Free
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Heating
Family rooms
Pets allowed
Bar
Golf course
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Great location
Value for money
Cons:
Uncomfortable mattresses
Hot water issues

Categories

Cleanliness
7.41
Facilities are clean, but some mentions of old mattresses and wear overall.
Service
7.88
Staff were friendly and helpful throughout the stay.
Location
7.92
Located in the heart of the town, perfect for accessibility.
Room Quality
6.37
Rooms described as comfortable, but some issues with mattress comfort.
Amenities
6.9
Good facilities, but some complaints about water issues.
Value for Money
7.36
Good value at this price point with accommodating services.
Food and Beverage
6.91
Breakfast quality noted as good but with some room for improvement.
Overall Experience
6.88
Enjoyable overall experience with recommendations for future stays.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-10 04:34

Property Description

Charming Hotel in Forres

Convenient Location: Located just 43 km from Inverness Castle, Carlton Hotel offers easy access to nearby attractions such as Elgin Cathedral and Castle Stuart Golf Links.

Modern Amenities: Enjoy a comfortable stay in non-smoking rooms equipped with free WiFi. Unwind with a drink at the on-site bar or grab a snack at the snack bar.

Nearby Landmarks: Explore the area with ease, as Inverness Railway Station is only 42 km away, and Brodie Castle is a short 6.6 km drive from the property.

Ready to experience comfort and convenience at Carlton Hotel? Book your stay now!

Important information:

A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 10:30 AM

Location

Guest Reviews

7.2
Based on 1435 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.41
Service: 7.88
Location: 7.92
Room Quality: 6.37
Amenities: 6.9
Value for Money: 7.36
Food and Beverage: 6.91
Overall Experience: 6.88
A
Achraf • family_with_children • gb
6
2026-10-16 • via Nuitee
M
Mark • couple • dk
5
Pros:

Low Price. Nice location and view over the town. A cozy old building.

Cons:

Noise from bar customers out on street below until 2 in morning. (Hotel puts earplugs for you by the bed, so they apparently know!) On the positive side, it does give you an authentic local experience! The breakfast was easily the lamest set-up possible - nothing fresh, instant coffee only (never seen that before), your basic cereal and toast, no butter was put out. You get what you pay for.

2026-10-16 • via Nuitee
P
Paul • solo_traveller • gb
7
2026-10-15 • via Nuitee
A
Aitken • solo_traveller • gb
5
Pros:

Staff in the bar and on breakfast service were very friendly and helpful when asking questions about the area. Location was great for visiting local sites. It's great to have an old Victorian Hotel with period features on the high Street close to lots of shops, cafes etc Forres was a lovely place to visit.

Cons:

The ensuite shower was mouldy and needed a good clean. My wife was going to head to the co-op to buy anti bacterial cleaner but we were after all on a weekend break from that kind of thing. A few basics would make all the difference.

2026-10-13 • via Nuitee
A
Andrew • solo_traveller • gb
1
Not my best experience
Pros:

This was a last minute booking as I needed to be close for a meeting

Cons:

One bathroom for 15 Rooms. The other bathroom has been out of action at least 3 months based on previous reviews. Customers vaping in doors. Breakfast dripping in fat and cold beans. Inedible

2026-09-18 • via Nuitee
S
steven • solo_traveller • gb
7
Pros:

Central and had nice staff

Cons:

Bit noisy late on

2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
A
ANA • couple • es
10
2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
J
Jon • solo_traveller • gb
7
Excellent value for money stay in an area I would like to visit again.
Pros:

The location is excellent, with (limited) free local parking, and right by good value shops and take aways. Breakfast was generally nice, although the provided continental breakfast was a bit limited but perfectly adequate. Staff were very helpful, including helping with storing fairly expensive bicycles. Bar food was very good value. Room size is good, and the value for money is outstanding!

Cons:

No fresh coffee was a shame as the instant was just adequate. Overall the hotel is a little bit quirky, but perfectly fine for what I needed.

2026-09-16 • via Nuitee
C
Charles • couple • us
1
Smell is awful noise in room made sleep impossible was dirty.
Pros:

Property was dirty had a horrible smell, noise in room made sleep impossible worst hotel I have ever been in!!

Cons:

Everything.

2026-09-15 • via Nuitee
G
Gramegna • couple • it
7
2026-09-14 • via Nuitee
S
Steven • solo_traveller • es
8
Pros:

Bedroom very comfortable. Lots of little extras.

Cons:

Booked with breakfast included. Discovered on arrival it was only continental breakfast and had to pay additional for cooked.

2026-09-14 • via Nuitee
S
Shelby • solo_traveller • gb
1
2026-09-13 • via Nuitee
A
annette • solo_traveller • gb
3
2026-09-13 • via Nuitee
T
thimoteus • extended_group • nl
8
Pros:

De welkoms wiskey

2026-09-12 • via Nuitee
R
Richard • couple • au
9
Great Staff and Value
Pros:

The staff were very friendly and helpful. The room was clean and comfortable. When I broke a rib on day two they were very sympathetic and happy to provide us four extra pillows so I could sleep and the included breakfast was fine.

Cons:

The shared bathroom was a minor concern but we knew that was the deal so no complaints.

2026-09-12 • via Nuitee
E
Eva-Lis • solo_traveller • se
4
2026-09-11 • via Nuitee
S
Sharen • couple • nl
9
Good stay above nice bar
Pros:

Very nice staff. Ended up going to the bar in the evening and having a drink with them and some locals. Friendly people. Nice room, bit small but that was all fine as we wanted a cheap stay. Breakfast was good as well.

2026-09-11 • via Nuitee
T
Takkunen • solo_traveller • fi
1
Cons:

Meluisa, ei äänieristystä, ikkunat kolisivat js olivat osin rikki.

2026-09-10 • via Nuitee
M
Matthias • solo_traveller • de
10
2026-09-10 • via Nuitee
D
Daksha • solo_traveller • gb
5
Not for me
Pros:

Great location

Cons:

The hotel is in need of some modernisation. The shower tap completely came off, there was no hot water and the hotel clearly has seen some better days.

2026-09-10 • via Nuitee