The standards in the hotel for cleanliness, overall condition of room and public area's were very good, reception staff excellent , breakfast was very good, everything was there and the hot buffet was prefect, all the foods replenished without delay. I would stay again at this hotel in a heartbeat, but if like us you plan to make full use of the town center during your stay and have not brought a car, the added cost of getting to town may effect your decision to book this hotel. the hotel is only a short ride in a taxi but cost is approx £9 each way, so if you visit town center for a bit of lunch and explore during the day and go back to the hotel to shower and change to go back in the evening to get something to eat and find a nice pub with entertainment that adds up to 4 x trips per day. it adds quite a bit to the total cost of staying here. just so you are aware, …
I’ve never written a bad review for anywhere I’ve stayed, so this is a first. The Leonardo was a last-gasp booking due to all the Premier Inns in Inverness being fully booked. I wish I’d just stayed in the back of my van. The writing was on the wall upon arrival - my office booked the hotel and paid for it along with a £25.00 meal allowance - the receptionist took my details, checked the booking and promptly asked me to pay the bill there and then. I countered that my office had already paid by credit card. She backtracked immediately and claimed there was a glitch in their computer system. She wrote down my details in a jotter and said that dayshift would sort it out. With that wee hiccup out the way I asked if I could book a table for dinner. Unfortunately, I was told, there was no booking system in place - you come in, find a table and either place your order at the bar or a member of the waiting staff will take your order at your table. Alarm bells should’ve rung there and then, but it was 5:30pm and the bar/restaurant was rather empty. So, it was up to the room for a bath, cup of tea and a change of clothes. The room seemed decent enough; large double bed and a single one too. Big windows overlooking the nearby roundabout with a radiator beneath the sill, nice big TV, kettle, cups, teabags, coffee, milk etc….oh, and 3 unopened packs of earplugs on the nightstand! How noisy does this place get was my first thought? Having dumped my suitcase, plugged in my various chargers, changed out my work clobber and bathed, it was 6:35 and time for dinner. The lift took me straight down to reception with the bar/restaurant immediately to my right. What had been a relatively empty room roughly an hour earlier, was now teeming with people. There wasn’t a table to be had. I went outside for a few minutes and took the opportunity to call my wife at home to say I’d arrived safely in Inverness. I returned to the restaurant and decided to wait at the bar for a table to become available. Fortunately for me, one was freed up almost straight away and I took my seat. I went back to the bar and ordered my meal - pizza at £16.00; chips were an optional extra!! My order was taken at 6:50pm, the team member said there would be a 20 minute wait as they were busy. Fair enough, I thought. I can do 20 minutes. 30 minutes later there was still no sign of my pizza. My attention was then drawn to a nearby table of 4 men about the same age as myself who were effusively placing their various orders with another member of staff as they sat down. 20 minutes later their 4 dishes arrived. My pizza had somehow been overtaken. I caught sight of a fellow traveler to my left who had been seated a few minutes after me, we exchanged a ‘WTF’ glance as we shook our heads in disbelief. I don’t know if the team member caught this exchange, but they came over to me to apologise for the delay with my dinner and to say they had forgotten to write my room number down on my order. I reminded them my room number was the FIRST thing they’d jotted down. Embarrassed, they hastily retreated. 15 minutes later at 7:55pm my £16.00 solitary pizza on a wooden board with it’s very own pizza-cutter arrived. As £16.00 pepperoni pizza’s go, it wasn’t Earth-shattering. A Goodfella’s or Chicago Town popped in the microwave for 7 minutes would’ve been more of a treat for the tastebuds. Anyway, having waited for it, I wasn’t about to dilly-dally with it. It was suitably dispatched. Now, bring on my pudding. Sticky Toffee Pudding to be precise. It was now nearing 8:10pm when my empty board and cutter were cleared from the table. I was, to be truthful, growing impatient. As I suffer from a hiatus hernia and acid reflux, eating late can have consequences - especially when lying down in bed. So, at 8:40pm, with no sign of the pudding, I got up from the table. As I headed out of the restaurant I politely told the team member to just forget the pudding. Their colleague then came over and asked what was wrong? I explained it was just far too late for me to contemplate eating such a stodgy dish. They apologised and said it wouldn’t be charged. Fair do’s. I then went back to my room. When I got in I sorted my uniform for the