The Retreat Hotel

Hotels
7.3 (655 reviews)
Church Brae, Strathpeffer , Strathpeffer , gb

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Facilities

Offsite parking discounted rates available
Guest education on local ecosystems and culture
Electric bicycle charging station
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Family rooms
Express check-in/check-out
Packed lunches
Non-smoking throughout
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Cozy rooms
Great location
Friendly staff
Cons:
Cold breakfast room
No TV in room
Limited amenities

Categories

Cleanliness
6.88
Clean and tidy room, but there were complaints about the breakfast room not being warm.
Service
7.85
Self-check-in was impersonal, but staff was friendly when seen.
Location
8.39
Great location for local music events and beautiful views.
Room Quality
7.34
Rooms were cozy and comfortable, but had some maintenance issues.
Amenities
6.87
Basic amenities were available, but some were lacking like a TV and hot water.
Value for Money
6.83
Paid extra for breakfast, but the quality was disappointing.
Food and Beverage
6.38
Breakfast options were limited and the room was too cold.
Overall Experience
7.85
Overall a nice stay but with some notable setbacks.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-11 00:46

Property Description

Convenient Location and Amenities
Located in Strathpeffer, just 31 km from Inverness Castle, The Retreat Hotel offers a garden, free parking, and a restaurant.

Comfortable Rooms with Free WiFi
Each room comes equipped with a kettle and private bathroom. Guests can also enjoy free WiFi during their stay.

Delicious Breakfast and Sun Terrace
Start your day with a variety of breakfast options. Afterward, relax on the sun terrace before exploring the nearby cycling trails.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Retreat Hotel.

Important information:

This property does not accommodate bachelor(ette) or similar parties.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM

Location

Guest Reviews

7.3
Based on 655 reviews
Cleanliness: 6.88
Service: 7.85
Location: 8.39
Room Quality: 7.34
Amenities: 6.87
Value for Money: 6.83
Food and Beverage: 6.38
Overall Experience: 7.85
C
Christine • extended_group • gb
7
Bit strange having no one there so no idea what you'd do if you didn't have the room combination
Pros:

The house itself and location

Cons:

The water gurgled in the bathroom pipes and made strange noises all night and especially loud when someone else used their bathroom. I had to stuff a towel into the overflow at the back of the sink to drown out the noise. Breakfast was rather disappointing too

2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
N
Nicholas • solo_traveller • gb
7
Staffless hotel
Cons:

We didn't see a staff member at all during our one night stay - it was self service check in on a screen with no staff at reception and self service breakfast with no staff there. This wasn't really an issue, just very unusual. I think the bar was self service too.

2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
S
Sinead • extended_group • gb
5
2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
K
Kunz • solo_traveller • ch
8
2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
M
Megi • couple • gb
6
2026-05-29 • via Nuitee
J
Jeremy • couple • gb
4
Comfy bed, clean and pleasant location customer service missing
Pros:

Pretty location, lovely town! if a bit tired and overgrown. Bed comfy, hot water, good shower, good size room, clean, quiet. TV - for movies if you can use someone’s Amazon or Netflix account!

Cons:

The garden was overgrown, the breakfast was ok but even tho we were only 20 mins into the 8-10am breakfast time, all the bread for toast had been taken by other guests. No staff on site to be seen or heard, to ask for help, or in our case, to ask for extra bread. Check in yourself, help yourself bar, as nobody serving so qr codes to pay or honesty box. Obviously it lacked the service element, and no evening meal opportunities as nobody there! UHT milk. Food all prepackaged long life. Yoghurts, croissants, cereal bars. It all felt too digital. 4 digit code to enter room as no keys.

2026-05-29 • via Nuitee
P
Pilar Maria • solo_traveller • ar
4
Mot enough towels, and uncomfortable beds
Pros:

Nice views from room.

Cons:

Building was old and badly mantain. Lots of mold in bathroom.
We were four and they only gave us two towels and one toilet roll.we complain but never brought us the things.
The extra beds were terribly uncomfortable.
Breakfast was bad. Only packaged croissant, porridge, cereals. Instant coffee only definitely not worth the 7.5 they charge for it.

