The Gleneagles Hotel

We came to Gleneagles just before Christmas with three generations — teenagers, parents, and all — and left completely smitten. This place delivers dopamine in the most elegant way possible. Grand but never stuffy. Festive, stylish, delicious. From the moment you arrive, everything feels considered and generous. We threw ourselves into the experiences — distillery visit, archery, gun dogs — and every single one was exceptional. The animals, the countryside, the calm confidence of the team: pure joy. You carry that feeling long after you leave. It was my father’s big birthday, and the hotel quietly upgraded his room and sent Champagne. No fuss, just class. He says it’s his best memory of Scotland — and he’s not wrong. Breakfast is dangerous (you won’t want to leave), the American Bar is outstanding, and yes — they know exactly how dirty a Martini should be. Dogs are welcome, service is impeccable, and we’re already counting the days until we return.

We try to go to gleneagles every year and absolutely love it. We go between Christmas and new year as it is all done up for Christmas. It is beautiful, from the staff, the facilities and the food. It is expensive, but it’s so worth it and we always feel very relaxed when we leave. The children love it and always ask to come back, this year in particular they all loved the padel and the mini golf course.

We’ve been coming to Gleneagles for a week at Christmas for nearly twenty years and, unfortunately, have witnessed a gradual but noticeable decline in standards. A first-time visitor might find the experience acceptable (if a little tired) for a five-star hotel. However, for returning guests who remember the quality it once offered, the gap between expectation, price point, and reality has become increasingly disappointing, particularly for a resort still marketed as the “glorious playground”. The pool facilities now feel dated. For the third consecutive year, the water temperature was uncomfortably cold. What was once a genuinely warm, leisure-focused pool now has a persistent chill. On one occasion we had to leave early because it was simply unpleasant to stay in. During our visit, a child in our party badly cut their foot on broken or sharp tiles in the pool. While staff were polite and assisted at the time, the response felt casual, with no clear reassurance that the issue would be properly addressed beyond someone “checking it out.” The changing rooms are clearly overdue refurbishment. Throughout our entire week-long stay, one of the three showers remained out of order. Previously, issues like this were dealt with promptly; now they appear to be left unresolved. Cleanliness was also inconsistent - on one occasion, a visible clump of hair in the shower area remained there the following morning, which is not acceptable at this standard. The Garden Café was consistently the most disappointing aspect of our stay. Despite a visible abundance of staff and lovely looking pastries, service was disorganised and inefficient. On one visit, we waited 23 minutes for two takeaway hot chocolates, despite there being no obvious queue. The ordering and queuing system is unclear, leading to congestion, confusion, and frequent queue-jumping, with little staff intervention to manage the flow. We overheard another guest remark that they would like a pastry but didn’t have half an hour to spare; suggesting this is a common and recognised issue. Overall, the experience has deteriorated incrementally year on year. While first-time guests may still be impressed, those who remember a warm and well-maintained pool, high standards of cleanliness, and confident, proactive service may find the current offering does not justify the cost. Sadly, based on our recent experiences, we would struggle to recommend Gleneagles as we once did.

Popped on for a drink on Saturday evening, held in a queue until a table was available. Great space with an extensive selection of drinks but the service was the best part of the night. Fraser looked after us from start to finish, 4 years at Gleneagles hasn’t diluted his Forfar twang and it was great to hear his stories of famous golfers at the hotel over the years. Nice to experience just the right balance of attention and professionalism in a great hotel located in Scotland. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Another amazing stay, wow - you exceed our expectations every single time! We came for a family stay for my husbands 30th birthday, every single team member here made our stay unforgettable. We felt cared for straight as soon as we stepped out our car, everyone really did go above and beyond for us. The biggest shoutout to the guys at the door, Rachel from the little Glen who was amazing with our daughter, Erin at the Birnham and Louise at the front desk… and every other members of staff. We cannot express how much we love coming to stay here, it’s our home from home & we can’t wait for our next visit already ❤️