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The Scottish Highlands, wild and rugged, have a timeless romantic quality. At their very heart, where the River Tummel flows to the Tay, sits the historic small town of Pitlochry. The Atholl Palace Hotel, the epitome of Scottish Baronial splendour, stands overlooking wooded parkland grounds and the town to the surrounding hills. Originally opened as the Athole Hydropathic in Victorian times, the hotel retains many features of the traditional large country house, with bedroom facilities and standards which often exceed expectations and complement spacious, relaxing public areas.With 107 bedrooms, self-catering lodges, apartments and 10 function suites we can cater for your needs whether it is leisure or business purposes.
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Guests have called out the Atholl Palace Hotel for its commendable amenities, such as the spa and pool, and rooms offering beautiful views, though some suggest there is room for enhancement. While the serene location earns high marks for its proximity to attractions and scenic beauty, opinions on value are mixed; reviewers point to the high cost of food and drinks as not quite meeting their expectations.
The service and cleanliness receive varied feedback, with both praise for staff attentiveness and concerns about organizational lapses. The rooms are generally appreciated for their size but some guests feel updates are necessary, as the atmosphere teeters between charming and outdated.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Well-appointed
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This review is specifically in respect of the booking, confirmation and customer service experience on day of the Afternoon Tea.
The original telephone booking was not confirmed or responded to by the hotel. I called again days later and received a less than confident verbal confirmation. At a later date I was passing by Pitlochry and called in to the hotel to make sure all was well for the party of 17, to be told it was and that a private room was being provided free of charge. Very nice. I was told someone would call a few days prior to the Tae Day to confirm numbers. This did not happen, I called the hotel to confirm the number. On day of the event Sun 17th Nov, the welcome was minimal, no private room, just placed in the annex of the restaurant. Service of the afternoon tea was functional at best. Clearing of used plates etc was partly done by the attendees. I suspect staffing was limited despite knowing a party of 16 were coming for Afternoon Tea. For the price of the Afternoon Tea a good customer experience should be the minimum. Whilst the Tea offerings were very good the overall experience was disappointing.
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Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Graeme Strachan, General Manager at The Atholl Palace Hotel
Responded 29 Nov 2024
Thank you for your feedback , sincere apolgies that there were a few issues with your visit.
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Our second visit to the Atholl Palace and our second time experiencing a 'not so friendly' welcome as we checked in. The receptionist seemed more frustrated at her colleagues having booked us in the wrong way / or the wrong place on their system. This was however a slight improvment on our last check-in........however, as a first point of contact for customers/guests entering a 4 star hotel, the expectation on customer service levels would be slightly higher than we have experienced.
Overall, we enjoyed a pleasant 3 night stay in one of self-catering lodges, 'The Bothy'. The peaceful location of The Bothy is ideal for a 'home away from home' stay. The exterior of The Bothy is very tired with large holes in the soffits and the doors you enter does not have a proper seal. It was evident that water had been getting in with a 'plant/weed' starting to grow through the skirting board at the doors you enter. However, looking past the exterior, once inside The Bothy, it was 'fine/OK'. There was everything you would need and which you would expect, The welcome basket which had some bread, milk, tea and coffee was a nice touch. It was comfortable enough to relax in (and we spend some time inside due to the weather). The electric heathers were ample to keep the chill off in the morning and evenings and there is an open fire if/when required. Not sure we would be too keen on staying in the Winter months with the way the exterior is at the moment. All positive inside The Bothy. The grounds directly outside are fantastic. An open large garden directly outside the bothy to use. Parking directly outside The Bothy in your own driveway through enclosed gates is a plus point.
On this occasion we never used the Hotel much. We did spend some time in the Stag's Bar one night for a couple of drinks which was fine and the staff was friendly.
Pitlochry is a fantastic place which we visit each year for a long weekend. Will we return to The Atholl Palace? That is a difficult question right now. This place has so much going for it with the location, the setting of The Bothy, the grounds, etc. But again, we come away feeling 'we expected a little more'. It would not take much to bring these things up to the next level. Some staff training and the exterior of The Bothy being looked at. If these were addressed.....we will gladly see you again without question!
