Airth Castle Hotel and Spa Review: A Taste of Tranquility Within Reach of the City
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| Airth Castle Hotel |
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| Airth Castle |
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| The main lounge area inside Airth Castle |
But it isn't just the quiet elegance of the main castle building that makes this hotel worth a visit. Whilst there are some aspects that could be improved, the hotel itself offers a wonderful spa with fantastic facilities including a gym, a pool, jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna, as well as a variety of treatments (...massage, yes please). The hotel boasts a sleek and very chic main reception with a lounge area and bar, with a modern vibe that doesn't conflict with the historic castle vibe.
Facilities
I'm not disciplined enough to willingly go to the gym on a spa break, but I did enjoy the pool and the jacuzzi, steam room, and sauna. Everything was clean and very modern, and left me feeling all kinds of relaxed. Of course, that may also have had something to do with the amazing massage I had beforehand, and the time spent in the relaxation room.
The room was admittedly a little dated and in need of a general refurbishment, but it was clean and comfortable, and we were greeted with a bottle of wine on arrival too. As it is a wedding venue, there can be considerable noise from other, somewhat inebriated guests, but what the room was really missing was air-conditioning. Although not a common complaint in Scotland, especially in older buildings, the room was very warm and I did find it difficult to get comfortable as a result.
The water pressure for the shower was great, and the room came equipped with a hair-dryer, iron/ironing board, stationery, kettle with tea and coffee. The room also had a nice view of the castle. Overall I was happy with my stay in the room and would definitely return.
Food
Dinner service was where things took a bit of a downward turn, and I think the lacklustre experience really let the hotel down.
We were early for dinner and offered to wait at the bar - it was a Saturday night and there was a wedding in progress so they were clearly very busy - but we were assured it was fine and shown to our seats. Around twenty minutes then went by before any wait staff approached the table, and even then it was only because my very irate mother went to the restaurant reception and asked to be served. I had to make my way to the bar just so we would have something to drink; not a great start.
Being plant-based, I am always wary of the vegan options available in older hotels, but was pleased to see a few options - except the one vegan dessert (chocolate brownie) wasn't available (although it was available as a non-vegan option). I ordered a courgette and aubergine lasagne to start, and although tasty, what arrived was far from what I envisioned when I ordered "lasagne". There was no pasta, just layers of courgette and aubergine in a very watery tomato sauce (which tells me the veg was frozen or the chefs are not used to cooking with vegetables). An extra ramekin of tomato sauce was provided so overall it was nice, but it was very underwhelming for something touted as a lasagne, and for something that is priced at £5.
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| Vegan aubergine and courgette "lasagne" starter. |
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| Vegan pie (served with roasted vegetables). |
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| Mixed Fruit Sorbet |
Would I Stay Again?
Absolutely. With the dinner service and the relatively basic rooms, I wouldn't give this hotel a perfect score, but I definitely enjoyed my stay and would actually love to go back. The spa was lovely, the main hotel was well maintained, and the room was well-equipped even if it was no-frills. The dinner experience was a bit disappointing but nothing that was so poor it would stop me from returning, and the food was overall very nice. I would have no qualms about booking another spa break here!
Have you stayed at Airth Castle Hotel? What did you think? Let me know below!
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