Pausanias

There's lots of stuff on the NC500 but this is one of the best web sites I've come across -

https://www.lovefromscotland.co.uk/north-coast-500/

Excellent pre-stay service so far from Newton Lodge.

FlyingHighlander

Some good tips on there.

Not specific to NC500, but a really good site for walking routes in all areas of Scotland is https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/
Has routes ranging from the easiest short strolls to the most difficult mountains. Users also submit their own trip reports and theres a very active forum.

Edit- they do in fact have NC500 articles
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news...art-1/0016272/

I'd bet theres also various forum threads on it too.

richarddd

Initial impressions of Glasshouse Autograph Collection in Edinburgh:

Arrival - no doorman in sight, but when we're about two steps from the door, one appears and opens it for us.

Check-in - The front desk agent had a heavy Scottish accent, which might be expected given the location, but it does make it hard to understand her. She notes some requests we had made (and confirmed by email). Our rate should have included continental breakfast (confirmed by email) but she does not mention anything. I ask about it. She said there's no record, but asks a manager, who approves breakfast. I did not ask if continental or full. We'll see what happens.

We booked a Lady Glenorchy Suite, but the room sign is Speyside Suite. The person who brought us to the room (who seemed to say he was a concierge) says he'll have the FD call. They do call shortly after, saying it's the proper suite and that many people are confused because the website says one thing and the room another.

The room is a good size, with a somewhat pleasant but boring decor. There are, alas, some issues. In no particular order.

- We got the version with a terrace, even though we requested the other (the room comes in two versions). I realize there are no guarantees and don't really care (the difference between the two versions is small). About two-thirds of the terrace is blocked off for maintenance.

- We had requested a top sheet and blanker, not a duvet. This was confirmed by email and mentioned by the FD. Guess what? A surprisingly well dressed housekeeper arrives shortly to change the bedding.

- Our luggage was not placed in a closet or racks by the person who brought it up, which others might regard as a problem. I don't care. However, there is only one luggage rack. Upon my request, the housekeeper returns with another.

- Some things are a bit worn. Not many and nothing bad, more like normal wear and tear

- The outer translucent drapes are hung on hooks. However, in about a dozen places the drapes are off the hooks. This especially annoys my wife, so I fix them. When we get back to the room at the end of the day, the drapes are drawn and I see that the inner opaque drapes sag in a number of places and the corresponding pleats have unpleated. This time there's no obvious way to fix them.

- I turned on the TV and immediately saw a message about updating Windows 10 and VLC, with no obvious way to make it go away. On the way out, mention it to the FD. They say Samsung TVs do this at odd times. It's fixed by the time we return from our day out.

- A few of the ceiling lights are out.

- The toilet flush is loud - the refill sounds like a loud vacuum cleaner, but only occasionally.

- Minibar price list includes a bottle opener, but I don't see one. Tray of snacks has a few empty slots. I don't know if any of that will be a problem.

None of these are particularly serious, but the cumulative effect is annoying. I'll have to get the energy to complain about the drapes, lights and toilet.

The temperature is good. The control doesn't go below 19C, but it feels colder than that.

I don't mean to be too critical. It is a nice room. I just expected some more polish.

bhrubin

Yay! I have been guaranteed in writing the suite will cool to 67 F (19 C) or lower, so that’s very reassuring and good to know, indeed.

Thanks for the review—very helpful!

You know we already are booked for the terrace Lady Glenorchy/Speyside Suite that you now occupy. Thanks for letting us know that a portion of that terrace is closed for maintenance. I’ll certainly ask about that.

I do think our expectations for the 4* Glasshouse are a bit different than yours.

I think you might be mistaking this 4* Autograph Collection property in little old Edinburgh for a 5* Luxury Collection in a major city more like London. I think if you were to visit the 5* Balmoral and 5* Waldorf Astoria properties there in town, you might feel a bit differently. It’s Edinburgh—not a lot of polish.

As one who has stayed a few times at both the Balmoral and WA, and has seen some of the same hard product and soft product fails as you mention but at much higher price points, I think you might feel a lot better about the 4* Glasshouse and the rate you paid.

Of course, I still hope things only will improve for you and your stay!

richarddd

bhrubin FWIW, we stayed at the Autograph hotel in Cambridge earlier this year and had no problems. That hotel is much newer.

I do wonder how no one would notice the drapes or lights.

bhrubin

Autograph is a soft brand, just like Luxury Collection—a collection of otherwise independent, usually boutique properties with their own unique character and their own management. Not a proper brand with comparable brand standards, the standards can and do vary more, and even more significantly by location. It’s a wider variance for Autograph than Luxury Collection, too, in my experience.

I don’t disagree that those are fails, of course. But don’t only complain to us about them; complain rather to the hotel about them so they can make the effort to fix what bothers you and concomitantly improve your experience!

The key here is that the Glasshouse is NOT a luxury hotel. I never believed it to be. I just am not at all impressed with the Balmoral and WA.

richarddd

The shower worked well in terms of pressure and temperature, even if it had a small leak. The heating/cooling system works well. The bed was comfortable.

I would hope neither 4* nor 5* would have noticeable maintenance issues and the major differences would include the 5* having better decor and service. Note the word "hope".

ETA: Breakfast was tasty, although the selection was small. At least the front desk had given us full breakfast.

Lovethecabin

We stayed at the Glasshouse (on points) last month. I agree, its not a luxury hotel by any stretch but I didn't expect it to be. We had two rooms and the AC didn't work in one. Our stay was during very warm weather and we were miserable the first night. Management brought in fans and the AC was repaired while we were out to dinner. Management went above and beyond on a few other items. For a points stay, it was fine. I wrote about it over on the Marriott section.

We stayed at Gleneagles after checking out early of another hotel. We loved it.

livefromtuscany

Anybody heard of The Fife Arms in Braemar? It was strongly recommended by friend, looks great but I don’t know if the location is interesting. Never been to Scotland.

bhrubin

I’ve certainly heard of it but never stayed. It’s in the middle of the Cairngorm Mountains only about 10 miles from Balmoral. Especially known for its quirky art collection and for being convenient to see the Highland Games held nearby in summer. Beautiful location, but not luxury in the usual sense has been my impression.

Lovethecabin

We had lunch there last month. The location is stunning and Braemar is a lovely small town. The inn didn't strike me as a full-service luxury hotel. However, it looked very nice and would have made a good stop over for us on the way to Inverness.

offerendum

From pictures it seems it's interesting but in a classic relative dark style. If you prefer bright rooms it's probably not the best choice as it's the case with many British hotels. I think from my experience service and maintenance wise you have often to make compromises when traveling on the island.

richarddd

Dakota Glasgow, initial impressions:

We're in a signature suite, the second highest category.

Email with room preferences was answered quickly and politely, granting almost all of our requests (other than for a view, but I'm not sure if any room has a view).

Check-in: friendly and efficient, although I had to show the confirmation email to prove breakfast was included.

Room: Nice room. The size is fine. It's pleasant, but a bit generic corporate. It could have more room lights (ETA: many lights are on dimmer switches; turning them makes it much lighter). No maintenance issues. The temperature can be set to 19C.

It's less than a 10 minute cab ride to everywhere we want to visit and taxis are plentiful (hail or Gett).

bhrubin

Thanks for sharing! I’m pretty sure your initial mention of this hotel is the reason I booked it to end our anniversary trip in May 2020. They did guarantee me 19 C so it’s nice to hear that, and we’re booked for the same suite at a great rate.

richarddd

It was the highest rated hotel I could find in central Glasgow based on reviews.

Please let me know if you have any questions.