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Graeme Strachan, General Manager at The Atholl Palace Hotel
Responded 19 Jun 2024
Dear AlanM118, sincere apologies about your initial welcome. Kind regards Graeme
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We arrived on Mon 26th Feb for my husbands birthday which was the 27th. We chose this hotel as 18 mths earlier we spent a week there and had a great time. This was a deal of DB&B. We chose 2 nights to celebrate. The whole experience of this hotel is beautiful, the service, hotel rooms, grounds and the food is very good, But the drinks are very expensive which you do expect of a hotel of this calibre. But when we went for dinner on the first night we couldn't believe that the cheapest bottle of white wine was £68 the red was £31 . We didn't have any wine needless to say and we did notice that no bottles of wine on any dining table but just glasses only. The drinks in the bar were just as bad as a Gin and tonic £ 5.50 for gin £4 for tonic. I did point out my displeasure when we checked out and the lady at reception wasn't aware of the wine prices and she seemed very shocked. I did say this has put us off going again which is sad as its a beautiful place.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Graeme Strachan, General Manager at The Atholl Palace Hotel
Responded 1 Mar 2024
Dear The2bluetownys, pleased that overall you enjoyed your visit. Apologies for the confusion over the white wine full bottle pricing, as we do sell both red and white from £31 ( house wines ) , then many others moving up well before the £68 you mentioned. I do hope this has delivered clarity. Hope to welcome you back sometime. Kind regards Graeme
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I think VisitScotland are long overdue a recalibration of this hotel. It seems a recent common theme that reviews are slowly getting worse and worse for this stunning building in a picturesque location! I’ve stayed in better 3 star hotels.
I had initially had issues with booking.com but when calling the hotel to resolve they were great and offered for a two bedroom for the same price.
Checking in was a breeze, we were given a map and explained the grounds but I realised on route to the room they never explained when/where we could eat dinner nor what time breakfast was at.
The room itself was in the Manor House, I was aware of that from booking we wouldn’t be in the main hotel so no problem here. However the room itself was tired, wallpaper pealing off the walls etc.
Breakfast had mostly vanished by the time we arrived at 0830 cleared out by two tour busses ahead of us without most of the bread items or eggs being replenished.
On our 2nd day we spent the morning in Pitlochry returning in time for my daughter to nap around 12:30 and stayed in the room until 14:00 when we went to use the pool. Upon return around 16:00 our room had still not been cleaned or towels etc exchanged. I called reception before we went out for the evening around 16:30 and they said house keeping had finished but she would personally bring towels if required. We came back after 19:00 still no towels in the room so I proceeded to go to reception to collect.
I gave the receptionist a chance to make good and then asked for a manager so she also had the chance to avoid leaving a bed review. Sadly neither seemed to care about our poor experience, with a “I’ll take a look into it attitude”. Worse the manager told me there was evening housekeeping so plenty of opportunity to clean the room (8,5hours across the day)
Upon coming back and looking in more detail at the room there are dead flies on the windowsill, slaters in the bathroom, toilet roll plugging gaps in the skirting, marks on the carpets and more.
I overheard another guest who had booked with a cot chasing his request for a second time with no avail.
If the owners don’t get a hold of issues soon the hotel will close or hit administration within 12 months.
