Columba House Hotel & Garden Restaurant

2/10

Poor

06 Mar 2026

Joshua

Dirty and dated.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Feb 2026

Cameron

Lovely warm room with four poster bed, corner bath and shower, plenty hot water. continental breakfast could of been better, but overall a happy stay and will be back.

Leisure Pet

8/10

Excellent

23 Jan 2026

Ciaran

Good value option. The room was functional and clean enough. The shared bathroom was fine. There was a small continental style breakfast provided though the milk was out of date. The house itself is atmospheric. Overall a good stay and would happily return. Microwave also available to prepare ready meals etc.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jan 2026

Deborah

Room was a bit out dated but the room was big warm and very clean .Great comfy bed .The only issue was shower was running boiling water turned it down to cold and it still ran boiling water .So I did not have shower .I did message the owners they said they will get it looked at .For value for money it was good .It's ok for a couple of nights.

Business

8/10

Excellent

16 Jan 2026

Lana

The room was lovely and spacious. The hot

8/10

Excellent

13 Jan 2026

Lana

It's a lovely place with a pleasant views of the mountains and the garden area. The hot water tap for the bathtub was hit or miss (sometimes it was hot, sometimes cool) and the shower door didn't close all the way. Everything was clean. The staff checked in via email to make sure I had everything I needed, and that check in went okay. The room was spacious with high ceilings. The large bathtub was quite nice. The radiators all worked great. The internet was almost nonexistent, but I had phone service. All in all a good stay. Oh, the breakfast consists of a few basic cereals, with milk and juice in the fridge, and individually wrapped croissants. The coffee is okay, but it is free from an automatic machine.
Would I stay here again? Yes. Would I recommend to friends? Yes.

8/10

Excellent

11 Jan 2026

Nathan

.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

04 Jan 2026

Ashleigh

I should have took the other comments onboard! Dont waste your money.

Firstly got lost as sat nav took us into a cul-de-sac but its tge next turning and up a hill.

Key safe had problems as pin didnt work and had to ring to get assistance! After 10-15 mins of faffing finally got into room.

Room was shabby, paint peeling off walls, thick layer of dust around skirting boards and under beds hadnt seen a hoover in about 100 years!

Bedding had what seemed to be dog faeces on it. Complained and never had courtesy of response. This was the final nail in coffin. Extremely unhygienic and just plain disgusting and room obviously not checked.

Plug socks dangerous and broken.

No breakfast to go on several days. Coffee machine was intermittently broken / out of order.

No hot water in sink or shower/bath. Again unhygienic and not up to safety standards. The shower head was broken - didnt stay up and kept hitting you on the head. Ok if you are under 4ft 5in! But dont expect any benefit of shower as mentioned water was tepid not an enjoyable experience - more torturous but a necessary must.

Just an awful experience from start to finish.

Even had problems trying to drop key back in key safe and ended up giving key to whom we believed to be a cleaner! We do not know who he was just would see him moping around the place looking like his job was a chore!

Not the hospitable stay we envisaged at all. Highly disappointed.

Staff support lacking infact

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

27 Dec 2025

Chelsea

We were excited to stay at this beautiful, historic property on the edge of Kingussie. The town is charming and the views of the Cairngorms are lovely. Unfortunately, the listing is misleading and contains inaccurate information, including the claim that the property is dog-friendly.

The most serious issue happened on arrival. At 7:00 p.m., our room was not ready because it had not been cleaned after the previous guest. There was trash and used linens throughout the room, the bed was unmade, and there was unflushed waste in the toilet. When we contacted off-site staff, they initially did not believe us and demanded photographic proof.

We were moved for the night to a much lower-quality ground-floor room overlooking the gravel parking lot. The next day, we were told to vacate that room so it could be cleaned before our original room was even ready, leaving us waiting until around 12:30 p.m. to finally move in. We were later handed the temporary room key again and told to return it ourselves, underscoring the lack of on-site management.

Despite notifying the property in advance that we were bringing our dog, management imposed undisclosed restrictions and demanded £60 in pet and cleaning fees. These rules are not stated anywhere in the Orbitz listing.
Between the dirty room, misleading information, poor communication, and unprofessional management, this property is not worth the risk or the price. We left a day early and escalated the issue through our booking site.

