Balcary Bay

This place COULD be incredible; the location and view from our room was stunning. It's so remote and set in beautiful gardens. The interiors are a little dated and we couldn't get WiFi anywhere in the hotel, but you can get past that. The biggest let down is the food/service. The menu is incredibly overpriced; 19 for pate and oatcakes my husband and I had one course dinner which wasn't great and two drinks and it was over 100! Insane.

Plus some very odd arrangements that even the staff can't get their heads around (wine fridge under lock and key so they can't give you certain things if the owner isn't there to unlock it. Making you sit in the bar until your meal is ready to be served. Continental breakfast isn't laid out like normal you have to ask for each item) My poached eggs at breakfast were really overdone too.

The staff are doing their best in a very odd setup. If it was a more relaxed environment and the food was reasonably priced we'd order a lot more and probably would have stuck around in the bar - you'd have made more money!

Diana and Vic and the amazing staff at Balcary Bay Hotel did an incredible job of hosting our wedding. There simply isn't enough space to explain how amazing they did to ensure our day went without a hitch. They made sure that everything was ready when we needed it, from the ceremony being set up outside to the incredible canapes and wedding breakfast.

Every little detail was thought of and executed to perfection. All of the staff could not have been anymore attentive. Every guest commented on the standard of their rooms and how amazing the food was. Literally nothing was a hassle for them, and they were under a lot of pressure to deliver, but their passion and desire to make sure we were happy was second to none.

They maintained a friendly but professional attitude at all times. They are an incredible team and we cannot thank them enough for making our special day even more special. Thank you to each and everyone of you. YOU ARE AWESOME!

Beautiful, beautiful place. All you can hear are birds. A beautiful old Scottish house. Went for tea. Homemade cakes. What a find!

Out walking and stopped for afternoon tea here as non residents welcome. What a stunning location overlooking a beach and a beautiful bay with views of the hills. Very peaceful.

Spent a couple of days at Balcary Bay. Great scenic location at the end of a single track road. Friendly welcome on arrival. Our room had a great view and was clean and comfirtable. A comfortable lounge with a small bar next door was ideal. The hotel was quiet given the time of year. Great breakfast menu and food was well prepared and presented. Waiting staff were attentive and friendly and make you feel like a welcome guest. Had one evening meal and the menu was small but perfectly adequate. All in all we had a good stay and would happily return.

Really nice people trying to make a difference. The food was superb and the place is very clean. I know there have been some mixed reviews this past 12 months. All I can say is we had a great time with value for money for a country house hotel. Vic and Diana are trying hard to get this place to the top. We will be back for sure.

Avoid. AVOID. We had a walk in the area and decided to grab a coffee before we leave. Huge mistake. 21 quid for 2 mediocre lattes and 2 cakes that tastes of mostly baking soda. Felt ripped off. Tourist trap.

A wonderful Saturday afternoon & early evening ~ spent at the beautiful Balcary Bay Hotel ~ I was accompanying a client who I care for ~ we had a nice relaxing time there & the wonderful staff were so friendly, polite, helpful, kind & patient (as usual) that we stayed for our dinner too! Excellent 5 star service from the waitresses Erin & Molly not to mention the usual friendly welcome from them & the owners Diana & her husband.

The food is deliciously presented, fresh, wholesome & the menu caters for every dietary requirement anyone could need. The lounge, bar & dining area are so comfortable, well furnished & decorated ~ with beautiful & lovingly cared for (real) houseplants & flowers throughout the hotel ~ making a very homely atmosphere indeed. The toilets are beautifully clean & tidy too.

As usual we didn't want to leave & my client asked 'how much would it cost to live there?' ~ whatever the cost, it'd be well worth it I'm sure! Many thanks once again to all the nice staff there ~ we will most certainly be back very soon.

Really don't know where to start. Stayed as a single in December. only myself and another couple were guests at the hotel but it was off-season and preXmas. First of all there was the Owners toddler running around reception, also heard the child in the kitchen (health and safety issues?) when Dinner was being served and moreover, the child's room in the Proprietors flat was above mine - so I heard the child screaming for "Mama".

Meal was a joke. Ordered Camembert as starter to find it delivered in the same box they bought it, placed on a plate with side salad and bread. only to find the sell-by date on the box was 1.5 months out of date. Owner informs me it was frozen down. so think about this -- cheese was frozen down, then unthawed, then reheated to be served as a starter. salmonella alley!

Next the main course was duck. well, if you like your duck totally raw, and utterly dripping in blood, this will be for you. Latterly the Owner had the termerity to inform me that it was cooked the "French way" --- as a previous owner of a Restaurant, I found this comment entirely offensive, in addition to being factually incorrect. On paying my bill, the Owner did refund the cost of the meal. However, next and final issue was the bill came as a total "lump sum" instead of the usual bill being itemised. so this added insult to injury. a debate then ensued as to the number of glasses of wine and the cost. before finding I was overcharged. The Female Owner then blamed her husband for the mistake! Needless to say I won't be returning.

Lovely location friendly efficient staff and food excellent can't wait to return

Didn't stay in hotel but stopped for a light lunch. Food was far too expensive for what it was. 38 for a sandwich, prawn cocktail, 2 cans of coke and a bottle of water. Prawn cocktail was tiny with few bits of lettuce and a tablespoon of prawns was 16. Girl who served us was lovely.

The most beautiful old world hotel. Stunning views and shoreline location but the best thing by far is the staff. Kind, skilled and welcoming.

We had a fantastic time at the hotel, Dianne, Victor and all of the team could not of been more attentive. The food was amazing. We had had so much food we don't need to eat for a week now! The room was had a beautiful view of the beach, our golden retriever loved it. The room was fresh and clean on our arrival. We can't wait to go back at New year for the black tie event, we have already booked. Thank you all for Steve's birthday surprise in the VIP dining room and the bottle of moet champagne xx

Great location had a coffee and cake after a walk. the coffee though is awful can't believe such a nice hotel served sub standard watery coffee. Weak and had no taste. They should invest in decent beans and machine. The member of staff who served us was nice though and friendly

I took my elderly parents for High tea on Friday afternoon. We found the staff to be very warm and engaging, the High tea was amazing lovely fresh sandwiches, good selection, cakes delicious and scones just freshly baked by Maria, great experience with window seat overlooking Heston Island. Looking forward to returning always a stunning location with fantastic views to the sea

Lovely location overlooking the sea. Enjoyed a tasty cream tea after tracking down a menu. Would happily return

Lunch was great and view was amazing sat out on the lawn. But staff didn't seem to know what they were doing. We walked in and were asked 'what do you want' after being ignored and not given a menu - how are we meant to know without seeing a menu? Some confusion with prices and scone was stale. Definitely not worth the extortionate prices.