Name: Columba Hotel Inverness by Compass Hospitality
Address: 7 Ness Walk, Inverness, Scotland, United Kingdom, Inverness, Highland, GB
Price range: US$93–US$644 per night
Rating: 7.43

What guests think

Travellers describe Columba Hotel Inverness by Compass Hospitality as a characterful, central riverside base with standout views and easy access to shops, restaurants and transport, but inside it shows its age with dated areas, niggles, and ongoing exterior works.

Many highlight friendly, helpful staff, though service can feel stretched or unresponsive at times. Rooms vary in size and comfort, with creaky floors, noise from corridors or bottle bins, temperature control quirks, and occasional issues like weak Wi-Fi, faulty TVs, or awkward over-bath showers. Breakfast and dining are mixed, and the on-site bar/restaurant may have limited hours; there is no on-site parking but cheap public options are nearby, and interior stairs and heavy doors make access tricky. Expect a great location with charm, balanced by noticeable trade-offs.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

On-site bar/restaurant and a lift are available, but the lift doesn’t reach all corridors and heavy internal doors and stairs challenge mobility; exterior renovations/scaffolding are ongoing. There’s no on-site parking (public car parks nearby), and Wi-Fi or heating can be patchy.

Related guest reviews

10

Nancy

25 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

No Parking with hotel. Must find a parking lot for overnight parking. That is inconvenient and a little stressful

6

Irene

29 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

No car park, big problem for my husband age 83 and has walking diffeculities, far too far to walk for him especially carrying our luggage as I’m 80 as well, very poor, couldn’t stay here again

8

Stephen

5 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

The property was undergoing extensive exterior renovations when we arrived - which from an aesthetics perspective was not great but did not really interfere with our stay. The hotel was within reasonable walking distance of trains, buses, shopping, live entertainment, dining options, etc. One criticism was the stairs / lift situation. The lift takes you part way to your room (we were on the 3rd floor). Then there are stairs to navigate and narrow doorways to get your luggage through. Managing heavy duffle bags up stairs and through multiple sets of narrow doorways was a chore for seniors. There was no mention of that in the property write-up.

8

William

9 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

An convenient property that has seen better days. The room and bathroom were clean and realativley comfortable, but many things were dated. The stairs were a nightmare (do not carry up your luggage). Awesome view of the castle and super convenient to downtown Inverness. No parking, but a cheap pay lot was not far.

10

Philip

31 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

There is no luggage cart. We were traveling with a lot so getting it to/from our room was a lot of work. Also - No car park on the property. We were able to park a short distance away on the street but since it was on a one-way street, getting back to the front door the next morning required some driving around.

6

Robert

30 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

No-one mentioned that the whole of the front of the hotel was covered in scaffolding that spoilt the view of the Ness and the castle. We had breakfast one morning. Cold plates and cold Scottish breakfast.

10

Leisha

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff is super helpful and friendly! Food in the restaurant is good. We had a room on the 1st floor and had issues with the wifi working. They happily moved us to a room on the 2nd floor where the WiFi works perfectly! The hotel is right by the river Ness and couldn’t be any more centrally located. We’re very happy with our choice! It’s very clean and the beds are comfortable!

6

Thomas

27 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The check-in was okay but we did not feel as if we were being welcomed, it was simply a clinical check-in. When we entered our room which was described as an executive double room with river view, it was really chilly. There were two electric heaters in the room and only one, the smallest, worked. We had to borrow a portable heater from reception to take the chill of the room. The river view was impeded by the constant condensation on the single glazed windows. McNab's bar was very uninviting so we were only in it for a brief time. The breakfast was a self service buffet, which I would rate as good. There were very few staff members around for us to single out anyone for merit. Any contact we had with staff members was limited. The hotel does not have parking but there is parking nearby for £5.00 per day. The hotel was adequate for the purpose of our visit but I would not rush back.

10

Kathleen

12 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Wonderful hotel - lots of stairs and heavy doors!

8

Daneen

22 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

Property is currently under some renovation so there is scaffolding around most of the building but we never heard anyone working on it. Great location with a beautiful walk along the river Ness.

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Cleanliness

Cleanliness is inconsistent, with recurring reports of moldy bathrooms or shower curtains, dust and cobwebs, and missed housekeeping, though some guests found rooms acceptably clean.

Related guest reviews

6

Natalie E

8 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

While the hotel was in a great location (quiet, next to the River Ness, restaurants/cafes/grocery stores nearby), the room was worn and had mold growing on the bathroom walls and the shower curtain.

