Balmacara Hotel

I was staying here as part of a tour, and this was the nicest hotel of my Scotland visit. There is still some construction on the exterior of the building, but the inside is very nice. The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable. My 1st floor room opened up to a small patio overlooking the parking lot and the loch across the street (it would be nice if there was a semi-sheer curtain so people can't see straight into the room while the curtains are open). There is a fancy restaurant on sight as well as a bar. There is also a Spar grocery store next door, but that's about it. But it is not far from the bridge over to the Isle of Skye if you plan to visit there but hotels are all booked up. And make sure you go outside and catch the sunset over Loch Alsh if you're staying there.

Arrived late so missed food so can`t comment but menu looked good. Hotel was clean and a welcoming greeting when I arrived. Room clean and no issues other than heating a challenge to set and parking limited - Breakfast great, would stay again.

The Balmacara Hotel has two bars and a restaurant. The rooms were clean and the bathrooms were recently updated. Water pressure was good and the water temperature was hot if you needed it (Not all hotels in Scotland provide hot water). Parking can be tricky as the lot has limited space.

The property has had a lovely renovation in the last few years. The rooms are comfortable and modern. The location and aspect are great. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. Food and service in the restaurant is excellent

The staff were friendly and courtious, the food was good, the hotel was clean and tidy and there were plenty parking spaces, all round,it was a pleasant experience

Great location! Our room had an amazing view. Really enjoyed the restaurant and bar.

Convenient location to Skye. Comfortable enough. Restaurant and bar were reasonable and nice to have on site, though you should make a reservation ahead of time.

This has two stories, no elevator and I'm 75 and had to carry my bag to the second floor

Perfect. Good location, easy parking outside room. Amenities were very good, condition of hotel was excellent. Would happily stay there again.

The staff were great the facility was pretty clean - the place is under construction so that was needed but annoying and parking sometimes a problem due to the construction and use of bar on facility. But really the worst thing was the occupants above us. There must be very little insulation between rooms because it was extremely loud till after midnight - banging furniture scrapping across floor and people speaking very loudly. Mentioned problem to manager and he did his best to remedy the problem. Technically the problem wasn’t the motels but the walls and floors could have been better insulated. Overall the place was decent.

Room was just clean enough. Dirty shower grout and filthy baseboards.

The TV reception did not work. Room had long hair left on the bathroom floor 😩 We paid a fortune for 1 night. $600 so overpriced Food was good. Needs a lot of maintenance

Very good stay. Nicely set out and in a lovey spot. Staff were kind and room was good and spotlessly clean.

Hotel was quite nice and the food was excellent. The trouble was all the confusion when asking questions about dinner and our room. When we got into the room, it hadn’t been cleaned and there was an empty bottle of juice sitting on the dresser – the beds weren’t made either! When I went to reception to ask about this, their response was “I don’t know how that happened.” A bit inconvenient overall as we have been staying in a few places around Scotland and they were rated 3* which offered 5* service. I hope this was a one off.

Friendly efficient staff,great food and comfortable clean room

Amazing views. Our room had a window you could see the lake and mountains from. The staff was nice and room was super clean and comfortable . Highly recommend !

The ambience of the hotel was very good. The food is pricey at the restaurant but the quality of the food was very good. The cleanliness of the room wasn’t great. There were tufts of hair on the carpet and the carpets looked pretty old and stained. Very expensive room rent for one night. Breakfast was reasonable. The front of the hotel could do with a wee garden / landscaping to match the ambience around.

Very nice hotel. Clean and updated

Lovely fast & friendly check in . Room was very clean, tastefully decorated with excellent water pressure in the shower. Local Spar shop next door as everything you need if you're traveling too . Lovely hotel , kudos to staff & owners.

Lovely clean spacious room. Good shower. Comfy bedding. Really friendly staff.

Modern, clean and very well run. Lovely views from the front (once the rain stopped…) Bed was a little tired and the walls were thin enough to hear the TV in the room next door. The guest directly above my room dragged their chair over the solid wood floor several times, which was irritating, but hardly the hotel’s fault. Good value though, which coming from a Yorkshireman, is high praise…

Basic condition of the room is good and the shower is spacious and user friendly. However we ordered a room for three adults, but the extra bed is just an added-on, is small, and rather low when compared to the overall level of the hotel. Also the bed is preparing when we walked in our room at 6pm and not before. It is rather unprofessional and unacceptable.

The Balamarca was one of the few hotels we could find space in during a busy weekend. Overall the space was clean and nice. The staff were very helpful and friendly. It is an older building with a newer addition. We stayed in the older part and noticed the floors weren’t completely level. However, the rooms had been renovated with clean modern bathrooms. The beds were a little uncomfortable as it had an older spring-type mattress and a mattress pad that kept getting out of place under the thin flat sheet that covered it. I would stay there again but would ask to be in one of the newer rooms as I assume that they would have newer beds.