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Graeme Strachan, General Manager at The Atholl Palace Hotel
Responded 27 Oct 2024
Dear a10lxc, So sorry you did not enjoy your booked Manor house stay and sincere apologies there were some delays and issues with your room servicing requirements. Kind regards Graeme
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My husband and I booked the spa indulge you package as a way to relax on our honeymoon and our experience couldn't be described as such. For a combined $600 we were initally given a letter which instructed us to make our way into the locker rooms which were FILTHY. I wanted to keep my socks and shoes on to avoid infection. There isnt a designated quiet area around the spa so if there are any families in the area there will be loud boisterous splashing in the pool we were encouraged to relax in which we opted out of and made to feel as if it was a ridiculous ask. Also the pool and spa areas gave off a YMCA community pool vibe with mops all aroud, yet still there was dirt all over the floor. I gave three stars because the staff gave us a full refund prior to our services after we paid which we are appreciative of. We just knew this spa experience was not going to be pleasant. The hotel looked gorgeous, but the spa was unfortunately not. Very disappointed, but glad we got our money back so we can spend it on other things. We both go to spas often other places in the world and have been much more satisfied for much less money.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Spa isnt great
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Graeme Strachan, General Manager at The Atholl Palace Hotel
Responded 27 Oct 2024
Dear nataliemQ447MQ, so sorry you were personally disappointed with your spa visit, which is so out of character for the feedback we normally receive about this facility. Kind regards Graeme
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We stayed at the Atholl Palace for 2 nights for our 20th anniversary, from arriving we were met with friendly staff who welcomed us in and ensured we were well taken care of. We booked the valley view room and it didn’t disappoint, the view was breathtaking and we found it so relaxing to sit and have a glass of wine just looking out. The room was very warm as there is no air conditioning but they do provide a desk fan to keep you cool. The pool and spa area was very clean and great for a swim, hot tub and steam room which we did take advantage of but didn’t have time for any of the treatments on offer. We ate in the Veranda restaurant both nights and the food was amazing, it was served quickly and the staff were very attentive. It would have been good to have the option of the bar menu in the restaurant as we booked DBB but not an option as they have 2 separate menus. The drinks were a touch expensive but considering the Scottish government policy on minimum alcohol pricing probably expected. There are also miles of woodland walks around the grounds and found this a nice way to get out and explore ending with a walk to Pitlochry which is no more than 10 mins away and offers good coffee shops, pub’s and restaurants. Overall we have a fantastic stay and will definitely look to return, we couldn’t fault any aspect of our stay down to the bottle of Prosecco in our room on arrival.
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:We found the best price to be on countryhotelbreaks.com for DBB
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Graeme Strachan, General Manager at The Atholl Palace Hotel
Responded 21 Jun 2024
Dear ken_murray1975, thank you for sharing your experience, we are delighted that overall you had a fantastic anniversary stay. Kind regards Graeme
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My wife and I along with her elderly parents stayed here for 3 nights starting September 1. Our parents are infirm and both required constant use of 2 wheelchairs.
They were allocated an accessible room on the ground floor and it was totally suitable for their needs and requirements. Our room was on the first floor and easily reached via the stairs. Both rooms have been recently upgraded and were freshly painted and we had a brand new bathroom in our room.
The rooms and the hotel in general is very spacious and well laid out. It has a spa with pool, snooker and pool tables and an in house museum which was very interesting. The grounds have scenic forest walks, a 9 hole pitch and put golf course and 4 tennis courts.
The food within the restaurant was excellent, large portions and with good choices.
The staff in this hotel, without exception, were first class. They were helpful, polite, efficient and more importantly they appeared happy despite their long hours and hard work. It was always a pleasure to deal with them.
We booked a package deal through offpeakluxury.com and this included a 3 course meal every night, cooked buffet breakfast each morning, 2 bottles of prosecco and a high tea. On the surface it was quite expensive but when you split up the different components of the deal it turned out to be pretty good value for money.
The only gripe was the bar drinks were quite expensive. £6.50 for a pint and £4 for a Coke. However prices in the Pitlochry bars were not much cheaper so it goes with the quality of the hotel and being in a prime tourist area.
