Stirling Highland Hotel - The Hotel Collection

Stirling Highland Hotel - The Hotel Collection descritpion

Built in 1854, this hotel was once the High School of Stirling. Less than 10 minutes’ walk from the city’s historic castle, it has an AA Rosette-awarded restaurant and free parking.
Each room at Stirling Highland Hotel is bright and spacious, with satellite TV and facilities for making tea and coffee.
The award-winning Scholars Restaurant serves traditional and international gourmet cuisine. Guests can also enjoy a range of drinks in the Headmaster’s Study Bar.
Central Stirling can be reached in 5 minutes on foot, and the rail station is a 10-minute walk from the Highland Hotel. Stirling Bridge, where William Wallace once battled the English knights, is a 20-minute walk away.

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Facilities of Stirling Highland Hotel - The Hotel Collection

Outdoors ：Sun Deck

Pets ：Pets are allowed on request. Charges may apply.

Food & Drink ：Bar | Breakfast in the Room | Restaurant with Dining Menu | Special Diet Meals (upon request)

Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in public areas and is free of charge. | Free!WiFi is available in the hotel rooms and is free of charge.

Parking ：Free!Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).

Reviews for Stirling Highland Hotel - The Hotel Collection

Review 1：Health centre decor looks a 'bit tired' but everything works fine.

Review 2：Great hotel with good access and facilities. Friendly staff and comfy beds make for a great restful break. Excellent central location with quick access to motorway network

Review 3：Getting a bit lost following the directions. A signpost on entering the routes into Stirling town centre would be helpful.

Review 4：The atmosphere was friendly. All staff treated you with respect and courtesy. The breakfast was plentiful and prices at the bar very competitive.

Review 5：We have stayed here twice now and find the location excellent. You are always given a warm welcome by staff and the rooms are very comfortable. The only issue is the windows are a bit dated but we understand the age of the building. We would not hesitate to stay here again.

Review 6：The carpet on the stairs from the street is very dirty and creates a poor impression. The spa is shockingly in need of refurbishment. The showers in the spa were filthy.

Review 7：The staff are super. The hotel is quaint and very charming. Rooms clean and spacious. Bathroom was old but spotless.

Review 8：Great location and facilities the only downside was being unable to add evening meals due to time of year as this cost us quite a bit more on our wèekend but overall happy with the hotel and facilities.we also had massage when we stayed and it was fantastic

Review 9：The only downside, and this is just a personal viewpoint, is that the hotel is on a hill. No other complaints.

Review 10：The staff were very helpful from the minute we arrived. Great facilities and nice sized pool. The hotel was spotless and very comfortable. As we booked through Booking.com we managed to get a fantastic deal.

Review 11：Sitting Room Chimney needs swept . The real fire was great but the room was full of smoke.

Review 12：Good location and building Well furnished room Leisure Facilities

Review 13：THe Hotel is a bit tired and needs an update. The bed was huge but lumpy Bathroom was as clean as they could make it as it was old an a bit worn out.

Review 14：Breakfast was great, Staff were really good and interested in looking after us.

Review 15：Nothing, all good.

Review 16：Hotel situated within a few minutes of town centre, which was what we were after. The staff were very friendly and the room was comfortable, we used the spa facilities, which were also good.

Review 17：I wasn`t warned about not being able to dine in the restaurant due to a function, very disappointed about this, hence the reason we took room service. I had planned to spend all my time in the hotel. I did not want to go looking for another restaurant.

Review 18：Enjoyed the leisure centre and the room service.

Review 19：My only complaint was that the king sized bed was two beds pushed together. This created an uncomfortable ridge in the middle of the bed.

Review 20：The Spa was very clean and the changing rooms were old school which was a nice touch. The hotel was converted from a old school and they had kept some of the original features which was very good. The hotel was very clean and was a minuets walk away from a wetherspoons - always good The staff were very friendly and helpful

Review 21：I stayed here once before and liked it so much I came back. This hotel is walking distance from the train station, the bus station, the Church if the Holy Rude, and Stirling Castle. We had dinner there our first night, and the food was really well prepared and delicious. The room was very comfortable and well appointed, and the staff was friendly, efficient, and helpful.

Review 22：Not what I would call a "bad" experience, but the buffet breakfast was distinctly underwhelming, overcooked and rather tasteless, other than the black pudding! The restaurant clearly had problems coping with numbers on the morning of our stay with the reason given to us being that people seemed to be "dawdling" over their toast and coffee, which is what one might expect on a relaxed Sunday morning.