Spent only one night. Very clean rooms and friendly staff. Nice place to stay as you’re passing through highlands. My only complaint is the wi-fi signal was non existent in the room we were staying. Couple that with poor cell reception, it was difficult to plan next day and communicate.

Basic and charmless at an exorbitant price and NO WIFI in room. The staff is not local and got my room wrong (I ordered twin beds and preconfirmed online). The restaurant is also very basic and my fish and chips took over an hour to be served (they said the kitchen was understaffed). There is no 4G here and the wifi only works in the lobby. My room (no. 12) had no connectivity. All this for $400 pounds per room!

The plus side: the meals, clean comfortable room, friendly staff. The negative side: my room window was immediately above the kitchen extractor fan, which came on at 06.40 both days, audible, plus cooking smells entering the room though the window was closed. Very sensitive fire alarm sensors, so an alarm was triggered at 00.45hrs apparently by someone having a shower and filling the room with steam. Also unfortunate was the road surfacing machinery on the road and lay-by outside the hotel, working through the night! Distinctly audible from my room. Not quite so noticeable the second night as they had move along the road a little.

large room and view

Hotel has a nice fresh feel and the sea view room we had on the first floor was much larger than expected (Room 47). Very clean and the shower was really good although it did take a while for the hot water to pull through. Some instructions on working the TV would have been handy but got there eventually and with a room that size a little sofa or comfortable arm chairs would be great to sit and enjoy the amazing view (I'm being really picky!). Good breakfast.

Room 11 where l was is horrible, no other way to describe it. It has 2 Windows both of which look at a blank wall. To the left of the windows outside are stainless chimneys that vent for boilers etc. they are noisy and vibrate through the walls. Making sleep difficult. There is an in ceiling trunking that extracts air from elsewhere in the hotel that also make a mouse and vibrates. The room also smells of cooking from kitchens below. It should be turned into a utility room Woe betide anyone who gets it. The food was good but pricey. Scottish cheese selection came with no description 4 small pieces of crisp ' packet' toast, the 4 cheeses were large sugar cube size... £19.95! I won't be back.

The staff were great the facility was pretty clean - the place is under construction so that was needed but annoying and parking sometimes a problem due to the construction and use of bar on facility. But really the worst thing was the occupants above us. There must be very little insulation between rooms because it was extremely loud till after midnight - banging furniture scrapping across floor and people speaking very loudly. Mentioned problem to manager and he did his best to remedy the problem. Technically the problem wasn’t the motels but the walls and floors could have been better insulated. Overall the place was decent.

On arrival we were told they'd upgraded our room at no extra cost which was a lovely surprise. The room was spacious, clean and very well kept. The staff were very friendly and helpful, especially Singh. Would definitely stay again.

Comfy rooms but service lacking. Waited about 5 minutes at the front desk while the guy was on his cell talking. Checked in, went to the bar, same guy said he’d be right back to serve us, he came back 10 minutes later which by then another couple was also waiting. Dined there for supper and asked for fish with salad instead of chips, server said she’d have to check with the kitchen. Never saw her again, food arrived with chips by someone else. Finally the dinner bill had 20% gratuity automatically added. Not recommended.

Great service from staff, very welcoming and supportive. The hotel is in good condition and is ideal for business trips or leisure due to facility and location when visiting the Isle of Skye. This was my second visit and will keep this hotel top of my list whether it be work or leisure next time.

No teabags, tissues and coffee not in hospitality tray on arrival. Fire alarm went off at 9. Went downstairs and told to go back to bedroom. It was handled badly.

Booked this hotel as part of an Expedia VIP. Made to feel anything but. In 20 years of frequenting hotels, experienced the most unwelcoming check in. No greeting, just an abrupt “Are you staying with us” after being ignored for the first 30 seconds. The lady on reception continued to act as if she was doing me a favour. Then told me there was an outstanding balance of £147 to pay for my room. I explained the room had been pre-paid and even showed her the receipt twice. Still, she insisted the room had not been paid for. After an entire day of driving, I was made to stand and wait at reception / check in for ten minutes waiting for the manager. In fairness to him, he was polite, apologetic and resolved the issue immediately. However. The lady on reception was anything but friendly. Kept awake all night by next rooms extract fan as sound proofing in the property was non existent. Breakfast staff all looked and interacted like they wished they were somewhere else. Only positive was the actual breakfast itself which was of good quality.

We got there and they said there was no reservation even though i showed them the confirmation. Very schetchy place. We found another hotel later. The receptionist told me other pe6had similar problems with them. i think they're avoiding paying Expedia

This hotel was beautiful. The room was clean, bed was huge/comfortable & bathroom beautifully clean with an excellent shower. Had breakfast and evening meal & both were delicious. It was lovely to have additional choices from full Scottish breakfast or continental and the Eggs Benedict was lovely. Staff very friendly & welcoming.

Indifferent welcome, clean room.

Exactly what we needed. Booked at the last minute and arrived after the designated time, but staff was amazingly accomodating--could not have been more pleased.

