Black Bull Hotel

Hotels
9.2 (811 reviews)
13-15 Market Place , Lauder , gb

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Free
Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Family rooms
Fishing
Airport shuttle
Bar
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Comfortable rooms
Great food quality
Cons:
Cold room temperature
Breakfast served early

Categories

Cleanliness
9.15
The reviews consistently mention clean and comfortable rooms.
Service
9.45
The staff are described as friendly and accommodating, with noted instances of helpfulness.
Location
9.35
The location was ideal and convenient for guests' needs.
Room Quality
9.35
Rooms are reported to be spacious, comfortable, and well-decorated.
Amenities
8.95
Amenities include a cozy restaurant and bar atmosphere, with slight concerns about breakfast timing.
Value for Money
9.15
Guests felt that their stay was worth the price, especially with well-prepared meals.
Food and Beverage
8.65
Generally good food quality noted, with some specific mentions of breakfast issues.
Overall Experience
9.55
Overall experience described as fantastic, exceeding expectations for many guests.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-20 02:12

Property Description

Charming Scottish Borders Getaway

Elegant Dining Experience
Indulge in seasonal dishes featuring local ingredients at our elegant restaurant.

Cosy Bar Atmosphere
Relax in the informal Harness Room bar with a selection of cask ales, cocktails, and wines.

Convenient Location
Located in the picturesque town of Lauder, Black Bull Hotel offers free Wi-Fi and parking, making it the perfect base to explore the Scottish Borders.

Experience the charm of Black Bull Hotel in Lauder today!

Important information:

There will be a charge of 10 GBP per dog with a maximum of 2 dogs allowed.Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
This property does not accommodate bachelor(ette) or similar parties.
It's recommended to bring your own vehicle since this property is not serviced by public transportation.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 10:00 AM
Airport code: EDI

Property Policies

  • Groups

    When booking more than 3 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in some hotel rooms and is free of charge.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    You haven't added any cots.
    You haven't added any extra beds.

  • Parking

    Free public parking is possible on site (reservation is not possible).

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed. Charges may be applicable.

Location

Guest Reviews

9.2
Based on 811 reviews
Cleanliness: 9.15
Service: 9.45
Location: 9.35
Room Quality: 9.35
Amenities: 8.95
Value for Money: 9.15
Food and Beverage: 8.65
Overall Experience: 9.55
B
Beryl • couple • gb
9
Good quality food at reasonable prices and spacious rooms.
Pros:

Very reasonable prices and very generously sized portions at dinner.

Cons:

Could have had more than just filter coffee at breakfast and pillows a bit tired.

2026-07-18 • via Nuitee
S
Scott • couple • gb
10
Excellent, very welcoming hotel
Pros:

It is a lovely character building. The staff made us feel very welcome and the bedroom was excellent, and the walk in shower was class. The food was good.

Cons:

Nothing

2026-07-18 • via Nuitee
A
Adam • solo_traveller • gb
2
Expensive outbuilding full of insects
Cons:

We booked the triple room which is unfortunately very misadvertsied.
The "room" is a converted out building separate from the main hotel, and can only be accessed via the carpark. The intended entrance itself was blocked by cars, meaning we could only access via stepping over a large curb at the side or squeezing between the parked cars. This was particularly inconvenient and hazardous as we were travelling with a 1 year old, which the staff were aware of ahead of time as we had requested a cot. Nowhere in the description or photos of the room is it communicated that this is a separate building, which is very (I think intentionally) misleading
The room itself was dated but passable, however the main issue was the number of moths that we quickly found. In the first evening I had disposed of roughly 7 large moths dotted around the furniture/light fittings/curtains etc. There were still more as we heard more flying around the room as we tried to get to sleep and I disposed of 4 more the next day. To add to this, there were already dead insects lying on the windowsills when we first checked into the room. Travelling with a young child, this didnt provide us with any level of comfort during our stay.
When we initially raised the misadvertised location, we were offered complimentary breakfasts which we decided to only avail of once. When we later raised the issue of the room being full of insects, the member of staff said he would see what he could and would update us the next morning before we checked out. However he could not be found as we were checking out so there was no form of compensation for this (which to us, was) the much more serious issue.
Overall very disappointing. The rooms location was misadvertsied, very misleading and hazardous particularly when carrying a small child.

2026-07-17 • via Nuitee
K
Keith • couple • gb
10
Lovely place to stay. Friendly and thoughtful staff.
Pros:

Comfortable room with a great restaurant

Cons:

Nothing amiss

2026-07-16 • via Nuitee
I
Iain • couple • gb
9
great value, clean nicely fitted out hotel.
Pros:

dinner was excellent..staff all really helpful and friendly . would recommend.