Review 23：The location and "historical" atmosphere of the hotel; the helpfulness and friendliness of the staff.

Review 24：Bar prices expensive

Review 25：Interesting building, comfortable rooms & friendly efficient staff. Breakfast buffet was very good with dishes frequently replenished.

Review 26：I think the rating above is misleading - while it was definitely clean and comfortable (I definitely couldn't fault that), it was also really quite shabby. The reception and rooms are in dire need of a facelift.

Review 27：The location was great and the bed was incredibly comfortable - such a good nights' sleep

Review 28：The hotel next door was hosting a wedding and the noise was very irritating. Thicker windows could be an option worth considering. The lady who booked us in seemed unsure of what she was doing and less than enthusiastic in her job. Other members of staff were very welcoming though. Would recommend using the stairs instead of the lift as it was a bit slow and unsteady at times.

Review 29：Enjoyed the location and the facilities.

Review 30：We chose this hotel for two reasons: location and leisure facilities. The location is perfect, in the very center of the city, close to the castle, restaurants and bars. The hotel itself looks a bit tired, as other people said, and I was not impressed by the leisure facilities. Good and rich breakfast! Overall, I would advise this hotel just for the great location.

Review 31：Nothing.

Review 32：Everything, I return here each time I am working in Scotland because it has good facilities and has retained some character and is a great location for Stirling.

Review 33：Felt it was a bit over priced especially when eating in the hotel, and compared to other places we spent time at while we traveled through the UK.

Review 34：Beautiful setting and building with interesting history and slight vibe remaining from the old school days.

Review 35：The pool was cold. The rooms were very average for the price. The bedrooms are poorly insulated so it can be quite noisy!

Review 36：Excellent position in the old town. Friendly attentive staff. Quaint old school house. Good Wi-Fi access.

Review 37：Never had one yet.

Review 38：Love staying at this hotel. Staff friendly & helpful rooms very clean & comfortable. Stayed twice this year. Ample parking in secure car parks.

Review 39：The rooms very very shabby considering they were king rooms . It's was expensive even in a deal for the room with broken window loose bathroom tiles etc

Review 40：The location and staff very nice and helpful x

Review 41：The bath had rust round theplughole and the room was really dark and gloomy. Very expensive night for the quality of furnishings and the bathroom really needs a makeover.

Review 42：The location near to the castle and town centre is excellent.

Review 43：Room very dark and gloomy Locating switches on over bed lights defeated us and we had to phone reception for instructions - ridiculous! Staff on reception on arrival distant and somewhat offhand.

Review 44：Location On site swimming pool Staff at Breakfast and housekeeping personnel excellent Comfortable bed

Review 45：nothing bad - would thoroughly recommend this hotel.

Review 46：Fantastic location, close to shops, restaurants and the castle. Lovely big room which was very nicely furnished. Good buffet breakfast and wonderful leisure facilities.

Review 47：Poor breakfast on the first morning. Staff overworked, cold food. Buffet breakfast but although their was a large amount of guests, only small amounts of food came out of the kitchen.

Review 48：Position in relation to surrounding atractions.

Review 49：very run down in need of an up date and decoration and the price of drinks both non alcoholic and alcoholic a disgrace plus time waiting for drinks very poor.

Review 50：The location was excellent a beautiful building close to all attraction's

Review 51：It was like Fawlty Towers at dinner. The menu was not ready until 7:30. Wine we ordered to have with dinner came when the meal was finished. Desert took so long we cancelled it, as we did with the desert wine that didn't arrived. A lot of staff on but not well organised at all. Such a shame!

Review 52：The hotel was nice and clean and the staff friendly and helpful.

Review 53：The hotel looks a little worn and tired. At first impression...it is a little gloomy but, the rooms are comfortable and clean. There is no "safe" in the room.

Review 54：Very good location with lovely views from some of the rooms. Unique character in refurbished "old school". It is also very quiet/ Dining Room and Bar/ Lounge facilities and food very good. Breakfast very good. WiFi worked very well. Excellent gym and pool.

Review 55：Bed linen was dirty. Room had windows that hardly opened,so room very hot at night. Decor tired and very worn. Breakfast was very overcooked....scrambled eggs were rubbery and the service was delivered by untrained staff.Would never stay there again and would strongly recommend against any visit. Such poor quality that it was an insult and as for the price....unbelievably poor value.

Review 56：The hotel did not honor our reservation and payment (almost a month) so we were not able to stay there. Also, they never advised us that they were not going to accommodate us.