Leisure Pet

2/10

Poor

15 Nov 2025

Alana

Lack of hot water. The place is unmanned and wasn’t cleaned throughout our three day stay. The guests in the room next to us kicked off and argued over the lack of hot water and we spent on night listening to them screaming at each other and throwing stuff about. A shame as our room was old but clean on entry. A good area and easy for reaching several sights nearby.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Nov 2025

Stuart

Lovely rooms, everything you need. During winter there are no staff on site so no food. A basic breakfast is available. Great location

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Nov 2025

Hugh

There were no staff, room was clean bit rubbish left in bathroom from previous residents.

Breakfast room was ideal but bin was not emptied when crammed full of rubbish.

Leftover food in bowl left a couple days, disappointing as cleaning/housekeeping staff clearly not taking care of day to day waste. Made for a disappointing stay.

6/10

Pleasant

03 Nov 2025

Heather

It took me about 40 minutes to get my room key as there was an issue with the key safe, no one available on site and none of the phone numbers worked (I managed to contact the hotel through Expedia...). When I got to my room the window was broken and couldn't be closed (which would've been fine if it wasn't November...). Fortunately Columba House upgraded me to a nice room where I had a comfortable stay. I did see a staff member in the morning and my 'good morning' was met with a frown and a grunt (no exageration). One definite plus was the communal rooms which I was able to use during the day to get some work done (though wifi not optimal).

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2025

Callum

Good

Self

6/10

Pleasant

09 Oct 2025

Rosemary

To access our room was a seamless process. The room was spacious i.e. chairs to sit down. The bed and pillows are in need of an upgrade. Continental breakfast was minimal w few choices and packaged unhealthy croisants and granola bars. Best to make tea in your room as the dispenser in lounge area makes it taste like residue coffee. Bathroom floors were sticky, shower soap empty and no hot water in sink or soaker tub which looked very inviting after a long drive. Shower worked nicely, with plenty of hot water. Room rates were good so l guess you get what you paid for. Lovely century+ home and surrounfing area.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2025

Jenny

It’s advertised correctly, it’s a bed for the night, clean and a breakfast thrown in. No complaints for price paid.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

20 Sep 2025

Andrew

I don't think it's fair to call this a hotel, more a hostel. Although the property itself was beautiful and had history (being an old manse), it was tired and run-down and needed a serious amount of investment.

Upon arrival I found the property was permanently unstaffed and so there was no welcome and obtaining the keys was confusing. The stay felt very bleak and uninspiring.

There was no food available at the property. There was a \"grab-and-go\" breakfast that consisted of a few heavily preserved pastries left in a kitchen area, but I found that other guests had taken most of these, leaving me very little.

The room had an adequate amount of furniture but it was generally unclean with copious amounts of dust in the room and the bathroom. Fixtures and furniture were tired and frequently broken, and the bed-linen was torn.

I wouldn't stay here again and can't recommend it to other potential guests.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Sep 2025

Joan

No food service
Online check in
Very casual

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Sep 2025

Duane

The building is wonderful and unique, it looks like they have let it run down for a few years. The wife found a spider in the bathroom, almost hurt herself getting off the ground, it was a big spider.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jul 2025

Pamoda

Quiet area and comfortable stay. The place had all the necessary amenities for a night’s stay. They offer a nice lounge and provide both a microwave and a refrigerator, which made it convenient to bring and enjoy our own food. Overall, a pleasant experience!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Jul 2025

Louise

It's functional, but soulless. Lovely location, spacious room, plenty of parking and convenient for exploring the Highlands.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Jun 2025

Paris

Straightforward with e-mail sent day before with instructions on how to access room key from key safe out of office hours.

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

20 Jun 2025

martin

No room cleaning or refreshing of towels or teas coffee etc for 4 days.
no food.hotel needs updated.
No one on duty 24hrs this must be illegal

Business

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jun 2025

Sara

Very beautiful and comfortable room, after a long day of hiking around and visiting the Highland Folk Museum. Easily accessible, and within easy walking distance from the high street. Very peaceful and quiet, really loved my stay.

Self

2/10

Poor

01 Jun 2025

Antony

The wifi didnt work. When they e-mailed me i didnt get it.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

27 Apr 2025

Crystal

One day trip

The stay was ok. The room was cleanish and it was fine for a one night stay. The mattresses were horrible. You could feel the springs in them.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Apr 2025

Kenny

A weekend for two

Had a lovely two night stay. The corner bath was a deciding factor when deciding where to stay. We found the place to be clean and although we didn’t see staff we also didn’t have a need to see them. The key lock was easy to use to collect the key and return it. They were aware of my wife’s dietary needs as we had enquired about places to eat. When we arrived along with the usual tea/coffee biscuit were some harribo which felt like they cared enough to look into alternatives for gluten free. Once parked our car didn’t move until we left we found the hotel’s location to be great for completing walks.
I would recommend the cafe along by train station for amazing gluten free options. Some of the takeaways are cash only, there is an atm located at the back of the coop on the high street only a few minutes walk from the hotel.
The bath was a bit of a let down as it creaked so much I worried I would be falling through the ceiling. The shower was separate to the bath and was fine.
The decor was as expected loved the lamps.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Oct 2024

Verified traveler

Good accommodations for the price.