2026-07-15 • via Nuitee
I
Ivan • solo_traveller • be
9
2026-07-15 • via Nuitee
P
Paul • solo_traveller • ie
10
2026-07-14 • via Nuitee
E
Emma • couple • gb
10
Pros:

After having issues with our airb&b we needed to find an alternative quickly. Luckily for us we found the Black Bull. Everything was great, every member of staff we interacted with was professional friendly and happy to help. The food was incredible honestly one of the best meals I’ve ever had. The room was big and spacious, spotlessly clean and a lovely comfy bed.

Cons:

Air con would have been nice but didn’t take away from how good everything was.

2026-07-12 • via Nuitee
J
Jude • extended_group • gb
10
2026-07-11 • via Nuitee
J
John • family_with_children • gb
7
still a Mecca for us whenever we travel to Scotland
Pros:

outstanding breakfast. very friendly and helpful staff. terrific atmosphere

Cons:

Dinner not as good as past years. would be nice to have a small fridge and a safe

2026-07-11 • via Nuitee
D
Dr Neil • solo_traveller • gb
2
like staying in Fawlty Towers
Pros:

Hotel fine...it's the staff that's the problem. We were so angry we actually went onto booking.com Live Help to report the Manager (female). I was enroute to the hotel but no signal on my mobile. A family member had suffered a huge heart attack and was critical, my wife was desperate to get an urgent message to me at the hotel to call immediately as she'd been trying for 2 hrs to get me. She is also my PA and been booking hotels for me & my staff for 30 yrs+. She could not BELIEVE how she was spoken to. She called and explained she just wanted to leave a. message. "Sophie" answered (Junior. Manager apparently) who paused, clearly spoke to someone and replied with a blunt "We cannot give out any information on our guests". My wfe was stunned. She explained that she herself made the booking and had the full details on her. screen in front of her and happy to give the confirmation no, etc... but she was cut off each time she tried to speak. She was then. put. on hold (without warning) for so long, she put the phone down and re-dialled. She got the same brick wall answer. Another lady came on the phone, didn't get her name, but she was SO RUDE! She abruptly said. "what's your number"... my wife asked why she needed that, as her husband knows it... and she replied "No! there you go! refusing to give us your number, no...no.. no... " and put the phone down! My wife was in tears. ALL SHE WANTED TO DO WAS LEAVE AN URGENT MESSAGE. And she was treated like that! My wife eventually got me in the car and relayed all this to me in tears along with the awful family news. I got to the hotel and the very rude lady (not Sophie) was at reception. When I said my name she abruptly said (in an almost sarcastic tone) "Apparently you have a family emergency" I knew immediately what my wife had encountered.

Cons:

.. but that I now had the terrible news, and asked to be shown to my room. Later on I was in reception and ANOTHER guest was getting VERY poor treatment at reception, asking for a different room as his was too small (he was a golfer and room too small for all his equipment), he was being treated poorly. He turned to me and rolled his eyes. We both agreed it was like staying at Fawlty Towers. A TRULY AWFUL woman and we will never stay there again. Obviously.

2026-07-10 • via Nuitee
A
Alan • couple • gb
10
The perfect place for a relaxing and comfortable stay.
Pros:

Lovely feel to this hotel. Smart and comfortable with just the right type of atmosphere. Food was excellent with generous portions.

2026-07-10 • via Nuitee
E
Eileen • solo_traveller • gb
9
Perfect stopover
Pros:

Location perfect. Room was very well appointed with beautiful bedding and towels, everything you might need.
We missed having a window as it had a roof light instead.
Staff were friendly, food at dinner and breakfast was delicious.

Cons:

We did find it a bit cold in the room even though it was warm outside, so obviously we'll insulated for winter stays.

2026-07-09 • via Nuitee
M
Michael • couple • gb
8
A haven of comfort
Pros:

The room was very nicely appointed and extremely comfortable. The staff were fantastic and most obliging. The hotel is very luxurious, particularly for the price point.

Cons:

A couple of finishing touches such as a hook on the back of the bedroom and/or bathroom door would have been handy.

2026-07-09 • via Nuitee
K
Kendall • solo_traveller • gb
10
2026-07-06 • via Nuitee
J
John • couple • gb
9
A good stop over on route to Edinburgh airport
Pros:

Very clean, comfortable hotel. Dinner was good and nice dining room.

Cons:

Car was being resurfaced which made accessing our room a bit uncomfortable.

2026-07-06 • via Nuitee
R
Rob • solo_traveller • de
10
Pros:

Lovely big family room. Breakfast and dinner was lovely and good value

Cons:

Nothing

2026-06-26 • via Nuitee
I
Ian • couple • gb
9
Beautiful hotel, great food, comfortable rooms
Pros:

Location, staff very friendly and helpful. Amazing food but not pretentious!

Cons:

Car park was a bit awkward but didn’t deter from our stay

2026-06-25 • via Nuitee
G
Gill • extended_group • gb
10
Great room - spacious, comfortable and clean - supper and breakfast excellent
Pros:

Excellent all round

2026-06-19 • via Nuitee
K
Kathleen • solo_traveller • us
10
Lovely hotel with welcoming staff
2026-06-18 • via Nuitee