Review 57：Bar staff a little direction required keep the bar clear and clean I don't appreciate having to clear a table before I can sit at it or ordering drinks to my room then have to collect then as they forgot my room number

Review 58：Top class facility great location

Review 59：The staff were not very helpful in orientating us. The room was noisy- we could hear next door through the ajoining door in our room as well as people walking in the hallway. Breakfast was poor- it was cold and overcooked. Things had run out and not replenished even when I asked.

Review 60：Good location.

Review 61：Property was a little tired and in need of some investment. Evening food options were not great so chose to eat out.

Review 62：Good location to explore Stirling. Lovely old school house originally.

Review 63：Lunch at the Hotel was mostly awful, wouldn't recommend.

Review 64：Location excellent, plenty of parking.... Track down the Indian restaurant down the main road - awesome!

Review 65：The hotel is tired and smelly and the is a real management problem which is making it difficult for the staff to function effectively and provide excellent service

Review 66：The staff were pleasant and very helpful.

Review 67：It was a hot couple of days and there is no air conditioning and small windows that don't open far so quite uncomfortable in the room.

Review 68：The location is perfect .

Review 69：The breakfast wasn't great and wasn't impressed with the vegetarian sausages either. The restaurant was not fantastic but the bar food was of much better standard and more appropriately priced.

Review 70：The staff were really friendly and courteous. The room was clean and comfortable. We expected the room to be horrendous after reading the reviews but we were pleasantly surprised. The hotel is in a fantastic location for visiting the castle and other surrounding attractions.

Review 71：the 2nd floor rooms are ridiculously noisy. the people above us were constantly walking around and kept us awake most of the night, even earplugs did not help.

Review 72：location is fantastic. wifi is excellent.

Review 73：There was no water overnight - the whole of Stirling was out. We had not booked a breakfast but had planned to go to breakfast. Decided best not to go to breakfast as thought it would have been off. On checkout, we asked for a rebate as we'd no toilet or shower facilities. Was told it was not the fault of the hotel and there would be no rebate. We paid £160 for a bed and went home dirty and hungry!! Not impressed!! Even a voucher towards a lunch for another day would have helped.

Review 74：Had slovenly day at the Birch wedding and the kitchen staff went out of their way to cater for my gluten free diet. Excellent service.

Review 75：Ambience in public areas not reflected in our room. Furniture and fittings showing their age. Plainly decorated with no artwork on walls

Review 76：Lovely setting with a real sense of history and beautiful surroundings. Leisure facilities improved the experience. Large bedroom with two easy chairs and small table. Nice ambience in public lounges and bar.

Review 77：Breakfast a little chaotic on the second morning - a large party hogged most of the room for ages leading to a queue in the bar and when we were shown in a lot of the food was in need of replenishment. The staff were quite calm and professional about it though.

Review 78：Perfectly placed for the Castle and Mar's Walk, which was a bonus because of the limited parking/queue of cars at the Castle itself. Loads of free onsite parking. Terrific little Italian across the road too!

Review 79：There was a really bad smell in the bar area, they had a humidifier in there which did nothing to improve the smell,it was so pungent it made your eyes sting, I also requested that the manager contact me when I left, to date I have heard nothing, hotel is extremely tired, I have been going there for 20 years, won't be going back.

Review 80：Didn't enjoy anything about the hotel at all, other customers also complained about the awful stench in the main bar and headmasters study, feel they should have closed the hotel while this problem is being dealt with.

Review 81：We booked an upgraded room but in our opinion was not. We did get a refund and paid standard room rates. The shower in the bath was leaking very badly on to the floor and we had to put a towel on the floor to soak up the water.

Review 82：Location and good Breakfast. Did not use leisure facilities so no comment

Review 83：Stayed in a 'premium' room but it's not that premium really and I've stayed in Premier Inns with better rooms for a lot less money. Bedroom perfectly fine, if unexceptional, but the bathroom was way below what I would expect in even a mid-range hotel these days. Rather tired and old-fashioned, weak shower and poor finishing. Not bad, but far below the standard the hotel claims to pitch at.

Review 84：Great location and excellent staff. Food was very good, although more of the 'looks and tastes nice, now can I have the rest of it please as I am eating because I am hungry rather than wanting to tease my tastebuds' variety.

