The Boat Hotel

3.5 star property
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for The Boat Hotel

Exterior
Egyptian cotton sheets, hypo-allergenic bedding, individually decorated
Suite
Bar (on property)
Double or Twin Room, Garden View | Terrace/patio

Reviews

8.0 out of 10

Very good

Popular amenities

  • Room service
  • Bar
  • Breakfast available
  • Housekeeping
  • Pet-friendly
  • Parking included

Explore the area

Map
Deshar Road, Boat of Garten, Scotland, PH24 3BH
  • Boat of Garten Golf Club
    4 min walk
  • Anderson's Restaurant
    3 min walk
  • Carrbridge Station
    8 min drive
  • Inverness (INV)
    47 min drive

Room options

Suite

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed

Double or Twin Room, Garden View

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

Deluxe Double or Twin Room

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

Classic Double or Twin Room

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

Classic Single Room

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Twin Bed

Comfort Double Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

Suite Double or Twin Room

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed OR 2 Twin Beds

Similar properties

About the area

Boat of Garten

Located in Boat of Garten, The Boat Hotel is next to a golf course, a 4-minute walk from Boat of Garten Golf Club and within a 5-minute drive of Loch Garten Osprey Centre. .This family-friendly hotel is 11.8 mi (19 km) from Cairngorms National Park and 2.7 mi (4.4 km) from Loch Vaa.

What's nearby

  • Loch Garten Osprey Centre - 5 min drive
  • Strathspey Steam Railway - 9 min drive
  • Loch Morlich - 12 min drive
  • Cairngorm Reindeer Centre - 14 min drive
  • CairnGorm Mountain - 18 min drive

Getting around

  • Carrbridge Station - 8 min drive
  • Inverness (INV) - 47 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Cheese & Tomatin - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Luxury Woodland Lodges at Macdonald Aviemore Resort - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Route 7 Café - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪The Old Bridge Inn - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Costa Coffee - ‬9 min drive

About this property

The Boat Hotel

Victorian hotel with a restaurant and a bar
The Boat Hotel offers 34 accommodations with coffee/tea makers and hair dryers. These individually decorated and furnished accommodations include desks. Beds feature Egyptian cotton sheets. 40-inch flat-screen televisions come with digital channels.

Bathrooms include showers and complimentary toiletries. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Hypo-allergenic bedding and irons/ironing boards can be requested. Housekeeping is provided daily.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Stay in one of 34 guestrooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include desks and coffee/tea makers, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as bicycles to rent or take in the view from a terrace and a garden. Additional features at this Victorian hotel include complimentary wireless internet access, an arcade/game room, and ski storage.
Satisfy your appetite for lunch or dinner at the hotel's restaurant, The Boat Country Inn, or stay in and take advantage of the room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge. Full breakfasts are available daily from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee.
Featured amenities include a business center, express check-in, and express check-out. Event facilities at this hotel consist of a conference center and 2 meeting rooms. Free self parking is available onsite.
Full breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM.
The Boat Country Inn - This family restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.

Languages

Bulgarian, Czech, English, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and public transport

  • Free self-parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking and van parking available

Food and drink

  • Full breakfast available for a fee daily 7:30 AM–10:00 AM: GBP 12.95 for adults and GBP 6.50 for children
  • 1 restaurant
  • 1 bar
  • Room service available

Restaurants on site

  • The Boat Country Inn

Things to do

  • Arcade/games room
  • Bike rentals
  • Ecotours
  • Evening entertainment
  • Playground

Family friendly

  • Arcade/games room
  • Changing table
  • Children's games
  • High chair
  • Playground

Conveniences

  • Banquet hall
  • Gift shop/newsstand

Guest services

  • Daily housekeeping
  • Front desk (limited hours)
  • Golf clubs
  • Luggage storage
  • Multilingual staff
  • Ski storage
  • Tour/ticket assistance
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • Business centre
  • Conference centre
  • Meeting rooms - 2

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Picnic area
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have any requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • This property does not have any lifts
  • In-room accessibility
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair-accessible business centre
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
  • Wheelchair-accessible van parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible (may have limits)

More

  • Books
  • Communal living room
  • Fireplace in reception
  • Games
  • Romance packages available
  • Smoke-free property
  • TV in lobby

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bed sheets
  • Egyptian cotton sheets
  • Heating
  • Hypo-allergenic bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hairdryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste (on request)

