Tigh N
Google
Stayed for Xmas, 24 – 27 Dec ‘24|Prebooked ‘Christmas break’||• On arrival, no offer to help with luggage for obviously elderly couple|• Whilst aware of the schedule, were very surprised that there was nothing other than sparsely scattered Xmas decorations to make it a Christmas celebration|• Room fell well short of expectations|o Towels very frayed and quite hard|o Shoddy workmanship and poor fittings in bathroom – vide silicone sealant, small toilet not easily flushed|o USB charging ports did not work|o Window frames cracked paint, possibly rotten|o TV remote dusty, a sign of poor cleaning|o TV not watchable from seating area|o Shutters and curtains did not fully close|o Smell on the last night of smoke – coming from the fireplace in the bar? or people smoking outside? |• Very few comfortable & full back seats|• Conservatory, where breakfast was served, had a window which wouldn’t shut and produced a most unwelcome sharply cold draught on a winter’s morning|• Food was generally good, but |o Xmas lunch turkey consisted of uniform thin slices and none of the other meat one would have expected from the bird|o Menu on the 3rd night was almost identical to that of the 1st night – the pricing of the 3 night break justified a more varied effort|o Allergies/intolerances given no pre-thought on 3rd night. Most main course menu items had something in them which was not acceptable. A close watch is called for if you have an allergy or food intolerance.|• Staff were very friendly and willing. However, the Hotel Manager was absent – not a good sign for such a premium period – and the duty manager was multi tasking as manager, receptionist, front of house and barman. |• Gardens are unkempt, even for winter – not a good look for a “premium” hotel|• The hotel has no EV charging point, which is now unusual for a higher class country hotel.|Not Forss House fault, but the north of Scotland, particularly Thurso, is at the best of times very poorly served with EV charging stations. There was not a single functioning fast charger in Thurso at Xmas. Scrabster nearby had one, but inevitably occupied. So, if you have an EV, don’t go to Forss (especially in peak holiday periods when chargers will not be repaired) because your nearest available EV fast charger is likely to be 26 miles away at Wick – unless of course you want to spend several hours of your expensive break sitting outside Tesco on one of their (albeit reliable) slower chargers.|• The sting in the tale? (pun intended): presented with a final bill which included a 12.5% discretionary service charge. A 5% discretionary charge is common for high end London hotels, but not more. ||We still managed a pleasant time but it wasn’t worth the Christmas premium.
