The Waverley Castle Hotel

Hotels
7 (1629 reviews)
Skirmish Hill, Waverley Road , Melrose , gb

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Free
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
24-hour front desk
Restaurant
Heating
Garden
Lift / Elevator
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Good location
Comfortable beds
Beautiful hotel
Cons:
Musty smell
Damp rooms
Room size
Poor food quality

Categories

Cleanliness
5.39
Several complaints about musty smells and dampness in rooms.
Service
8.36
Generally positive sentiment about friendly and helpful staff.
Location
8.9
Great location for visiting the Scottish Borders and nearby attractions.
Room Quality
5.35
Multiple reviews indicated issues with room size, condition, and lack of maintenance.
Amenities
7.38
Some amenities were mentioned positively, but some were lacking.
Value for Money
6.84
Mixed feelings about the value considering the quality of food and room.
Food and Beverage
6.39
Breakfast options appreciated, but dinner quality was majorly disappointing.
Overall Experience
7.36
Mixed experience with both positives and negatives affecting the stay.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-16 06:21

Property Description

Scenic Rural Retreat
Nestled within 5 acres of parkland between the Eildon Hills and River Tweed, The Waverley Castle Hotel offers a tranquil escape. The opulent building, surrounded by trees and sculptures, provides a picturesque setting for a relaxing stay.

Fine Dining and Relaxation
Guests can indulge in delicious meals at the Elidon Restaurant and unwind in the cozy lounges and bar. With en suite rooms equipped with modern amenities, including a TV and tea/coffee facilities, comfort is guaranteed.

Explore Historic Sites
Conveniently located near Melrose Abbey and Abbotsford House, history buffs will delight in the nearby attractions. For those looking to venture further, Edinburgh is just a scenic one-hour drive away.

Book your serene getaway at The Waverley Castle Hotel today!

Important information:

When booking 5 rooms or more, different terms and conditions will apply.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 10:00 AM

Location

Guest Reviews

7
Based on 1629 reviews
Cleanliness: 5.39
Service: 8.36
Location: 8.9
Room Quality: 5.35
Amenities: 7.38
Value for Money: 6.84
Food and Beverage: 6.39
Overall Experience: 7.36
A
agnes • solo_traveller • gb
10
2026-08-08 • via Nuitee
D
Darren • solo_traveller • gb
7
2026-08-07 • via Nuitee
M
MrsT • solo_traveller • gb
7
2026-08-05 • via Nuitee
M
Matthias • couple • de
5
Mehr Schein als Sein. Länger als eine Nacht hätte ich dort nicht bleiben wollen.
Pros:

Die Lage war für unseren Zwischenstopp gut. Das Personal war freundlich.

Cons:

Die Sauberkeit: bei unserer Ankunft lagen Chipskrümel auf dem Teppichboden im Zimmer.
Der Zustand des Zimmers und des Badezimmers: veraltete, zugige Fenster, Salpeter an der Badezimmerwand.
Das Frühstück: matschiger Toast, Orangensaft aus dem Spender war stark mit Wasser verdünnt und verzuckert.
Die Fotos im Internet versprechen deutlich mehr.

2026-08-05 • via Nuitee
S
Simon Derek • couple • gb
5
Average accommodation
Pros:

Room was comfortable

Cons:

No dinner when we arrived a 19.40 after 250 mile drive and not much effort to accommodate us. Breakfast was not early enough for people upon business.

2026-08-04 • via Nuitee
S
shaun • solo_traveller • gb
8
Pros:

It's a really nice hotel. I think it's in the process of a re-vamp. Everything you need is on site.

Cons:

It is an old building, so the floor boards are squeaky.

2026-08-03 • via Nuitee
J
Julia • couple • gb
7
Clean helpful staff lovely location
Pros:

The location and the grounds

Cons:

Old

2026-08-03 • via Nuitee
F
Francine • couple • fr
9
Confortable et charmant
Pros:

L’amabilité
L’espace
La situation

2026-08-03 • via Nuitee
T
Tomasz • extended_group • gb
10
Pobyt był rewelacyjny – świetna atmosfera, miła obsługa i na pewno chętnie tu wrócę!
2026-08-02 • via Nuitee
S
S666JPR • solo_traveller • gb
10
Great place to stay, lovely old building.
Pros:

I stayed here for one night while doing the NC500 on my motorcycle.
Plenty of free parking available, nice and flat for the bike and shielded from the road by trees.
Check in and check out were very fast and easy.
Excellent value for money.
The place looks to be run by "Alpha Holidays", a coach holiday company and caters for large groups of coach holiday makers.
For an extra £20, I got a full three course evening meal.
For that you get a choice of 5 starters, 3 mains and 5 deserts, plus tea or coffee. Excellent value !
The food was tasty and hot.
What really stood out was the speed that it comes out of the kitchen, minutes from ordering to it being in front of you.
The service looks like it is run with military precision.
All the staff were friendly and cheerful.
The building is old, but when you read up about the history of the place it is fascinating.
There was a folder in reception that told you all about the building and what it had been used for.
Yes, it looks a bit tired in places, but wouldn't you if you had been around since the 1800's ?
Plus, each night there is entertainment laid on in the ballroom.
Definitely recommend and well worth a visit.

Cons:

Nothing

2026-07-25 • via Nuitee
D
Derek • solo_traveller • gb
8
Pros:

Basic hotel & good value. Location was very good.

Cons:

N/S

2026-07-25 • via Nuitee
G
GRANT • solo_traveller • gb
10
2026-07-24 • via Nuitee
C
Charles James • solo_traveller • gb
9
Pros:

Nice

Cons:

Nil

2026-07-23 • via Nuitee
P
Peter • couple • gb
8
2026-07-23 • via Nuitee
A
Adam • family_with_children • gb
7
A simple and good value for money hotel.
Pros:

Simple accommodation and decent for the price. Staff were great. Parking for the bikes was safe. Easy to access. Check in and out was good. As it should be for a hotel.

Cons:

Rooms were somewhat dated but this didn’t spoil our stay.

2026-07-22 • via Nuitee
T
Tamer • extended_group • gb
7
2026-07-22 • via Nuitee
P
Philip • couple • gb
5
Stay but don’t eat.
Pros:

A beautiful setting ,quiet, off the road. Clean and comfortable room.

Cons:

A walk in shower would have been preferably for my disabled wife who cannot “climb” into a bath

Breakfast would have been good if one ( or in our case two) could have been served quicker - a 50 minutes wait. Unfortunately priority seemed to have been given to coach tour guests - presumably to feed them and get them on their way. The same thing happened the following day - Monday breakfast when I actually stood up to attract attention - I was blattently ignored whilst the coach people around us were coming in after us and being served. I had mentioned this to management on the Sunday but, of course, the money is coming from coach tour numbers and not the private citizen. I believe the manager was there when I mentioned this problem and as he was part of the team serving o the Monday my complaint obviously bore no fruition as he blatantly ignore us also.
This is obviously a hotel to ignore in the future.

2026-07-21 • via Nuitee
D
devassy • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

Good

Cons:

Good

2026-07-20 • via Nuitee
L
Lara • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

Friendly staff quite

Cons:

N/A

2026-07-20 • via Nuitee
D
Denis • solo_traveller • gb
6
An Honest Review
Pros:

Room 218 was excellent 👌 After we were transferred to it.

However, the room prior was 314 which was not fit for hiring out.

Wallpaper falling of the wall black mould coming through the wall under the window, outside the window ledge was absolutely disgusting with loads of bird dropping and the small toilet you could not seriously call it a toilet, very small with no window and a fan on the ceiling that sounded like a helicopter taking off.

Entertainment? If your 70 + you will love it below 70 maybe not.

Entertainer was so poor on Saturday night he was meant to finish at 11pm but 10.20pm he walked off probably due to no audience participation.

On a plus not hotel is spending money on it and you can see improvements, Bar staff are excellent and a credit to the hotel..However smell of dampness at reception is noticeable

Breakfast is OK but can do with more staff as timing from 8am to 9am just doesn't work logically
Staff try there best but take the flack from guests needlessly.

And mealtimes at night
Menu doesn't give you much choice
But for £20.00 for 3 course + Tea/Coffee maybe this is how the price is achievable.

Cons:

This review may read negative but loads of improvements are noticeable. However, there is loads more that is needed.

Paying Customers just be aware that Alfa Tour Customers certainly get priority, possibly due to the timing of excursions.

I have visited a couple of Times and will come back BUT hope to see continued improvement.

2026-07-20 • via Nuitee