Entertainment

  • 40-inch flat-screen TV
  • Digital channels

Food and drink

  • Champagne service
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Electric kettle

More

  • Desk
  • Individually decorated
  • Individually furnished
  • Iron/ironing board (on request)
  • Laptop-friendly workspace
  • Mobile key entry
  • Recycling

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Early check-in subject to availability
Early check-in fee: GBP 10
Express check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available
A late check-out fee will be charged
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 7:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

Pets allowed for an extra charge of GBP 20 per pet, per night
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs only
2 total pets
Specific rooms only, restrictions apply; pet-friendly rooms can be requested by contacting the property at the number on the booking confirmation
Food and water bowls are available

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
3 children, up to the age of 12 years, can stay for free if using existing beds when occupying the parent or guardian's room
Rollaway/extra beds are available for GBP 10.0 per night

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Fee for full breakfast: approximately GBP 12.95 for adults and GBP 6.50 for children
  • Pet fee: GBP 20 per pet, per night
  • Service animals are exempt from fees
  • Early check-in fee: GBP 10 (subject to availability)
  • A late check-out fee will be charged
  • Rollaway bed fee: GBP 10.0 per night

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Cashless transactions are available
This property uses geothermal energy
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system, and a first aid kit

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
Reservations are required for golf tee times; reservations can be made by contacting the property prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
A fee for a mandatory Christmas Day gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on December 25
A fee for a mandatory Christmas Eve gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on December 24
A fee for a mandatory New Year's Eve gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on December 31
A fee for a mandatory Valentine's Day gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on February 14

Property is also known as

Boat Boat of Garten
Boat Hotel
Boat Hotel Boat of Garten
Hotel Boat
Boat Hotel Of Garten
The Boat Hotel Boat Of Garten, Scotland
The Boat Hotel Of Garten Scotland
The Boat Hotel Hotel
The Boat Hotel Boat of Garten
The Boat Hotel Hotel Boat of Garten

The Boat Hotel Reviews

Reviews

8.0

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 246 out of 656 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 233 out of 656 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 121 out of 656 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 40 out of 656 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 16 out of 656 reviews" "

8.4/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

7.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Aaron

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We checked in very late, after they closed, but they accommodated us very well. Build is old but well kept, so expect thing that come with an old building: squeaky floors, etc. Not enough bedding and the light that they have shining on the front of the hotel was shining right in our window. We innovated and overall it was a very nice stay.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

anthony

Liked: Amenities
this was a delightfully quaint Scottish hotel. Somewhat old fashioned with plenty of stairs. However room clean and tidy. restaurant for evening meal and breakfast excellent……A good valued hotel in a quiet little village
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

6/10 Okay

Christy

Travelled with group
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Diner service wasnt good at all, food was ok but way overpriced. Room ok. Very run down
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

hugh david

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I really enjoyed my stay at the Boat of Garten, a lovely room and great food, the staff are very friendly and fun, breakfast was very nice too, I loved it, thanks.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

6/10 Okay

Wayne

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Late booking
Very dated accommodation. Was informed at check-in to come down for dinner when ready as quite relaxed. Went down at 18.45 to be told very busy and had to book a table for 20.00. Food was good but a bit pricey with 10% added for service.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Nice property in good location next to historic train station.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

4/10 Poor

Alan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Nice hotel but no hot water for shower. Unacceptable.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

6/10 Okay

Murray James

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness
Great location if you’re using the Speyside railway or playing golf at Boat of Garten (BoG). Room was suite like and excellent for two people to easily relax. Two radiators weren’t working and there was no hot water on our last day which was annoying. A 50 minute delay on our first night’s dinner meant we left and eat at Aviemore (not sure why the staff took a booking if they couldn’t cope with the numbers) and on day two we couldn’t get any food after 20:45 and the bar didn’t have any bar snacks (crisps or peanuts). That said it worked for our golf trip to BoG, Grantown on Spey, Abernethy Bridge and Carrbridge golf courses.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

2/10 Terrible

Sumi

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disappointing Stay Despite Beautiful Location
I recently stayed at The Boat Hotel and, unfortunately, my experience was far from ideal. Upon arrival, I discovered that the room I had booked was not available due to a mix-up in their system, and I was downgraded to a smaller room. To make matters worse, there was no hot water during my stay because the central boiler required maintenance, which was a significant inconvenience. The breakfast service was also underwhelming and added to the overall dissatisfaction with my stay. However, there were a couple of positives—the hotel is located in a beautiful area, and the staff were friendly and helpful, doing their best to accommodate us under the circumstances. I am still waiting for the promised refund for the room downgrade, but I have been assured this will be sorted soon. While the location and staff were redeeming factors, the overall experience did not meet expectations, and I cannot recommend this hotel based on my stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Jessica