Review 85：Nothing at all - perhaps they seemed to take a long while to get the lift working , however we didn't know exactly what was wrong with it. It was out of order the whole time we were there ( 1 week )

Review 86：The hotel is very central to all the sights of Stirling . The rooms were up to standard & the receptionist was extremely helpful when my wife was not well. Would certainly recommend staying there if you wanted to make Stirling your base for travelling around certain parts of Scotland

Review 87：Had to struggle with luggage to the room, there didn't seem to be a lift.

Review 88：The room was great. The view was great. There was a shower and bath. An olde school turned into an hotel with a whisky shop at the bottom of the school and does she know her business!

Review 89：was a t a wedding so stayed over with my daughter. hotel lovely staff amazing. 2 things not that great was at meal got cheese cake which was gluten free as i have ceoliacs what i got was a flute glass of cream, no cheese cake whatso ever...dissappointed. also neighbours above us very noisy had to phone reception at 1.30 am in morning as couldnt sleep. not hotels fault.

Review 90：staff were excellant,. especially one young girl with blonde hair at breakfast she went got me gluten free toast etc.... bed room spotless, bed comfy, breakfast good choice but self service so could be lying for a while.

Review 91：We had booked a premier king room expecting a larger room, what we got was a standard sizes room with an interconnected room and I could hear the conversation of the guests next door. The room was very warm so we had to leave the window opened up all night and there was no fridge in the room to keep the water cool.

Review 92：Staff were all very friendly, great central location

Review 93：In four days not one smile from a staff member. Maybe if they weren't dressed like undertakers they might be brighter. Plumber needed - OK he came. Window needed joiner, he never came and the window wouldn't close. Housekeeping was pathetic; inconsistent replenishment of toiletries, even after a request to reception. The room beverage tray had no ordinary tea, no consistent replenishment of water or biscuits. Lift not working at any time; we understand that it was not working the previous week either. Staff not engaged or interested in their job or in their customers or their requirements. Dirty trays in bars. We actually decided to use the Colliseo next door for restaurant services, Altogether the entire Stirling Highland Hotel experience so far below any standard it was just unbelievable.

Review 94：A disappointment from beginning to end

Review 95：This hotel is in need of a refurbishment. Paint was peeling from the windows, and the furniture and carpets needed a proper clean.

Review 96：Apart from the swimming pool and fitness suite, very little.

Review 97：Extremely hot in the bedroom with no air conditioning. The tables in the restaurant are sticky with age. They need to use table cloths.

Review 98：Perfect location for Stirling

Review 99：The hotel needs an upgrade, staff need to be more customer focused both reception and bar restaurant. Restaurant dinner and breakfast was exceptionally poor as was service.

Review 100：Nothing

Review 101：Breakfast quoted at £15 per person meant that we would have spent £60 for two breakfasts. We ended up elsewhere and saved approx £45. We have stayed all over Europe and G.B and no breakfast is worth spending £15 on.I am aware that this is a 4-star hotel, but very dear.

Review 102：Room superb and bed really comfortable.

Review 103：Bathroom in room 210 needs attention, taps on bath so close to wall you couldn't turn them. Old badly functioning shower head over bath with no water pressure and hair trigger between scalding and freezing. No mini fridge in room, no satellite tv, terrible wifi connection throughout hotel. Leisure center big and airy but everything needed a lick of paint and a spruce up. Breakfast was awful, no table cloths, tired tables, bland boring buffet which became increasingly messy and un appealing during service. Entire hotel overheated.

Review 104：Lovely spot high up in old town Stirling, easy access to everything. Spacious rooms and good health and leisure center.

Review 105：I booked a room on the top floor. Received on the middle. After complaining the room was changed. That experience repeated in all hotels booked in Scotland by Booking.com. People from reception do not read e-mails from Booking.com obviously.

Review 106：Stirling castle and the town are gorgeous.

Review 107：Asked for a room on ground floor or near a lift. Allocated the room furthest away from the lift! We did get a very accessible ground floor room for the following nights. Room cleaning could be much better. Wifi service poor.

Review 108：Great location., very pleasant staff, food generally good

Review 109：The wheelchair access was very bad , it would be very difficult to manage as an independent wheelchair user without assistance. Ramp to a side firedoor ,without a handle, too steep and without level access at the top of it. There was a call button but if it was raining ( quite likely in Scotland! ) You'd be soaked by the time anyone got to you as there was no shelter. Also only one disabled parking space.

Review 110：Location was good

Review 111：I paid 160 for one person so expected something special, but.. No lift and no luggage assistance for OAP's. Staff surly and unhelpful. No room for one for dinner. Breakfast (coffee and pastry) 15 extra!