No frills lodging. It's an older building, and it is showing it's age, but it's sufficient for a night or two. Big tub in the bathroom. Rooms are warm (It's Oct and cold!). Good accommodations for the price. Make sure you check your email ahead of time for the key box code, or you will have to call from the unstaffed reception. Free coffee and snacks at breakfast.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2024

Sarah

Scary drive up, but worth it. Kitchenette is very basic, with no toaster or hob (kettle and microwave only). Large bed, comfortable living area. Couldn't work out how to get the shower colder, but bath worked well.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

16 Oct 2024

C

Nice room. Clean and spacious.

It was a little disconcerting not to have anyone at reception but it was ok once we figured out how to get the key and where to room was.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2024

Mark

Loved it

Quaint property. The room was beautiful and the bed was very comfortable.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Sep 2024

Tiffany

The room and en suite bathroom were large and clean. Parking was ample and easy. No one was on site at the hotel, and I was a bit confused about the self check in process. Ultimately got that sorted, but I was tired when checking in, so it felt like an additional hassle after a long day of driving. The room was clean, but the bed was a bit uncomfortable for me and the pillows very flat.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2024

Edward

Excellent service, very clean and well priced. Would definitely stay again

6/10

Pleasant

12 Sep 2024

John

Run down 1st floor room up external steel staircase. Bed was uncomfortable, breakfsst was great and spotlessly presented.

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Aug 2024

Sam

Beautiful place with a very easy check in abd out process. Simple, clean and comfortable.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jun 2024

Agnes

Loved the place.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2024

Jamie

Just what you want

We stayed 1 night after climbing Ben Nevis as it is about an hour away and for the price it was perfect. We stayed in stables and it was just what you would want, nice quiet apartment with comfy clean facilities, nice powerful hot shower and comfy bed. Parking out the front of our room and a complimentary breakfast which was a nice touch. Would highly recommend.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

03 Jun 2024

Dave

LDWA National 100 mile walk Spayside 2024

Our stay for 6 nights at the Columba House Kingussie was for the LDWA National 100 mile run walk.
We stayed in room 6 which is accessed by outside sttone stairs from the courtyard parking area.
The room was a little tired, although the bedding was clean, shower (in bath) and toilet were good.
The carpet was dirty, a hard floor would have been better, the doors and skirting desperately needed a coat of paint.
Room service was none existant, room not serviced throughout our stay even when clean room card was displayed. We had to phone 00 wherever that was to get clean towels. We kept room tidy ourselves.
The outsiide needed a good clean up and the sevice of a good contract gardener, shortcut steps downt to the access road were covered in loose gravel and were dangerous in the dark.
Grab and go breakfast was poor, we didn't bother, fridge lacked a good supply of fresh milk.
Room suited our needs. we were out all Saturday Night on the walk.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Apr 2024

Phiona

We had originally planned 2 nights in The Spey, but we had to leave after 1 night due to a storm incoming & needing to catch a very early flight in Inverness. We loved the room & the quiet setting. Bed was firm, which was perfect. Very clean. No staff on site, which was odd but not a problem. Would stay here again.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 Feb 2024

Rebekka

A nice period property set in a great location and close to local amenities. Check in and out was easy.

4/10

Poor

16 Feb 2024

ian

Dated and never serviced

Room was never serviced, even after we asked for extra bin bags for our rubbish and then got told it should have been but it never got done for the duration of our stay.

Leaking drain outside which mean an increasing pile of sewage in the car park

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jan 2024

Blair

The comfort and peace surpassed my expectations, and this was great value. I was looking for something straightforward when I came to Kingussie to visit my daughter, and didn't expect this to be so pleasant. The room was large and comfortable and clean. There were no staff on site, but everything had been prepared and left ready for a comfortable stay. Entry was easy, with the PIN-code key locker. Breakfast was basic but perfectly adequate, and the coffee machine was great. There was plenty of room downstairs to eat and rest. For the price I paid, I would say this was about the best hotel experience I've had. Thank you!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2023

Elizabeth

Overnight stay

Had a lovely over night stay in the penthouse , bath was amazing, bed was comfortable. Bit chilly at night when sleeping but we expected that being winter. Great facilities- friendly staff. Would stay again!