We had a lovely trip and would not hesitate to return again.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Graeme Strachan, General Manager at The Atholl Palace Hotel
Responded 9 Sept 2023
Dear dannym373, thank you for your thoughts, delighted you all enjoyed your recent Atholl Palace visit and we very much look forward to welcoming you back in the future. Kind regards
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Had a lovely overnight with my Aunt. The staff were helpful and even arranged a shuttle bus into the town for us. We had dinner on the first night which was fabulous, here the staff where probably not just as great. The hostess was a bit unfriendly, not maybe as welcoming as you'd like. She did look like she was not feeling great, so maybe that was the reason. The room was fantastic, everything you'd need. Milk, watter in the fridge (please get rid of the cans of water - Highland Spring is not far from you and deliver in nice glass bottles) USB ports at the side of the bed, but best of all was the beautiful view from the room. The buffet breakfast was all that you would need to set you up for the day. Would definatly recommend and would return in a heartbeat.
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Date of stay: March 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Booked a 2 night stay, VERY last minute, for our 1st wedding anniversary.
Hotel is very easy to find and the drive up to the building itself feels very grand, we parked in the overflow car park just up the road a little as it was late afternoon we arrived and there was a lot of coming & going in the car park directly in front of reception.
Young man that checked us in at reception was lovely, super polite & cheery. As was the lady that helped us with directions to the pitch & putt the following morning. I did think some of the staff in the breakfast area were a bit dry with some of the guests, but it was as a result of how they had been spoken to by those guests (guests were quite condescending) so l wasn’t surprised to be honest. Treat people the way you would like to be treated yourself is my motto.
We were in one of the garden rooms (room 86) and it’s a bit of a trek to find! Room itself had a recently renewed bathroom which very modern & clean. Room has a tiny fridge, but it’s fine just for a couple of bits & bobs, tv is a great size for a hotel room with plenty of channel choices available. Only downside to this room is various kitchen deliveries start arriving from around 5am right outside your window with noisy metal tail lifts clanking loudly, not ideal if you’re a light sleeper.
It is an older building of considerable size, part of its charm is that very thing, do not expect it to be all singing and dancing modern inside as you’ll be disappointed.
The grounds are absolutely stunning, and huge! So many beautiful paths & things to find, you are given a map to help you! Pitch & putt was so much fun & what a route to find it!
We had dinner in The Stags Head twice & the food is lovely, but it’s expensive! A panini setting you back £17! Unfortunately it’s on a par with the prices charged in most of the rest of Pitlochry, lovely town but very expensive to eat & drink. For example, on our last night we had a shot of Tequila Rose each after our meal, those 2 shots alone came to £19!!
Breakfast is superb, buffet style so you can have as much or little as you want, plenty of choice & all really fresh.
Pool area was a massive hit with my husband, very clean & tidy, tho we saw no staff there the hour or so we were using it.
We came back to our room after a day out sightseeing to a card from the hotel wishing us happy anniversary which was lovely.
All in all we had a fantastic stay & are already talking about coming back next anniversary & booking earlier and staying longer to get a better room choice.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Graeme Strachan, General Manager at The Atholl Palace Hotel
Responded 31 Jul 2024
Dear AileenS62, delighted you enjoyed your last minute booking with us at the Atholl Palace and we hope so much to welcome you both back sometime in the future, maybe for your next anniversary as you have mentioned. Kind regards Graeme
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Enjoyed an Excellent afternoon tea today at Atholl palace - finger sandwiches with beetroot crisps, lovely light scones with jam and cream - really delicious - and a great variety of cakes with shortbread and tablet. Euan was very attentive and ensured everything was to our satisfaction, giving us information about the hotel and the museum downstairs which we enjoyed a visit to after eating. Compliments to the chef for such a great afternoon tea.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Graeme Strachan, General Manager at The Atholl Palace Hotel
Responded 7 Feb 2023
Dear 711mlt, delighted you enjoyed. Kind regards Graeme
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Stonehaven, United Kingdom694 contributions320 helpful votes
We had a comfortable room with plenty of space for our needs. There was so much to do in and around Pitlochry, that we did not really spend much time in the room though. I would recommend this place to anyone.
There are more places to choose from in the Pitlochry area.
PRICE RANGE
$358 - $527 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
atholl palace pitlochry, hotel atholl palace, atholl palace hotel
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Atholl Palace Hotel
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandPerth and KinrossPitlochry
NUMBER OF ROOMS
107
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