Columba Hotel Inverness by Compass Hospitality

We recently stayed at the Columba Hotel and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The hotel itself is full of traditional character and charm, exactly what many visitors hope to experience when staying in the Highlands rather than another bland modern chain hotel. Yes, some areas are slightly tired and could benefit from updating, but that honestly adds to the atmosphere and history of the building rather than taking away from it. The staff throughout our stay were friendly, polite and working incredibly hard. It is very clear the hotel industry is still facing staffing challenges across Scotland, however the team currently there genuinely care about guests and were doing their very best under pressure. Credit where credit is due, they deserve recognition rather than criticism. Our room was very spacious, comfortable and clean, with everything we needed for a relaxing stay. The beds were comfortable and the location simply could not be better, right in the heart of Inverness overlooking the River Ness, making it perfect for exploring the city, restaurants and surrounding Highlands. We also really enjoyed the food during our stay. Good honest food, well presented, tasty and exactly what you want after a long day travelling around the Highlands. What disappointed me most was hearing some guests constantly complaining during our visit. Honestly, some people expect ultra luxury while paying very reasonable prices for a traditional Scottish Highland hotel experience. If you appreciate history, character, large comfortable rooms and hardworking staff, you will absolutely enjoy staying here. We would happily stay again and thank the entire team for their hard work and hospitality.

Extremely outdated hotel with questionable cleanliness. Avoid it!

We stayed for 4 nights, the 1st room we were allocated was terribly poor, we asked for an upgrade and was charged an extra £20 per night, a total waste of money as the room was no better than the 1st one. The room was never serviced during our stay even though we had a “Please clean the room” sign on the door, we had to ask for clean towels twice and had 4 days of rubbish in the room. Not good. Shower was very slippery with no anti slip mat available, the carpets throughout the hotel are in poor condition and definitely need replacing because of health and safety concerns. The hotel was built in 1881, they have managed to keep the room furniture & furnishings since that period, in need of an urgent major refurbishment. The lounge bar was a nice area, the 2 evening meals were nothing short of amazing, good menu & very reasonable prices, would not fault the quality and standards of the food. Breakfast was also very good with plenty of choice & a wide range of food available. In short don’t stay here but is definitely worth a visit for an evening meal.

The rooms are dated. But still comfortable. The staff are friendly and helpful. Easy access to shops, Inverness Castle, and pubs. The river walk is nice. The breakfast was lackluster. Hard bacon and cold eggs.

I stayed here several years ago now but it was pretty amazing! Is it the most modern building in the world? No but that's why it was so great! I loved the architecture and the way things were set up. From a place to stay perspective, it's central to a lot of places, super comfortable and just a pleasure to stay here!

Charming old hotel with an excellent restaurant & whisky bar. Pleasant walk thru park to Dysart waterfront. Detour near hotel (water main issue that's caused closure for a long time) confused us a wee bit as we approached the hotel.

It is a DUMP. So dirty and unkept. It will not get better regardless of the room. We stayed twice in three different rooms and ALL had broken hearing/cooling, RV and poor WIFI. If we could have found another hotel we would have. We were there for six nights then a second visit sir for one night. Avoid.

Super cool and pretty hotel. I checked in really late (around midnight due to a very delayed flight) and the night warden (?) was super kind and friendly despite the late time, which i really appreciated! The room was clean and big, and i had a view of the castle which was lovely. It’s scotland so this is to be expected but it was pretty cold so worth bearing in mind.

I am terribly disappointed with this Hotel. This was recommended to me by American Express travel. What a mistake. There are moths flying through my room. The heater does not work. The view from my window is of a back alley stacked full of kegs. And this is what I get for being a member of American Express with their travel benefits? Imagine if I were just some average Joe. Of course, the hotel staff told me that everything was normal with all of this… And offered me no compensation for having no control over the heat (full-blast-or-off space heater, it appears…cold, or hot and desert dry air) when it is expected to get down into the 30s tonight. Or the moths that will fly through my room and probably into my clothes. Or the fact that it really takes significant effort for me to find the room once inside the hotel given how pushed back into a corner it is off some convoluted set of hallways. This will be the last time I stay at this hotel, and I will inform American Express that they should take this off of their register. The price is too much, by a lot, for what you get. Egregious. Disappointing.

locked out of the room but was upgraded

Dreamy Photos, Disappointing Reality We recently stayed at this hotel over a bank holiday weekend and, unfortunately, it was one of the most disappointing hotel experiences we’ve had. The photos online looked beautiful, and although the price was high, we expected the views and service to justify it, but that wasn’t the case. We arrived 30 minutes before scheduled check-in and were told the room would be ready in 10 minutes. Instead, we waited over 20 minutes alongside other guests, with no updates, and had to repeatedly prompt staff before anyone checked. The check-in itself was simple, but having to say credit card details aloud in a public space felt unprofessional. The room was large, which was a plus, but very dated. The carpet was heavily stained, the heating barely worked, and there was a constant draft that made the room uncomfortably cold, especially as it snowed during our stay. An additional heater was provided but didn’t function. The biggest issue was the lack of staff support. We reported a simple sink issue around 9pm and were told someone would come shortly. We followed up multiple times and were told 10pm, then “by midnight.” We waited until 1am, but no one ever came. This made it clear that reception is effectively unmanned or unsupported for large parts of the evening. The next morning, we were told it was a simple fix (a hidden button behind the tap) - something that could easily have been communicated earlier. There was also no note in the room explaining this, despite being told there should have been one. Breakfast was another letdown, with limited protein options, no dairy alternatives, and it left us feeling unwell on the second day. The final concern was after checkout. With reception unmanned, a note instructed guests to leave luggage in an open area. This felt completely insecure, as anyone could have walked away with our bags. Overall, we paid around £400 for two nights expecting a comfortable and enjoyable stay. While the location and views were good, the hotel is in need of serious renovation, and the service fell far below expectations.