Business

8/10

Excellent

08 Oct 2023

Barbara

Very nice and helpful staff

8/10

Excellent

06 Oct 2023

David

A blast from the past

It was good to stay in a place with character: old world design, giant panelling, uneven floors, old-world carpets, high ceilings, wooden doors, pre-modern architecture and fittings were a welcome break from Welcome Break anodynity. But finding it was hard at night: none of the signs were well-lit or lit at all; that's my only concern

Self

6/10

Pleasant

04 Oct 2023

Trevor

Hotel shabby outside, room clean but decor dated.

There are no staff on site, bar a gentleman we took to be a caretaker. Check in is via a phone on the reception desk and an automated key safe to obtain your room key. Breakfast is self-service and limited in choice - there is no cooked breakfast option, again because there are no staff on site. The outside of the hotel is shabby and lacks maintenance. The room was clean but dated.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Oct 2023

Verified traveler

Great place for the money

Beautiful location. We couldn't believe the price for such a nice place. An older building, but very nice. If you are looking for a place to spend the night in the Caringorns, give them a try.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Sep 2023

Emmet

Peaceful location but thin walls.
I asked for directions to my room from a staff member. She showed me to my room and where the shared bathroom was. I asked if anyone was in the same wing as me, and she said no guests, just her sleeping in the room next door. Unfortunately, the walls were paper thin, and she apperently likes to listen to the news without headphones, so almost every moment between 8 am and 8pm, I could quite clearly hear the news/videos playing from her phone/tv through the walls. While this didn’t affect my sleep, it didn’t exactly make me feel comfortable. The hotel manager had emailed me asking if everything was alright. I emailed back to ask them to ask her to keep it down but the email they used was a noreply email. I messaged them on Expedia but they didn’t respond. So even though I tried to have this (rather awkward) issue resolved, I couldn’t contact mgmt.

Since it didn’t disturb my sleep, it’s not the end of the world, and otherwise the place was fine. Would have been a perfect stay without the noise disruption and I hope that this review encourages the staff to use headphones to avoid disturbing guests.

Management needs to be responsive and reachable thru email.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Aug 2023

Kenneth

Great location. Spacious room. Wi-Fi was very good
Recommended

Business Self

6/10

Pleasant

08 Aug 2023

James

Basic, clean and dog-friendly. Young man looking after the place was very calm during the fire alarm. Think prices rocketed due to the local clan gathering.

Leisure Pet

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jul 2023

Teresa

Braw wee hotel.

This place was lovely. Having been before we were more than pleased this time as the young man who welcomed us couldnt be more helpful. Our room was prepared specially for us as we had arrived early. No problem. If we needed anything we were told just to call him on the phone in the front hallway. He lived in the premises whilst on duty. The room was cleaned and bins were emptied daily. Breakfast was available in a grab and go service provided in the dining breakfast room. We came and went as we pleased. 3 days of relaxing in this comfotable hotel was just what we had hoped for. Will definitely be returning in the future. The comments we had read before in reviews must come from people who expect far more than what they pay for. It was homely, clean and welcoming. As we all get back on our feet and return to a sort of normality after covid, lets give these wee places a chance. Braw place . Thanks guys.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2023

Philip

Just what I expected. Basic, but I knew that when I booked. Tea and coffee making facilities and bottled water in the room. Nice shower. Beautiful setting.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jun 2023

Robert

Ok but....

Adequate. No service people around AT ALL! Hard bed, harder pillow. No food.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Jun 2023

Peter

An oldie but a goodie, breakfast provided. Great coffee machine!

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

01 Jun 2023

Douglas

If you are looking for somewhere impersonal with no human contact, this is fine. I only stayed one night and it served its purpose. Basic DIY breakfast - cereal and a prepackaged croissant (with some jam). I'd suggest fresh bread in the morning, a toaster and some marmalade or jam - doesn't seem too demanding. And no staff to be seen at all.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 May 2023

Lesley

Very nice property. Check in was different but quick. Four poster bed was very comfortable

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

11 Apr 2023

Chintan

Columba House Hospitality Review

We booked for 3 nights. Neither heater was working nor hot water was coming out from basin, bathtub. Even shower gel was empty!!! In summary - they haven't focus on good hospitality. They are saying free breakfast but it's suddenly became empty till next guest arrived.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

17 Mar 2023

Fiona

Nice room with big bed and telly, enjoyable stay only issue was the shower as the water kept coming didn’t seem like the pump was draining quick enough

Partner

4/10

Poor

27 Dec 2022

David

The guests in the other room had taken over the shared bathroom and it hadn't been cleaned for sometime, and I was still perplexed about where the breakfast room to pick up my dash and go

Self

2/10

Poor

30 Nov 2022

Tracey

Manky hole!!

