Port Charlotte Hotel

The food is sooooo delicious. I really like the bar.

We had a perfect 4 day stay at this beautiful hotel. The staff were so sweet, the whiskey was plentiful. The rooms were lovely and our view was amazing. The restaurant had delicious food for vegans and non vegans. Everything was lovely would love to go back.

We called in at the Port Charlotte for a drink on the way back to Bowmore. I ordered a pint and a half of very average ale and nearly dropped my glass when asked for ten pounds! The server noted my look of incredulity and said 'you're not drinking in Wetherspoons here you know'. I have a feeling that's not the first time he has had to use that line. He was quite right too - the beer in Wetherspoons is usually better too.

Family dinner on a Tuesday evening. Had visited on a couple of previous occasions when visiting Islay and it seems that service has gone downhill slightly recently. Food was excellent as normal. No qualms about that whatsoever. Service was the issue. Seated in the restaurant and after menus were handed out and after a short while before any drinks orders were taken, one of the waitresses started collecting wine glasses off the table. Had to tell her that we were going to be ordering wine and the glasses were replaced. The main waiter in the restaurant was very softly spoken and so was difficult to understand at times. Seemed awkward when serving. I honestly think the evening was missing Lorna - the times we were there before she was managing the restaurant. When I asked at the end if Lorna still worked here, got a very vague reply that was "sometimes". The Lorna equivalent that evening (didn't get her name, assume she would be the restaurant manager for the evening) made one appearance at the start, seemed quite brusque and wasn't seen again throughout the evening. Total contrast to previous experience.

This hotel is pricy, but well worth it. We had a lovely room overlooking the bay. Outside the hotel there is a seating area which leads out on to a small beach. The food is very good, especially the seafood - scallops and crab were particularly tasty. We stayed 4 nights and found that that was adequate to explore the island. There was a live band in the bar on Sunday, which was a bonus. All the staff were friendly and helpful, especially, Kate, Lorna and Marianne. Throughout the hotel there is an eclectic mix of paintings on the walls. One bugbear of mine is the pillows in hotels. Frequently they are like lumpy bricks. However, these were lovely and soft and could be moulded to the shape required. We had a good nights sleep after all the good food and wine.

This was a disappointing stay. When I arrived they put me in a room with two twin beds, even though I booked a 1 bed room. They told me the reason was that they thought I was coming with someone else. I have no idea where they got that idea, or where they got the idea that if I was coming with someone else, that I would want two beds. I made a reservation for dinner and came down on time. I was sat at a small table in the corner, and prior to my entree they told me I would have to move because the band was there and going to play from that spot. So they moved me into the middle room that is somewhat like a lounge, but it was a strange room to be sitting in eating dinner. I asked if I could instead sit in the dining room and they said no, all the tables were reserved. About 10 minutes later they came back and said you can move to the dining room. So I got up to move twice during a single dinner. In the dining room there was a group at one table, but there were 4-5 other tables completely open. No one sat at those tables the entire time I was there. There were no other attempts to make my stay nice. If I was staying here for more than one night I would have attempted to check out early and move to a different hotel. Ultimately, service was poor overall, not just for the price. When factoring in the price I paid, it was downright atrocious.

A very warm welcome from Lorna and the team at the Port Charlotte Hotel. We were visiting as a group on a private tour for lunch and were very looked after. Lorna personally welcomes everyone and ensures that everyone has everything they need- nothing is too much trouble. She is engaging and funny and makes everyone feel at home. Her team did a great job serving a delicious lunch and offering some traditional Scottish hospitality. I look forward to coming back again soon. Specific mention to the outstanding sticky toffee pudding!

We stopped in for a coffee and stayed for a few hours in the end. Sitting in the lounge looking out at the amazing view, we played games as we tucked into some delicious shortbread. We hadn’t planned to stay for long but the kids ended up having a lovely homemade lunch to keep them going. The staff were very friendly and the manager Lorna was so hospitable, world class service.

The village of Port Charlotte is far from the relatively bustling Bowmore, thereby making it a hotel destination for an ideal boutique experience. The proprietor Isabelle has a knack for the personalized experience, so your time in the hotel feels like a homecoming. The kitchen is fabulous, much better than perhaps necessary, and the atmosphere around the deep whisky bar is worth spending a few drams a night around. I couldn’t have hoped for a finer Islay lodging.