Rocpool Reserve

We’ve been traveling all over Scotland, started in Glasgow and went to Oban and then Portree. I wasn’t expecting Inverness to be one of my favorites, but it is the cutest urban city that’s also quiet despite having a lot going on. This hotel was one of my favorites as well, so put together, making you feel very special. It feels like home while also being a very nice hotel with great rooms. Located just a few minutes off the main river walk made it easy to walk around. I’d definitely come back here.

Not sure how this hotel qualifies as a five-star property. Overall, the rooms felt dingy, and the carpet was worn and in need of replacement—hardwood floors would be a major improvement. The hotel’s aesthetic was visually unappealing, with clashing colors, mismatched artwork, and an overall confusing vibe. The photos online did not match the actual room we were given, which was a major disappointment. I will attempt to include photos for reference. We had looked forward to breakfast based on the reviews, but it left much to be desired. The manager was kind, but appeared disheveled and overwhelmed, seemingly juggling too many roles at once. Our bathroom had hair on the shower walls and in the drawers upon arrival. In the bedroom, there was a mess left behind by previous guests—clearly, housekeeping hadn’t bothered to check the drawers. Even after informing staff the next morning, it was not addressed and remained untouched for the rest of our stay. The placement of the air conditioner was particularly uncomfortable—it was mounted just two feet above the bed, blowing directly down on us. Since the room required cooling, there was no way to avoid it, which made it difficult to rest comfortably. Another important note: there is no elevator, which made carrying luggage up to our room quite inconvenient—especially for guests with mobility concerns or those expecting a more accommodating experience. When we went to check out, there was no one at the front desk, and we had to walk into the kitchen to find someone to return our keys after 30 minutes of searching for a staff member. We expected much more from this hotel, especially since we were here for our honeymoon. Very disappointing.

I have no idea how in the world the hotel has such a high rating. The rooms are large and the bed looked comfortable, but the design and colour scheme was atrocious. It DID NOT look like the pictures. It was almost entirely brown or muted greens and just very ugly unless you're a major fan of brown. The food was excellent. I did consider staying for the chef alone. That said, they're bad. I'm intersex and was super excited to see the gender neutral title of Mx. on their hotel reservation website thinking that they were accepting and welcoming. They're not. The staff completely ignored my preferences and called me "Madam" or "Ma'am" the entire time. I ended up not staying the night. NOT WORTH IT.