Didn't actually end up staying. First time I have refused to stay in a hotel.
Keybox to get key.. entered room.
Not the four poster bed I had booked,
Lino ripped, dirty, mould in bathroom and windowsills, lumpy disgusting bed.
Went to reception to use phone to get a staff member. Tried twice and no answer.
Walked through the public areas.
Run down and empty.
Started crying and my hubby ended up booking a premier inn as I was too upset to stay there.
Extremely false advertising and photos were nothing like the rooms.
Shame as I lost my reward night with Hotels.com.
Would not recommend !!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Nov 2022

Elena

Will def stay again

Cant thank the hosts enough- all good, beautiful setting, my own upper cottage style room, very accomodating with my extended booking-many thanks! Will def stay again.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

15 Nov 2022

Verified traveler

The bedroom was clean but the bed was very uncomfortable, you could feel springs digging into you. The shower head was not clean and the rest of the bathroom looked like it needed a good scrub.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

20 Sep 2022

A G

Rather hit and miss. Nobody around to ask for info.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Sep 2022

spencer

Disappointed

This was our 3rd visit to the hotel, I would say it willbe the last. On arrival no one around, just a telepuone number to call to get the key and then realised that the restaurant was not open. Which was not mentioned on the booking, so therefore headed back to Avimore to get dinner, we had breakfast with us as up early next morning.
Really disappointed as this was a lovely friendly hotel at one time not very inviting now.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

20 Jun 2022

Verified traveler

Reasonably priced hotel great location

The hotel is a lovely old building large rooms. It is a very reasonable price given its location. It will appeal to one or two night stays. With no on-site staff and a digital key box to collect and return room keys it was unusual but worked.

Business Friends

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2022

William

Nice Hotel. Give it a go.

It was all I needed. A place to lay down after a long shift.

Business

2/10

Poor

24 May 2022

William

Waste of time and money

Agen y on behalf of the Hotel phoned to cancel the booking as unable to peovide accomodation for 3 people as booked. Requested refund but no refund given over 10days later

Friends_and_family Friends

2/10

Poor

17 Apr 2022

Andrew

Save yourself the grief.......Arrived to find our 4 poster room had been given to someone else as they had had a leak from the room above the previous night. We were put in the room that the water had leaked into as there was no other rooms available. Cannot fault the housekeeping staff who tried their best to sort it out.This hotel is managed remotely from a Phillippine call centre......There is no Management on site....result a ruined weekend with no-one accountable on site 😡

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Mar 2022

Susan

Good if on a budget.

Good, clean room for a reasonable price. Nice situation at edge of the village. Shame there was no seating out in the garden area. Gutters & outside walkways needed cleaning of tree/branch debris but otherwise a comfortable, quiet and convenient stay. Would return if similar pricing available.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Jan 2022

Stephen

Very dated hotel, in need of modernisation.

8/10

Excellent

24 Oct 2021

Julie

Great place

We ariived very late and checkin was super easy with our keys left out for us

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Sep 2021

Katen

Lovely clean spacious room with good parking and close to amenities of Kingussie

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

18 Sep 2021

Stuart

Columbia ?

Booking in was a little confusing as the name given on hotels.com and the actual name varied and also was not in the right position on the map. The single room was small and basic but clean and cofy. The bathroom was shared and the floor boards creeked so anyone going past the room at night would wake you up. I dont think theres much in the way of soundproofing. The hotel is out of the way of trafic and has a nice garden but the restaurant wasnt open so no food on site. There was a tv and tea/coffee in the room. Andrew who was managing the place was very helpful and saved the day a few times. It was a good price and ok for a few nights but definitely room for improvement.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

16 Sep 2021

Sau Ying

Good hotel

It is very good hotel, we feel comfortable in there. Very clean n helpful staffs

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

14 Sep 2021

Gary

No one at reception to check you in. Pain ringing as it takes so long. WiFi Aldi doesn’t work. No restaurant for evening meal or breakfast. Bed was comfy and bath was big.

Business