morning and started on my paperwork from the days business. As I sat writing I felt a wee chill so went over to the radiator under the window. No matter how I turned the dial, there was no hot water entering it. The pipes leading to it at floor level were plenty hot, but not the radiator itself. By this point it was after 10pm - I was shattered, I was still raging over the dinner fiasco and I wasn’t best placed to be having a deep and meaningful with anyone about the room heating. I decided to just finish my paperwork and climb under the duvet. That plan worked. Until 1:15am that is, when the pizza and my hernia decided to have an argument. The pizza was for travelling back up my oesophagus and my hernia decided to wake me up to get me to get gravity to step in. So, at 1:15am, there I was walking the carpet to and fro, trying to coax this errant pizza back down - with the help of gravity and a couple of extra doses of my medication. By 2am I was back in bed and awaiting the 6am alarm I’d set. At 4am I was up again - that pizza obviously felt guilty about its price-tag, so wanted me to have continued enjoyment of it! Another floor walk done, I was back in bed for a 90 minute nap before facing another day. Showered, shaved, shampooed, dressed and packed, it was down to the dining room for breakfast. Breakfast was relatively uneventful. Once again a computer glitch said I didn’t have breakfast included, but when I explained to the gatekeeper about my problems at check-in, they relented and let me pass. What awaited was a self-service buffet. The fayre was decent and certainly plentiful. I didn’t indulge greatly due to my uncomfortable night, but it was a highlight nonetheless and it’s always good to have a good start to the day. With my bags and paperwork already stowed away in the van I went to check-out. I was just about to place my keycard into the ‘checkout box’ when the receptionist asked for my room number. I duly obliged and fully expected to be released into the world, but no. There was yet another problem. My stay hadn’t been paid for yet and nor had my breakfast. I explained to the receptionist about last nights glitch and that my company’s credit card was already used to pay for it. I offered to show them my booking receipt on my phone. I waited as they pressed a few buttons, sorted through some paperwork and then shuffled some more papers. They then returned to the computer, all the while remaining totally silent. I stood patiently waiting an outcome for what seemed an eternity. Eventually the receptionist turned to me and asked if they could help me? I looked at them somewhat perplexed. Had they really forgotten our interaction? I began to say that they were checking for my companies payment when they waved their hand at me and said no, it’s all fine, I could go. I was seriously agog. If I’m honest I was just glad to be leaving and really couldn’t be bothered getting into the merits of satisfactory customer service and the demerits of sheer ignorance and downright rudeness. I placed my key in the box and gladly left. I’m a regular traveler and have been to a plethora of hotels, motels and guest houses. The Leonardo, however trite my complaints may seem to some, is the single-most worst place I’ve been. And the fact is, it needn’t be. Simple steps could avoid these problems: A computer system that functions properly and doesn’t leave the guest feeling guilty about something outwith their control. A booking service for dinner would iron out a lot of the dining issues. More staff when it’s as busy is a must. There were 2 waiting staff on duty. Two. For a full room of covers. Give value for money. A pizza that has no fries or sides is just a rip-off. With a KFC and another takeaway outlet directly across the road, you have competition literally on your doorstep. Ensure that orders taken are served in order. Check on radiators periodically. I should’ve said something either at the time or at check-out, but the dual farces over dinner and check-out itself, meant I was too annoyed to mention it. I just wanted away. Have a word with your customer facing staff about the importance of engaging with them and ensuring they remain engaged. Not ignored nor dismissed. I can safely say that I won’t return to this establishment.…
The hotel is easy to find just off a main road into Inverness city centre. It has a large car park and building is easily accessed entering past the main dining area. The reception staff were very helpful and patient, offering plenty of information about the hotel and surrounding area. The room was very clean but in need of a little care with a few scuffs on the walls. The beds were very comfortable and the pillows great. Teas, coffees and biscuits waited in the room for us along with some lovely toiletries in the bathroom. A hairdryer and some local tourist information in the drawer and a tv. Unfortunately the tv did not allow hook up to phone/iPad for streaming. Water pressure in the showers was great. Our room was right next to the elevators and stairs however we were disturbed very little by the