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Situated in a quiet area with many attractions a short drive away. The evening food was great. The hotel itself was a bit shabby, mould in the bathrooms/dirty carpets/musty smell. The camp beds for the kids were the worst we've ever come across - wish we'd bought our own which are much more solid and comfortable.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

4/10 Poor

Beverley

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Room very hot everything looking too old and tired eg carpet,linens. bed nearly ok tap ,mirror,broken room needed painted ,hallway carpets patched ,breakfast was good but a little cold latte Luke warm , bathroom was lovely except for the broken tap ,sorry should have been better no lift ,
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Chris

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Hotel
Lovely traditional hotel with friendly staff. Evening meal was great. A little apprehensive after seeing some reviews, but we had a nice stay.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Joel

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent breakfast. Staff was very friendly. We arrived late in the evening and upon check in we were given someone else's room. We had to wait for someone to come to make the correction and give us another room. Also, the parking was not easily accessible. Other than that, it was a very nice hotel.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

David

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Jane

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Our suite was lovely if a bit faded. The bed was really comfortable. The main problem was with the staff, there was a lot of very young and very new staff so not a lot of information about the area, or good organisation. The breakfast was chaotic with cooked food being brought before you were finished eating your cornflakes etc, you also had to make your own tea, toast this was not convenient, nor relaxing as a man was tearing around with cooked food with his head down bulldozing through people to take plates to tables. Although the hotel was pretty I wouldn’t stay here again
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

WILLIAM

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to stay.
Lovely Hotel, great Staff and excellent food. Exceeded expectations.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jenny

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Staff great, working hard. Lots of food options. Bed comfortable but a little small. Recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

4/10 Poor

Linda

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

6/10 Okay

Tanya

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Disappointing stay
The most important person in a hotel is the front of house staff, they should greet the guest make eye contact and smile, none of these from the gent at reception. We had 3 rooms booked for 2 nights. We were given keys eventually, up to the first floor with my elderly mom, to find there was already a guest in the room we were allocated, back to reception and the same staff member said ok ! and went off to get another room for us but failed to return, I now had my 85yr old mom sitting on the steps of the stairs. Eventually I had to go back down and get the key of new room, no apology. The rooms were not the deluxe rooms we booked. There was no remote control for TV I mentioned it a few times but it never turn up. The bar ran out of draft beer and cream for coffees. The food in restaurant was adequate. Breakfast was ok. Apart from a very nice clued in Scottish lady red hair sorry I didn’t get her name at breakfast and the operations manager who did try his best the whole staff could do with some training. It’s a nice quaint hotel but badly need staff that are trained. The operations manager did give us our dinner for free which was appreciated but would have much prefereed a smile at reception and the correct rooms.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

John

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Quite a bit of dust on the carpet beside the bed, also limited choice of draught beer at the bar and drinks expensive. Staff friendly and helpful though.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sumaya

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very nice
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Martin

Travelled with partner
We enjoyed everything about the Boat hotel. Really a nice surprise, with better than expected facilities. Friendly staff, gorgeous garden room with terrasse and a view. We had dinner and breakfast.. very nice all around. The clientele was also nice. Strongly recommend.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

4/10 Poor

Aleen

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

James Michael

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Upon arrival we were a bit surprised by how much of hotel it was rather than a quaint B&B. It looks like they've seen better days, and have been riding out the haydays with bare minimum maintenance. Our room was a bit stale, nothing extroadinary considering what we've paid at similarly priced properties in the UK. The view was of the outside bins, and prompted us to request another room as it was too disappointing. I will say the upside of this was the amazing staff who were really helpful in addressing our concerns and were able to accomodate a switch to another room with a better view in the same price tier. It was comfortable enough, my feedback would be on better coffee in the room rather than nescafe sachets and better water pressure! The restaurant was lovely and the breakfast was decent, same advice here with better coffee. The staff again were amazing, and friendly, and remembered us which made our trip feel more special. All in all, it was what you'd expect but the hotel is desperate from some love!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024