4

Sonia

17 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

This is a very old hotel. The only positive is that room was very large. But it’s old. The bed was hard as a table. I understand that Inverness is mostly cold, but in the summer it should have at least a fan & better bedsheets. The bathroom was also large but it had no ventilation. Getting in & out of the tub was an accident waiting to happen. Not even a grab bar! The tub was clogged & the shower curtain was moldy! Breakfast was so-so. It had options but it looked so unappetizing. Wouldn’t recommend at all

4

James

11 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

There's a difference between old world European charm and an old gross rundown hotel. This falls into the latter category. Mould all over the bathroom, room was not clean, building is falling apart. At least the bedding was clean enough. Entry level 2 star hotel at best

2

TIMOTHY

6 May 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Rooms were not cleaned properly. The room had a musty odor, smelled like a wet dog. Carpet is very worn. Walls are dirty. Inconvenient access to rooms, have to pass thru multiple heavy doors that do not prop open making it difficult to pass with luggage. Too many small flights of stairs in between rooms. Beds were uncomfortable. What was supposed to be a queen bed was just 2 twins pushed together. Found mold in the bathroom. Overpriced! Would not recommend!

6

Bradley

28 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Shower needed a deep cleaning as some mold was quite evident in many spots. Needs some minor maintenance.

8

John

15 May 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Cleanliness was an issue at this hotel. It is an old building and extra care needs to be taken especially the bathrooms.

6

Ian

7 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The receptionist on arrival looked like she would rather be somewhere else. The room was dirty. Pair of women’s underpants and socks in bottom of bedside cabinet and the toilet doors and tiles were dirty. The receptionist did apologise and take note of our complaint but that was it however we didn’t ask to be moved so don’t know what would have happened if we did. The whole place is tired looking and needs renovated. Great location.

8

Manuel

31 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

First of all, I have no problems with old buildings. It has really a certain charme. My problem is, if important things like the shower head in the bath are not adjustable in the high, because it was broken and a very cheap solution. Don't understand why its not possible to install better quality. It also was not clean, found hairs everywhere in the bath and I really not searched for it. All in all, I can't recommend it, because the price is too high for what you get.

6

Alison

27 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room wasn't very clean there was a bunch of hair behind door bathroom an old mint and crumbs near bed

4

Katie

30 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The girls at the front were nice enough, but the bed sheets were stained and the toilet seat kept falling down or slipping off to the side. The bathroom mirror had a note posted to "please close the door to the bedroom as the steam sets off the smoke detectors."

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Rooms

Rooms range from spacious river-view options to very tired spaces; guests mention creaky floors, noise from corridors or bottle bins, hard beds or two singles pushed together, limited temperature control, and lack of AC. Wi-Fi/TV reliability varies, and some plumbing is noisy or over-bath showers awkward.

Related guest reviews

10

Paula

6 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Unique historic hotel with all the modern conveniences. Beautiful view of River Ness and Inverness Castle.

10

Mark

13 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Nice room Great location

6

Robert

16 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Couldn’t get TV to work.

8

George Jr

2 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location and view, nice breakfast, but the room heater would not adjust or work correctly.

6

Kirsty

6 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Was fine for one night...but not great. Run down hotel in need of an upgrade. We had mould in the bathroom, the mattress was very uncomfortable and generally just felt like a very tired room needing a good clean - including getting rid of the cobwebs! Breakfast was okay...again not great. TV didn't work and the doors in the corridor made it a noisy night.

10

Favour

2 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely location, beautiful architecture and building and views outside the hotel. It’s a memorable place for me as it’s where I was proposed to. Only let down is the lack of / poor internet connection.

8

margaret

24 Sept 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

We stayed in executive double, overlooking river. Room was lovely and spacious with a comfy king bed. Bathroom had very noisy plumbing, which gurgled, clanked and groaned. The bathroom would be better with a large shower cubicle, instead of a forceful waterfall showerhead above a clawfoot bath. A very small shower curtain allowed water to flood everywhere. With a plumbing upgrade, this accommodation would be amazing.

6

Sergio

2 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

A suggestion would be to include a mini fridge. Double mattress was actually two single ones put together with a sinking space in between.

6

Karen

14 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The location is great! However, our room (218) backed up to a restaurant and they emptied bottles in a can outside multiple times a night until nearly 11:30 pm. The front desk was aware of the issue, but didn’t seem concerned.

6

Bette

7 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was large and clean except for the window which was dirty and had spider webs. I watched resident spider come down and eat a fly, of which there were so many the staff brought a vacuum cleaner to deal with them. Floors were very creaky and uneven. No soundproofing between rooms. Situated close to restaurants and shops.

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Service

Staff are frequently described as friendly and helpful, but service can be stretched or unresponsive, with slow follow-up on problems and limited staffing at times. Housekeeping schedules are irregular in several reviews.

