friendly and helpful, which was nice. We got tips on what places to go for food, beers and so on. They even had an available spot for parking behind the hotel.
The reception area is spacious and well lit.
The facade of the hotel has moss and grass growing on it, which, from what I understand, is a result of years of neglect. The carpet-covered floors are very squeaky and the walls are thin enough so you can hear your neighbours walking around, using the bathroom and so on. The interior doesn't seem to have been given much thought since the 1970s. In the stairway there was several windows with local products and images (whisky etc.), some of the bottles and plastic flowers were covered in a thick layer of dust. There was stains on the walls in the room and on the bed linen. The TV didn't work because of a weak signal. The doors to the rooms used traditional keys, which by all means isn't an issue, but the handles were so low on the doors that I almost had to get down on my knees to turn them properly (probably aimed at kids and hunchbacks). The wallpaper was peeling in the seams on multiple spots and there was a lot of dead insects in the ceiling lamp. There wasn't even a pen at the desk in the room so I could fill out the "Guest feedback"-form.
I understand that Oban largely is a stopping point for tourists that are headed out to the islands, and that probably several of the hotels in the town mainly thrive in the summer months, but the lack of attention to even the tiniest details at this hotel is the reason for my two-star rating. If it at least it had looked like somebody cared about dust, cracks, moss etc., it would've been OK, but now it just seems like this place is only open during the summer months for tourists that couldn't find any other place that wasn't full. The price is definitely not in sync with what you get. It's not uninhabitable, it's simply OK if you haven't got elsewhere to go.
As for the food I can't say anything as I'm writing this review on the night of the arrival and didn't eat at the hotel. Given everything I've just said I can't really say that my expectations are very high. read more