The staff made a real effort with us and our young son. They were really friendly, welcoming and informative. The hotel was in lovely condition, freshly decorated, nice attention to detail. Anything we needed they provided with efficiency and a smile. It was a real pleasure to stay there and we would have liked to stay longer.

Great location and the view

Convenient location. Beautiful view of the lake.

For an extremely friendly stay I can highly recommend Balmacara. The rooms are excellent with great views either over the Loch - front - or the mountains - back. The owners and staff could not be friendlier and more helpful. The hotel itself, being just a mile or so on this side of the Skye Bridge, is ideally placed for a day on Skye. I can also highly recommend the restaurant, which is helpful given the dearth of options in the area.

I was staying here as part of a tour, and this was the nicest hotel of my Scotland visit. There is still some construction on the exterior of the building, but the inside is very nice. The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable. My 1st floor room opened up to a small patio overlooking the parking lot and the loch across the street (it would be nice if there was a semi-sheer curtain so people can't see straight into the room while the curtains are open). There is a fancy restaurant on sight as well as a bar. There is also a Spar grocery store next door, but that's about it. But it is not far from the bridge over to the Isle of Skye if you plan to visit there but hotels are all booked up. And make sure you go outside and catch the sunset over Loch Alsh if you're staying there.

Beautiful view, comfortable beds good amenities

Very nice and quiet location.

Great location with a view of the lake. Comfortable rooms. Good breakfast options. Convenience store next door

Um bom Hotel como base para conhecer a Ilha de Skye. Conforrto, boa comida e boa localização.

The hotel stands on quite a busy road in to Skye so during our stay there was quite a lot of cars and trucks going past. There is a spar shop located next door for any essentials and the town itself is a few miles down the road. I believe that the hotel has a few arrangements set up with companies who drop large groups off there as a stop over before / after their trips over to Skye. We found as customers on a one night stay there was no great customer service given when we arrived and we didn’t see anyone at all when we left? Both times we did notice most of the staff who were possibly family members grouped in areas talking or eating and completely switching off from their customers? It’s a nice enough hotel for one night, we didn’t eat there as the prices were very inflated. Clean, warm and enough free parking. Best feature was the view over looking loch Alsh.

Nice spot close to the Isle of Skye.

Great place to stay before isle of Skye. Large rooms. Great restaurant. Breakfast (included) was delicious. There is a grocery store next door too.

Delicious food and coffee! Comfortable and clean. Professional and accommodating staff, would stay here again. Close to Skye Bridge

Nice, but food is very expensive.

Had a fantastic stay, you couldn’t get a better location, very relaxing and the staff were brilliant ( a special mention to Manish who was very friendly and helpful ) We dined at the Hotel and the food was delicious, the Breakfast was also very good.

The food was over priced and poor quality Did complain and it made no difference, there was one waiter for a full restaurant and didn’t have time to check if we were happy with our food possibly need more staff for the restaurant and bar The room was good and comfortable tv buffered a bit

Worst thing was the dinner menu in the restaurant. Website says "people can enjoy authentic dishes from the Highlands" and "Our skilled chef will delight you with exquisite dishes crafted with passion and the freshest regional ingredients" - fish and chips? Burger and chips? The menu is basic pub food, the chips are frozen, not home-made, and the only veg the kitchen is capable of serving is frozen peas. The burger doesn't even come with a side salad, and the fish pie is served in a giant casserole dish topped with mashed potato, on a dinner plate with not a vegetable in sight. Website also says "Fresh seafood is the way to go, with langoustines and mussels landed 200 yards away" - but neither mussels nor langoustines are on the menu, which only has 4 mains and 3 desserts (including cheese). The reality check doesn't end there - the breakfast menu gives options that weren't available on any of the 3 mornings of our stay, and the "freshly squeezed orange and pressed apple juice" comes from a carton of juice from concentrate. There are plenty of good restaurants nearby, but not within walking distance. So if you enjoy good food and don't want a drive back to your hotel after dinner, stay somewhere else! You should also stay somewhere else if you're over 6' tall, as the beds are not kingsize as advertised - only 6'3" long instead of 6'6". The service is really slow as they are hopelessly understaffed. And the shower kept running scalding hot then cold. All looks lovely though.

Lovely clean hotel, obviously recently upgraded. The only thing which let it down was service in the restaurant which really wasn’t the best. New staff were great but unfortunately the experienced staff member we met wasn’t going to be much of a mentor. Bottle of wine just dumped on the table and left .. not what I expect from a 4* hotel. Buffet breakfast ok but not wonderful. ( no choice of eggs(only scrambled), no seeds & nuts, limited cheese & cold meat )

Lovely 5 night stay. Great staff and really tasty food!

The property has had a lovely renovation in the last few years. The rooms are comfortable and modern. The location and aspect are great. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. Food and service in the restaurant is excellent

Really lovely place. Some of the best food ive had on my month trip to Scotland.