Related guest reviews

2

philip

1 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Staff were uninterested in providing a helpful service. Rooms were not serviced and reception had to be called on two days of a three night stay for our rooms to be made up. The bar was closed at 15.00hrs for restocking on Hogmanay when we only required 2 drinks? And they would not serve us. There was no interaction from the receptionist when we were checking out on how our stay was.

8

Laura

26 May 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff were fantastic. The front desk was very friendly and helpful. I heard her patiently instructing another guest how to turn on the heat. The restaurant staff did everything to accommodate my gluten allergy. The hotel itself is in dire need of renovation. The floor boards are covered with thin, worn carpet, but you still can feel where they are uneven and spaced. The hot and cold faucets are old-school separate, and the toilet doesn’t flush well. The hair dryer was perfect for curly hair because it was more heat than aggressive air- I liked that. The bed was firm, which I like, but so were the pillows (2 in a single bed), which I don’t like. I also had no hangers in the closet, but I feel confident that if I had requested them, I would have gotten them.

10

Louise

27 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Staff lovely as always. Fantastic choice of breakfast. Rooms quiet. 😄

8

Jack

18 Apr 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great value for money, comfortable bed, lovely breakfast. The night manager Mark was exceptionally pleasant and helpful.

10

Leisha

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff is super helpful and friendly! Food in the restaurant is good. We had a room on the 1st floor and had issues with the wifi working. They happily moved us to a room on the 2nd floor where the WiFi works perfectly! The hotel is right by the river Ness and couldn’t be any more centrally located. We’re very happy with our choice! It’s very clean and the beds are comfortable!

4

Jeffrey

6 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

No light over bathroom sink, no working fan, no bathmat for slippery bath tub, ironing board without an iron, could not eat in their resaurant unless you were on a tour, and had to carry bags upand down stairs...bad experience

2

Lewis

18 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast used very low quality ingredients, was luke warm and not fresh. We couldn’t eat it, so it was a waste of money. The staff were rude and unprofessional. In one of our rooms there was an explosion one of the electrical outlets, and all the socket in the room blew. I went to tell the receptionist and he shrug his shoulders and said ‘what can I do, there are no other rooms left, if it’s not still sparking then I’m sure it will be okay. So we had no power. I told him he just needed to flip the fuse and he said ‘if I start touching them, other people might not have power. Rooms were very dated, run down and not clean. The hot water took about 20 minutes of running before it went hot. Shower gel/ shampoo and hand wash were all the same, very low quality products. Rooms were dark and dingy and smelt like cooking. Other areas of the hotel were a mess. It’s a real shame because with a bit of care this hotel could have real potential because of its historical significance. Staff need to be retrained in the basics of hospitality, and the electrics need looked at too, as this place is really not safe! It is truly the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed at.

4

Maggie

11 May 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

This was a great location in Inverness. However, the staff were a bit rude when asking for a fan. Seemed put off that they were even being asked for anything. Also, there was a fire. The gentleman on duty was nonchalant about the entire ordeal. He was not very efficient in checking to see if all of the people were out of the hotel and accounted for. There were also elderly people who didn’t have a place to sit, didn’t have shoes on, and were obviously cold—as we were out in the street from 2 AM-4 AM. The same guy on duty did not update people periodically to let me know what would happen or just simply to reassure them. When the fire department finally told us all to assemble in one room together for an update, we weee given water. It might have been nice to offer drinks and snacks—maybe even free food vouchers for being outside in the cold for two hours. The hotel is old and I would worry about electrical issues/fire hazards. I would likely stay elsewhere if I was in Inverness again.

6

Thomas

27 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The check-in was okay but we did not feel as if we were being welcomed, it was simply a clinical check-in. When we entered our room which was described as an executive double room with river view, it was really chilly. There were two electric heaters in the room and only one, the smallest, worked. We had to borrow a portable heater from reception to take the chill of the room. The river view was impeded by the constant condensation on the single glazed windows. McNab's bar was very uninviting so we were only in it for a brief time. The breakfast was a self service buffet, which I would rate as good. There were very few staff members around for us to single out anyone for merit. Any contact we had with staff members was limited. The hotel does not have parking but there is parking nearby for £5.00 per day. The hotel was adequate for the purpose of our visit but I would not rush back.

10

James

6 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff were fantastic, really welcoming

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Location

Excellent, central position on the River Ness near the castle, shops, restaurants and transport; most sights are walkable. A few rear rooms face service alleys where bottle-bin noise is noted.

Related guest reviews

8

Vernice

3 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Location excellent. Room was fine , bed very comfortable. Had elevator so did not have to carry luggage upstairs. Check in was fast and very welcoming.