Review 112：Walls in the new annexe are too thin, resulting in getting added, but unwanted, entertainment via surrounding noise of televisions, talking and couples having sex. Don't expect to get to sleep before 1am!

Review 113：Friendly staff, well eqipped room

Review 114：Lack of adequate parking. No lift to most of the floors. Parts of the hotel are looking tired and work needs to be done on it to bring it up to scratch.

Review 115：The location. The character of the hotel. The staff were friendly.The quality of the hotel good.

Review 116：Our room was in dire need of renovation and it was not clean. Smelly when we arrived. It was also an interconnecting room and we could hear everything next door. I needed to put on white noise to block out the noise.

Review 117：Small untidy details eg lamp dimmer switch was missing but I found it in a corner; lamp uplighter shade had debris in it - not crucial but bad first impression of room. It's not immediately obvious on the booking site that the location of this hotel is half-way up a steep hill to the castle!

Review 118：Unusual building, very comfortable room (I had a king size) with proper opening windows and full control of room heating.

Review 119：Thought the room only merits a standard tariff, not premium. Did not like how the tea tray had to be lifted from the cupboard with a very short flex which meant it had to be positioned at the edge of the top surface. ( dangerous ) The windows had restricted opening. No info on tv. Very small slow lift. Average bathroom with no photo's on line of bathroom facilities. We were not allocated room shown on printout.

Review 120：Not a lot, too many long corridors, twists and turns. We would not return or recommend it.

Review 121：1.The window in the room was warped and letting a gale blow in. 2. The breakfast choice, range , availability and quality was not worth the £139 that I paid. The breakfast staff were lovely but too few. 3. The tea/coffee making facilities were tuck away in a sliding tray in a cupboard which was very awkward to use. A very poor design. The free wifi was a waste of time ... My 3G was quicker !!! Some of the main reasons I chose this hotel failed .. Breakfast ... Wifi .. Needed it for some business to attend to. Easy access to tea coffee.. Never worth the £139 paid next time I will use premier in or such like much more value for money!

Review 122：The bar and reception staff were lovely. The kitchen and waitress staff were nice to but too few. The room was nicely decorated. Tv was good.

Review 123：Too expensive for type of room, breakfast not included. Lumpy bed. Disinterested front desk other than the wonderful girl who checked me in. Charged extra 5.00 room service tray. Breakfast room service was poor, cold croissants, no condiments, and 15.00 charge for a bit of toast and a few cold pastries and one small pot of coffee. Not pleased.

Review 124：Location. Menu. Lady who checked me in.

Review 125：WiFi was innaccessible. Couldn't even get the hotel access webpage. Poor for business travellers. Shower head was low. Not great if you're 6'+

Review 126：Bed was comfortable

Review 127：The staff were very helpful. my wife has to be careful as to what she can eat and the chef cooked the food so that it did not affect her excellent all-round service

Review 128：The shower was dreadful. The rooms were incredibly basic and old fashioned considering it classes itself as a four star hotel. Quite disappointing in contrast to the building and location. Our room also overlooked the other side of the building.

Review 129：location.

Review 130：Found matress and pillows very hard not to our preference.

Review 131：Location was great, 5 mins from castle 10 mins to city centre. Hotel staff were friendly and helpful. Food at hotel good and great selection.

Review 132：Felt it was rather expensive for an overnight stay with no breakfast included. Room was clean and adequate, but pretty basic. Ideal as an overnight stop rather than a destination hotel

Review 133：very large and comfortable bed

Review 134：Had reserved a table for dinner weeks in advance of our stay. On the day attempted to bring forward our reservation only to be told it was impossible due to the high volume of custom on the evening. On arrival for our original reservation we were told that our names were not booked in. The way we were treated from this point soured the whole experience and the one member of staff let her colleagues down with her apathetic attitude towards their error.

Review 135：Location was excellent.

Review 136：The breakfast was not great. Food was OK with good selection. But we had to wait very long time for a staff to notice that we were waiting to be taken to a table and also the service was slow.

Review 137：The atmosphere was great. Interesting history of the building which has a lot of original features. The staff was well trained and friendly.

Review 138：Nothing to dislike

Review 139：I have stayed in hotel many times on business and with family, meals every good, but this time my evening meal was by far the best, I had beef and it was cooked to perfection I will be recommending to family and business clients.

Review 140：The bar man closing the bar and saying he wound be back in 15 minutes, then never came back. Bit good service

Review 141：The location was ideal and enjoyed the pool and sauna