The Victoria Hotel

A nice place to stay with great views over Rothesay bay. Access is a potential problem as there is a steep flight of stairs to reception and more stairs to our room. The food was good and breakfast looking out over the bay was great. The room was clean and comfortable.

Stumbled in this restaurant whilst struggling to find somewhere to eat. Excellent menu choice with something for everyone. Welcoming and friendly staff and a nice clean an modern interior. Really tasty food and fair prices, with excellent view of the bay.

We stayed at the Victoria Hotel for 4 nights in March 2024, as we were on a working holiday the facilities were perfect, a lovely clean and cosy room with fantastic views overlooking the bay and beyond. Ian the Hotel manager was very welcoming and friendly as were the other members of staff who couldn't do enough for us. Breakfast was served by the lovely Angela with a great choice, breakfast room again with the views of the bay. We recommend this Hotel if visiting Rothesay for its service and location and above all such a warm welcome.

Wonderful setting - minutes from the ferry terminal. Lovely views from the bedroom across the sea. Excellent food (huge breakfast!) The restaurant serves such wonderful and varied food. Very friendly staff. HOWEVER: it is impossible to get into the hotel Bar, let alone the accommodation without climbing stairs,. We were OK: but that's important for many folk.

Lots of stairs and no lift - which wouldn't have been a problem 20 years ago, but anyone like me with impaired mobility should be warned! Room door lock was not secure - could easily be fixed. But amazingly clean, comfortable, and good value in a very convenient location.

I know it was out of season but never again. The website flatters the hotel which is in fact on the main road with all the ground floor retail units. Entrance is a small doorway and up a steep staircase to the first floor where there is a desk on the landing. Was immediately asked to state the time I wanted breakfast and also to choose it. Feeling uncomfortable I went to see the room which was clean but freezing. The manager appeared and said he could put the heating on!!! They knew I was coming so why wasn't it already on? Asked about dinner to be told it was in the sister hotel 60m along the road. Unimpressed by the menu, I forfeited my deposit and LEFT

On the plus side, the Victoria is in the best position in Rothesay. The Victoria's rooms and corridors appear to have been recently decorated and carpeted and the cooked breakfasts were well prepared. The room was large and clean and well equipped. And, to repeat, you can't wish for a better location in Rothesay. It wouldn't take much to make it more welcoming, smart and attractive in the entrance and reception areas. And just get rid of the grimy old flagpoles! One completely spoiled the otherwise wonderful view from room 201! Externally, it looks down-at-heel, in need of a good paint (see my up to date photo rather than the main one here) and the service was not consistently customer focused. It's tricky to know where to park when you first arrive; there are no helpful signs and the road parking obscures the hotel entrance. The entrance itself has a closed bar as part of it. And an old rusty A board with one A4 paper on it telling you that the restaurant is closed. As other reviewers have mentioned, there are stairs! All the rooms are at least on the 2nd floor. The reception area on the first floor is unloved and uninviting; printed A4 notices on the desk and walls and with a cluttered feel, with Radio 2 blaring out all day. There doesn't appear to be an inviting residents' lounge, and no bar open, so nowhere other than the room to sit. At last, we did notice a lounge area on the way into the dining area, but it was partly closed off with more A4 printed notices, and not inviting. We didn't expect to have to settle the whole bill as soon as we checked in. We wouldn't have expected, either, to have to choose every single item of breakfast at check in. It's fair enough to have to book a time to have a cooked breakfast, when there are few staff around, but we had to ask for cereal as we hadn't specified any the day before. We were here for two nights and our room was not 'made up' during the middle day. This wasn't a problem for us, but smacks of lack of attention to detail. The restaurant was closed for dinner too, so we were directed to a sister hotel (The Esplanade). The food here was mediocre, although not expensive.

I made a room booking via the hotel website as it's usually a better deal for the hotel because they do not pay commission to a third party....Big mistake! After booking, I was informed by friends who have previously stayed at the premises that the access is poor and involves stairs to reach the reception and further stairs to reach the rooms. This isn't mentioned anywhere on their website, in the confirmation or any follow up emails. As one of the guests has mobility issues, I emailed the hotel with a request to cancel due to the restrictions. The notice provided was 19 days which I felt was reasonable and allowed them time to resell the room. The response received was simply "Under the circumstances, we retain the deposit". I expressed my dissatisfaction but didn't receive a reply. It's only £30.00 lost but it's a matter of principle, maybe they can use the free money to pay for a simple line on the website stating that the property is not suitable for some people.

Had a lovely weekend, our room was a great size and lovely and clean. We only had breakfast at the hotel which was really nice. Staff were lovely and we would definitely stay again.