8

Samuel

7 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Nice hotel in a very convenient location in Inverness. The staff were friendly and helpful. The building itself is showing its age, but it was generally very clean (no complaints). The view from our room was spectacular. Waking up to seeing a castle outside your window is pretty awesome. I would definitely consider staying here again in the future

8

Nicole

24 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We needed an overnight and this hotel was perfect. On the river, close to many things... pubs, restaurants, river, activity pickup, Tesco. You couldn't pick a better location

10

Mary

23 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Not a fancy hotel but very clean and it has everything you need. A great location.

10

Kseniia

27 May 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Awesome location, right in front of the river Ness, beautiful views of a castle, close to everywhere and yet quiet. We loved our stay there. The from is basic but comfortable and has everything we needed. We walked to the tour bus pickup easily from this hotel, explored Inverness and walked to the train to our next destination. Perfect location!

8

Anthony

25 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Centrally placed hotel on the edge of the town centre. Meant we could easily walk to Inverness for shopping/pub/entertainment

10

Leisha

24 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff is super helpful and friendly! Food in the restaurant is good. We had a room on the 1st floor and had issues with the wifi working. They happily moved us to a room on the 2nd floor where the WiFi works perfectly! The hotel is right by the river Ness and couldn’t be any more centrally located. We’re very happy with our choice! It’s very clean and the beds are comfortable!

10

ester

1 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Good accommodation in convinient location.

10

Alison

7 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location for theatre, restaurants and shops.

10

Betty

5 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Close to everything and easy to walk places

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Dining

Breakfast feedback is mixed: many found it lukewarm or basic, while others praised variety or value. The restaurant/bar offering can be limited or closed at times, and several guests chose to eat elsewhere.

Related guest reviews

10

Cara

19 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Excellent location. Very helpful staff. Beautiful view of Inverness castle across the river. Breakfast was varied and plentiful.

2

Pauline

19 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast and service was a disgrace food was cold and over cooked staff didn’t care

10

Ronald

13 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Food in bar was ok , not great but edible ,breakfast was terrible , from the awful orange juice , to the flasked coffee , to possibly the worst sausage I have ever tasted

10

Gillian

17 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

As always. great stay and great service . Only gripe would be the breakfast . some items sitting out for a long time , dried out , and long wait for items that had ran out . Also the coffee / tea situation has changed and the coffee was awful . Would probably do room only next time

2

Lewis

18 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast used very low quality ingredients, was luke warm and not fresh. We couldn’t eat it, so it was a waste of money. The staff were rude and unprofessional. In one of our rooms there was an explosion one of the electrical outlets, and all the socket in the room blew. I went to tell the receptionist and he shrug his shoulders and said ‘what can I do, there are no other rooms left, if it’s not still sparking then I’m sure it will be okay. So we had no power. I told him he just needed to flip the fuse and he said ‘if I start touching them, other people might not have power. Rooms were very dated, run down and not clean. The hot water took about 20 minutes of running before it went hot. Shower gel/ shampoo and hand wash were all the same, very low quality products. Rooms were dark and dingy and smelt like cooking. Other areas of the hotel were a mess. It’s a real shame because with a bit of care this hotel could have real potential because of its historical significance. Staff need to be retrained in the basics of hospitality, and the electrics need looked at too, as this place is really not safe! It is truly the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed at.

6

James

12 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Breakfast was poor. Would not recommend.

10

LINDA

26 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Beautiful and comfortable stay with very kind hosts. Delicious cooked to order breakfast

6

Peter

17 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Hotel was tired and old needs a good makeover, dinner and breakfast was not very good pretty poor actually, will not book here again or recommend to anyone.

8

Jessica

5 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Hotel is a bit worn down, but clean and staff were great. Restaurant meal mediocre.

10

Darren

24 Feb 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Enjoyable 2 night stay. Nice room at affordable price. Breakfast was also good. Great Value.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	US$60
February	US$62
March	US$78
April	US$144
May	US$239
June	US$212
July	US$201
August	US$199
September	US$196
October	US$118
November	US$64
December	US$70

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6 $300	7	8 $305	9	10 $302	11 $357	12 $635
13 $345	14 $323	15 $572	16 $345	17 $299	18 $299	19 $372
20 $280	21 $306	22 $313	23 $308	24 $273	25 $283	26 $644
27 $306	28 $290	29 $290	30 $268

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $166	2 $188	3 $232
4 $158	5 $166	6 $179	7 $177	8 $161	9 $148	10 $177
11 $127	12 $170	13 $189	14 $181	15 $146	16 $174	17 $177
18 $117	19 $144	20 $150	21 $146	22 $103	23 $143	24 $148
25 $93	26 $110	27 $139	28 $120	29 $103	30 $128	31 $117

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

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Who stays here?

What guests think

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