Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland

Stayed - 1 night October 2019
Upgrade - From Estate Room to Estate Suite
Early check in - 12PM
Late check out - Was proactively offered 4PM with a "do you think you'll use it?"
Breakfast - Included
Wifi - Included
Amenity - One round of golf (didn't use, we are not golfers)

I believe that this hotel includes breakfast and wifi, so we didn't get any additional value there. But the early checkin and late checkout on a one night stay delivered max value. We arrived soon after 12 and checked out at 4 before having a bite to eat in the Century Bar off the lobby and set out for the train to Glasgow just before 5. Staying only one night, the early checkin and late checkout made it feel like almost two nights.

I booked a mid-range room (+$50 from lowest available) hoping for a suite upgrade and it worked. The Suite they gave us was one of the nicest rooms period we've ever been in. It felt like the master suite in a $10mm apartment overlooking Central Park or in Boston's Back Bay. The suite comes with a little kit with everything needed to make a martini - The Vesper - from James Bond. And they also gave us a split of very nice Moet & Chandon because it was my 50th birthday.

The hotel is very posh and the staff we spoke with were all very nice and surprisingly down to earth. They made a big show of checking us in and going over the FHR benefits and bringing us to the suite and giving us a tour (it was pretty big).

The only downside I'd say was a mediocre meal at The Birnam and a good but not amazing breakfast buffet. Having spent three nights in Edinburgh prior to this, the dinner at Birnam did not measure up. And actually the food at the Century Bar was just ok also.

Since we don't golf we couldn't take advantage of the Amenity, so I tried to get them to swap out for a dining credit but they wouldn't budge. We did partake in a little pitch 'n putt on the free course in front of the hotel and that was fun.

Overall I'd definitely recommend a one or two night stay here. It was featured recently on the HBO show Succession when the (obnoxiously rich) family visits Scotland and it fit right in with the other ultra-posh locations on the show.