noise. Unfortunately there are two busy roads that run either side of the hotel and there is a fair bit of noise but ear plugs are provided should you need them. Breakfast is plentiful with a great choice of continental and full cooked plus the gluten free. Nicely presented and tasty and fresh too. There is a bar and evening drinks available which we did not use, there is room service, and there is a also a fitness and spa centre attached to the hotel. We used the spa for a massage (prebooked) which was fantastic and also used the pool, sauna and steam rooms. All were excellent, clean and well maintained although a little busy later in the day, first thing in the morning was quieter. The staff at the pool were all lovely, lockers were free and changing room well presented. No dressing gowns or fluffy slippers are provided but this is an excellent hotel within walking distance of the city centre with comfortable rooms, on-site free parking and friendly staff. Perfect location for your trip to Inverness.…
We travelled by car from near Newcastle. Our 12 month old vomited in the car on the journey to Inverness. The staff were brilliant when we arrived and arranged for our vomit covered coats and pramsuit to be freshly laundered and delivered to our from within hours of checking in. This was very much appreciated as snow was imminent. The hotel was lovely and clean and fairly modern in appearance with lots of facilities. We used the pool on one occasion. It was very clean and the water was lovely and warm. With the little one waking around 6am, I asked the staff if I could use a quiet corner in their large bar area to bottle feed the baby and let him have a crawl about so not to disturb daddy or neighbouring rooms - again they were very accommodating - nothing was a bother. The room was clean and tidy but very small. The hotel provided a travel cot but I'm pleased we brought our own - the mattress provided in the hotel travel cot was very thin and hard. With the travel cot set up in the corner there was barely room to walk around especially if we brought the pram in. I did consider asking for a bigger room but we had already unpacked and didn't want to make a fuss. I found the bed very comfortable, my OH said it was too hard. The pillows were very firm. Tea/ coffee etc provided and a welcome mini fridge in the room. Ear plugs provided - our room overlooked the car park and the road was very noisy at times so the ear plugs helped. Baby slept no problem. We didn't do breakfast at the hotel but did have one evening meal there and the occasional drink in the bar. Pizza was nice but £17 for one feels a bit much. Some lovely eateries near by. …
Very comfortable bed and bedding. Lovely hotel but a bit of a walk to city centre. Lisa the receiptionist went above and beyond during our stay. Breakfast was delicious with a good variety in the buffet style. Inverness is a stunning setting with lots to do in area. Great pubs recommend the highlander and Johnny Foxes the food was delicious.
Superb hotel, perfect spot for touring the highlands. Bar and restaurant spacious, comfortable and clean. Room, was well furnished, very warm. bed was very comfortable. Large TV. Gym was much better than the average hotel type gym. Wet side was very good. Staff were very friendly and helpful. As an example, one day we returned from a rather ambitious walking day. My wife said as we were in reception area, “You go get some ice, I will get more milk and coffees” I jokingly groaned, “I have to walk all the way over there?” ( it was 15meters away ) Instantly the receptionist said you wait here I will get your ice, and promptly did so. That really was the level of service at this brilliant hotel.
I was charged £19.97 on my phone bill to make a booking. 3 phone calls and nearly 30 minute to make a 2 night booking is shocking! I haven’t spoke with any competent staff. When I complained and sent a copy of my phone bill I was told I had requested the wrong days hence the length of time the staff took to resolve the problem. I know what dates I requested as it’s my birthday. Awful customer service to imply I would lie.
I have been a gym member here since nineteen oatcake. They let me sit in the bar / restaurant and work during C-19 pandemic (when it was open) and this kept me sane and in a job! There are 15 other gyms to chose from and leave but the place feels like home now. The staff are fantastic and the food is too! Siobhan and Andy in particular are my favourites! Can't fault the place. Best hotel in Inverness.
Light doesn’t work, other light broken in room 414 long hairs on bath, shower thermostat not working as it goes very cold then very hot. Other than that it was ok, unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be staying again, room decor was good TV works. Bed comfy
Stayed for 2 nights easy to find from city centre travelled by bus from Fife Check in was very smooth nice reception staff Lovely room great facilities loved the breakfast staff were so nice would definitely come back again
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