My husband and I traveled from Texas in the U.S. for an extended honeymoon stay at the Dalhousie Castle. We paid in advance for a themed room ($400+ USD/night), only to find at check-in that our themed room had been given to a wedding party. Instead we were given a standard castle room at the same price. The "Cedar" room had a Murphy bed with cheap scratchy linens. The bathroom was quite ample and the view was beautiful. Once we settled, walked the grounds and viewed the falconry, we asked at the front desk where we could have a drink. It appears there is a lack of training with the front desk staff. The desk clerk sent us to the Orangery Restaurant where we were told by the waiter that there was no lounge there. We'd made dinner reservations at the Dungeon Restaurant which was a fine dining experience. The chef prepared a remarkable 3 course meal with dessert. The wait staff was supurb. The castle has an intriguing location but certainly not worth the money. While the dining experience at the Dungeon Restaurant is worthwhile, the accomodations certainly are not.

The title pretty much says it. For the price we paid for a triple (we had two children with us, aged 4 and 9) I was REALLY disappointed in the bed--the sheets were fine, but the mattress certianly fit the castle theme -- hard! The bathroom was spacious and clean and they were generous with the towels. The TV was very small, and considering it had SKY satellite the channel choices were rather limited. Being at the top of the castle meant the windows were rather small and high, and the view was obstructed by part of the castle itself. To access the one window with a view they thoughtfully put in a small wooden platform with a steep set of steps--so be careful!

If you have ANY walking difficulties this is NOT the place for you--no elevators mean A LOT of stairs. We stayed on the top floor and believe me when I say you get a workout getting to the rooms there.

The Dungeon Restaurant looked fun but we did not partake as they discourage any kids in there. It was decorated with reproduction armor etcetera and the like. The Orangery had excellent staff and the breakfast was fine--but the dinner menu was VERY limited and tried to be sophisticated (read: had entree choices which wouldn't appeal to the average person). The staff was great though, and very friendly and helpful.

The Falconry was brilliant--we were very sorry we didn't think to book ahead to try it. They give discounted rates for kids to work with an owl.

The strength at this hotel is the atmosphere and location. It had a nice plot of land to walk around and they were fairly tolerant of the kids and of us exploring the castle.

All in all we had a pleasant stay. I realize this review sounded a bit whiny; don't get us wrong--we enjoyed the stay and understood the nature of a castle meant certain things couldn't be helped, but as I said, we expected just a little better in certain areas for the price we paid (~$400/night US$). I'd recommend it if you aren't picky and want the castle experience.

My husband and I recently stayed at Dalhousie Castle to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We stayed in a theme room, which was fairly spacious. The bed was comfortable and the sheets were just like those in a Sheraton or Hyatt, etc. The bathroom was quite large, though the tub and shower were just average.

If you're looking for deluxe accommodation or luxury, this isn't the ticket. However if you like a hotel with charm and character, you'll enjoy your stay here. It is, after all, an ancient castle!

We had a lovely view of the grounds, had a private session with the Falconry, and tried out archery for the first time.

My husband had a massage and thoroughly enjoyed it. I used the hydrospa, sauna, etc and enjoyed that. I would've preferred a hot tub temperature in the hydrospa (it's swimming pool temperature), but I did warm up in the steam room. The rainforest shower is cool.

The staff is friendly and accomodating.

All in all, I'm really glad we stayed here.

Our stay got off to a shakey start with our room (Robert the Bruce) being ready about 90 minutes after the promised time. A bit disappointing considering the price of the room and rating of the establishment.

Things were a bit more disappointing because we chose this place as a special respite during our honeymoon for the spas that were included with the stay. However, they suffered a minor fire prior to our visit which closed the facility that is included with the room tariff. We had spent several days hiking and really looked forward to enjoying the spas. Even the extra-pay spas had already been fully booked. The Castle made no attempt to remedy this situation in any way nor attempted to contact us prior to our visit that the spas would not be available.

When our room was available our bags were not automatically brought up the considerable flights of stairs to our room. We hauled them ourselves.

The room was comfortable, the bath first rate. The sheets were no better than a budget hotel! They were clean, but quite scratchy. The bath towels were very soft and comfy. But, the cheesy sheets were extrememly disappointing for such an expensive place.

We had dinner in the dungeon - it was by far the best meal and service either of us had ever experienced. The food was amazing and the service managed to top it. The setting in the dungeon made for a very romantic and intimate experience. By luck, we even managed to have one room to ourselves. Bravo!

The staff other than at the front desk were great. We really enjoyed them. However, I would hesitate to spend such money on a room there again. If the hotel had offered to pay for our lunch while we waited for our room, or offered complimentary drinks after dinner, we might not have felt ripped off. But, the Dungeon Restaurant is very much worth the visit and I would highly recommend it.