Forss House

A classic example of how an otherwise excellent establishment can be badly let down by poor recruitment, training and supervision of customer-facing staff. This is in most respects a very good hotel (if slightly overpriced by fair comparison). The buildings are attractive, the rooms, decor and furnishings are all nice quality, all is clean and well-presented, and the general atmosphere is appropriately quiet and traditional. The restaurant is also pretty spot on - as expected for two AA rosettes, with an interesting menu, all dishes well prepared and presented, and the ambience is quiet and elegant. BUT..... The standard, training, manner, dress and deportment of the front of house staff is just totally inappropriate and inadequate for the level at which this hotel is aiming (and charging). This applies to both reception and restaurant. The individual staff members do try their best within their limitations, but recruitment of correct calibre individuals, the training, and the supervision here is a serious and short-sighted failure of management which has an immediately detrimental effect on customer perception and overall guest experience. The only other misgivings are the rather scruffy and unkempt appearance of the grounds through which guests must walk between buildings. So overall a very good hotel, with restaurant to match, that is sadly let down by things that could easily be rectified.

Must have stayed in a different hotel than previous reviewers. We booked the best room class and were offered a 3 for 2 special. Perhaps as a result we got a poorer room? Ours was very badly lit, furniture was worn (ripped) and everything badly in need of a paint job - shabby. The kitchen door banged below us until dinner was over which thankfully was by 10pm or so. Rest of the place felt the same.- in need of paint and upgrading. The staff was very willing and the ladies at breakfast very nice but clearly staff was overwhelmed at dinner. The dinner was ridiculously overpriced for the quality. Would have been hard to justify at half the cost. Happy to pay up for food and experience worth it but this wasn't...We ate better food for much less at excellent restaurants throughout Scotland and when we paid the same or more felt it was worth it. in every case but here. Lastly beware parking in the area designated for it when you come in. When we were there birds were nesting above and we ended up having to wash the car because it was covered with bird guano. The situation was so bad it is hard to believe they aren't aware of it. The staff was very nice giving us a bucket, microcloth etc but NOT how you wish to spend your vacation. Not withstanding the above our room was very clean and the bathroom comfortable. Maybe a place to stay one night passing through and find somewhere else to eat - I don't think there are many other hotel alternatives.

The room was nice and the breakfast was good but you should be aware of the restricted menu if you don’t like seafood - and there was only one unusual vegetarian option. There were no prices on the menu apart from a £65 charge per head for a three course meal - and having only a main course, which we did, was charged at almost £40 each. This was for a small piece of cod, some mashed potato and some kale. Very poor value. Due to the quality of the rest of the establishment, this was a disappointment.

What a beautiful hotel staff excellent,room was large as was the bathroom,spotless,meal and breakfast was lovely,so peaceful and nice walk around the grounds,the staff very helpful,made to feel at home as soon as we walked into the hotel

We’ve stayed in “The Granary” after a last minute change of plans. Amazing location overlooking the river and waterfall. We’ve looked for some photos showing the interior but there was only one photo for “The Granary” showing the front door. We’ve found out that the room probably was left ıut while the other rooms were refurbished. Room was randomly decorated and some of the daily used items were damaged or in poor quality. Whole house was designed to accomodate 4 people but there was only 1 three seater sofa and 1 uninviting chair. Entry floor seemed to be designed as an entertainment area. The room had no fridge. Hotel restaurant had no kids menu with a slightly restricted selection of food. Overall that was an exceptional experience but I would kindly recommend to go for another room for a better experience.

We planned a long weekend here as a family & booked The Granary as it could accommodate our party size. To say we were disappointed was an understatement. The building was located away from the main hotel, and although it had lovely views it was completely unsuitable for small children. As soon as we arrived, the front step was incredibly slippy and the front door was rotten with. It looks like a mat had been there but been removed. You can smell the damp/rot as soon as you open the door. The 2 bedrooms are at the top and bottom of the building with the living area in the middle. So it wasn’t ideal to be separate from our toddler. The rooms were fitted with storage heaters which can be scalding hot. Not the proper radiators in the images. The bottom bedroom had loose cabling and extension cables were run all throughout the building. The main living area had a very large free standing mirror which was lopsided / balanced on hinges and could easily topple. It also had an electric kettle on a low standing coffee table. The blind chains were not fitted with breakaway devices or properly secured to the window frames in any of the rooms. There was such a huge gap between what we expected, as per the images on all the booking sites vs what we walked into. None of the rooms were of the standard advertised. The bathrooms were dark and dingy, with wobbly toilet seats. Plastic bins. A 99p kids paper football light shade in one and bare lightbulbs in another. The mirror above the sink was small and at an odd hight, illuminated by a broken cheap pull cord plastic light. Not to mention the cobwebs and spiders coming out from the holes in the floor. We also didn’t have hot water. The living area consisted of a burst couch and a cheap dining table & chair set. The main hotel is very tired. The reception room is dusty & threadbare and the tartan carpets are so worn they’ve split in places. The breakfast was nice but they weren’t up on allergens or quick to accommodate dietary requirements (vegan etc) and didn’t have dairy/milk alternatives etc. which is fairly standard these days. As we arrived quite late we stayed the first night but spoke to the management team the next day. Initially we were told if we didn’t like it we could always check out. After looking at another room (which was of a similar condition) that’s what we decided to do. The manager was much more courteous after reflecting on the photographs compared to the website and understood what we received was not up to our expectations. He refunded our deposit. It was a huge inconvenience to have to find another hotel and we ended up staying in the Premier Inn in Thurso which was Approx 1/3 of the price, clean, had hot water, was safe, could accommodate for allergens and closer to various amenities. We like to try and use local, and appreciating that this is someone’s business I don’t like to leave negative reviews, but this experience took the biscuit! If you were planni

Beautiful hotel a short drive from Thurso town centre. We decided to stop in for a glass of wine and enjoy the warm weather and pleased we did! We were able to take our drinks outside and sit in the sunshine in their lovely gardens. Inside the hotel, restaurant and bar all look great and we are looking forward to returning for a meal next time we are in the area.

Excellent! Wonderful location, relaxing and cosy hotel with lovely staff. Very special place to celebrate my birthday with a delicious and plentiful afternoon tea ☕️ This is my granddaughter’s favourite place!

An old fashioned fishing lodge. Very welcoming. Food was excellent. The rooms were spacious e& our room had the most amazing polished steel bath! Would highly recommend. Not far from the castle of Mey.