2026-05-29 • via Nuitee
K
Kev Mcdon • solo_traveller • gb
5
Think again
Pros:

Location a bonus.

Cons:

Old and tatty hotel. Dated decor and no TV in room. Shower facilities dated and grubby. Room at top of hotel with narrow stairway for the older stayer not great. Honesty bar is adequate and a TV with multiple remotes confusing and unnecessary. We tried to book another local hotel but couldn't.

2026-05-28 • via Nuitee
S
Sachi Kanta • family_with_children • gb
9
2026-05-27 • via Nuitee
M
Michella • solo_traveller • us
10
Pros:

Great location and great apartment

Cons:

Breakfast was horrible, so don't waste your money. No coffee

2026-05-27 • via Nuitee
O
olga • couple • gb
4
No staff and really it’s a b&b not a hotel
Pros:

The area

Cons:

Very steep driveway

2026-05-27 • via Nuitee
V
vincenzo • solo_traveller • it
9
Benvenuti nel futuro!
Pros:

Benvenuti nel futuro! Per chi avesse seguito la serie TV Altered Carbon, mancava solo l'ologramma di Poe!
Analogia a parte, è un buon posto per passare una notte quando intendi percorrere la NC500. A 20 minuti di macchina da Inverness. Personale umano completamente assente ma non è per niente un problema. Location molto bella, servizi senza lode e senza infamia.

Cons:

Colazione essenziale

2026-05-27 • via Nuitee
M
Mirna • solo_traveller • gb
8
Pros:

The rooms were clean and there was a kettle with tea and coffee selection.
The rooms were clean and the beds were comfortable.
The hotel is away from the main road and it's quiet. I loved birds singing in the morning.

Cons:

Self checks. I'd prefer someone there but I guess the price is cheap because there is no staff.

2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
G
GREGORY • family_with_children • za
6
2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
V
Virginie • extended_group • fr
5
Pros:

Propreté correcte, emplacement correspondant à notre parcours.

Cons:

Le lit d'appoint qui n'en était pas un. De plus nous avons dû faire notre lit nous-mêmes...
L'ensemble des meubles et la salle de bains vraiment obsolètes.
Petit-déjeuner buffef annoncé ne consiste qu'en des boîtes et des sachets, le restaurant annoncé n'existe pas... remplacé par un distributeur de chips...

2026-05-25 • via Nuitee
F
Fernandes • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

Best stay, had best view from the room, good sleep, beautiful place, enjoyed our stay

2026-05-25 • via Nuitee
M
Mark • solo_traveller • gb
6
2026-05-25 • via Nuitee
F
François • solo_traveller • gb
9
Pros:

Easy check in, nice building, beautiful location, room small and cosy
Convenient EV charger
Affordable prices
Breakfast was alright

2026-05-23 • via Nuitee
L
Léa • solo_traveller • fr
7
Pros:

Un concept (hors saison ?) particulier : aucun humain vu de tout le séjour (hors autres résidents) : check in / out en ligne, petit déjeuner et bar en self service... surprenant !

Cons:

Phobiques de la technologie s’abstenir, et levez vous tôt pour le petit déjeuner, sinon très peu de choix (alors que ce n'est déjà pas fou)

2026-05-23 • via Nuitee
S
Steffi • couple • gb
6
Pleasant, comfortable and clean in a very beautiful area
Pros:

The location is fabulous for access to lovely walks in forests and along rivers, and to the mountains. The room was clean, large, comfortable and warm, with a controllable room radiator, and towel rail in the bathroom. I loved sitting in an armchair in the window, reading, looking at the lovely view and listening to the spring birds. I love the quiet and slightly faded Victorian aspect of both Strathpeffer and the Retreat Hotel, and the large Victorian bath in the en-suite bathroom was great.

Cons:

The hotel was largely unmanned with a help-yourself breakfast which was a bit limited in scope and made it feel more like a hostel without kitchen facilities. The village shop is also limited when it comes to healthy food. We ended up going to the wine bar in the village for a decent cup of coffee. Some aspects of hotel room maintenance need a little love and attention - for example the plug in the WHB didn't seal, the water pressure was difficult to control and converting the futons into armchairs was challenging.

2026-05-21 • via Nuitee