Dumbarton/Loch Lomond hotel

First to say the hotel itself was great, the accessible room was genuinely accessible and the staff were lovely. Only 4* because while the breakfast was great, went to the dining area in the evening together etc an evening meal and no staff acknowledged us for nearly an hour. They were low in staff (only 2 in the front) but there were only 4 tables, so an hour was a bit silly really. Otherwise great will absolutely return.

First of all this was our first trip and it will be our last I have scored it one as I can't score it zero we were given our key went to the room I will say the room was clean but the bed was very uncomfortable plus we paid £11.00 each for breakfast the bloke that was serving was so miserable a smile wouldn't have been to much to ask for and he never cooked well the food was cold we asked for fried eggs and he said he will bring some that never came so this is why I give this true review it was so bad

So I’m actually writing this as I’m laying in bed on my last night here, so that I don’t forget and it’s the freshest version of my experience. Whilst I understand it’s pretty fluke, the attitude we received can be pretty transferable. For a bit of context; we had planned to have a weekend near Carrick Castle, before heading up to the Isle of Skye for the rest of the week. This was supposed to be a pitstop and we really didn’t want to miss out on what Glasgow supposedly had to offer. Because of storm Amy, we had to check out of our accommodation as it became quite dangerous and was extremely stressful, so we ended up booking a Premier Inn here and travelling closer to Glasgow, as we have always trusted Premier Inn. The lady who checked us in was absolutely lovely, and really welcoming. We got into the room with no problems, not an issue, the bathroom was a little bit grotty and the handle bar for the shower popped off when I used it, which showed a lot of dirt and rust. I’ve come to realise after this experience that I actually accept that as the standard of Premier Inn, which I realise now isn’t good. We were recommended to book a table which we did, and due to the storm we were recommended the earlier the better. This stood true, as when we got into the restaurant it piled up pretty quickly and there was only two members of staff on. There seemed to be an issue with a leak near the coffee machine which occupied one of the staff members for quite awhile and the other one seemed really stressed. I used to manage in hospitality, and I honestly felt so bad for them both, as it was super busy and he seemed really stressed. I am the first person to sympathise with hospitality workers. Food was absolutely fine. Went to sleep and everything in the room was absolutely sound. The next day we’d been out into Glasgow shopping, and when we got back, there was a younger girl with dark hair at reception and she seemed really nice. A bit later, we went down for dinner again. My partner ordered Caesar salad and I ordered the chilli and tomato pasta with added chicken. I also ordered fries for us to share. We were sat pretty close to the kitchen’s pass too. When the food came, my partners salad was put down first and the two girls working both ran the food, and before mine even hit the table, the girl who took our order immediately said ‘wait there’s no chicken on that, let me get that sorted.’ I’m genuinely the type of person to just accept it, and ask for it to be taken off the bill at the end because I completely get it, but I didn’t even see the meal before she diverted back towards the chef. I’m not sure what was said when she went back to ask for chicken, but I did hear the chef say ‘unbelievable’ which, at the time, I believed was said towards that girl who took our order, as it’s pretty clear to me it was missed off when she put the order through. The chef on the pass then proceeded to really loudly continue to say ‘unbelievable’ several times, moan really loudly, saying things like ‘oh I can’t even use that now either’ at the pasta sat on the pass. I was absolutely fine until one of the girls working went and asked how the chicken was coming on, and he proceeded to moan ‘unbelievable’ several times more saying ‘well it’s blown up in their face because now they’ve had to wait ages for it.’ That’s when it clicked with me that I think the girl taking our order told the chef that I had only just asked to order the chicken as our food was brought to the table. I am 100% certain that the chef believed it was my fault. I’m not an anxious girly at all, but the chef was talking so loudly; so clearly knowing I was in ear shot and could hear everything he was saying. I’m 26 and I don’t leave home much, I’m not from Scotland, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I felt so uncomfortable to the pit of my stomach that my appetite completely vanished. My boyfriend went and asked the same girl if we could take our meal to the room to eat because we both just felt so uncomfortable and unwelcome, despite having done absolutely nothing wrong. I would never ever ever dare to let a chef cook me a meal and only then ask to add meat to it once it was served to me. I’ve known the trade 10 years of my life, I’ve seen it all and worked with every manner of chef. I’ve seen the dark side of back of house and have the utmost respect for the trade. I was so upset and frustrated that not only was the chef purposely making me feel uncomfortable but the girl that seemed so lovely had also lied, to essentially save her own back. Again, I understand how hard hospitality can be, but this is not morally acceptable. When my partner asked her about it, she said she would take the chicken off but then ended up taking the whole meal off, which shows me even more that the added chicken was not put on the order in the first place. I cried quite a lot when we got back to the room and I didn’t eat my dinner, as I just felt so shocked and frustrated. I am so far from home, in a place I believed I could trust in. We went out for dinner at a nearby Italian which was lovely. But no hotel should make their guests feel like this. Whilst you can expect the standard Premier Inn experience in terms of the room (whatever that means to you), if you want a quick easy hotel and dinner experience, I would not recommend this at all. I don’t trust in the staff here whatsoever. I feel incredibly uncomfortable and I cannot wait to leave. I don’t think I will ever be staying in Premier Inn ever again and my opinion on it is completely changed. I’d always really trusted in Premier Inn, but this one has changed everything for me.

We stopped over for one night and were very impressed with the service and comfort of the room. Bed was very comfortable and the cost was excellent value.

My first time to Scotland and the team are are very friendly. Alistair in the restaurant offered second to none service with a smile. Really pleased I came here. Well done guys.