So if you know me, you know I love a bit of travelling and one thing I was more determined to do this year was to visit places a little more local to home. I know so many people who travel to these beautiful hotels within Scotland and they make me so jealous. Scotland is so beautiful and I am eager to explore it more this year and take advantage of what a stunning place it is.

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My first journey of 2020 was through to Patthead, just outside Edinburgh, when I was offered the chance to stay at the Stair Arms Hotel, a family run hotel on route to Edinburgh. I jumped at the chance to stay here and try it out for the night and it was the perfect after Christmas escape! It took just over an hour to get there by car and was so easy to get too, that’s coming from someone who is a nervous driver. The hotel was right on the single carriageway, which might sound a bit severe, however it was so secluded, and had gorgeous views to the sides and rear of the hotel.

We arrived just about 2ish and headed in to check in. I was actually a little early, however they gave us our room instantly and up we went. We were a little disappointed as the room they had given us hadn’t been cleaned yet, and still had towels on the floor, so we went back downstairs to get another room that was ready for us. Nevertheless the receptionist was apologetic and provided us with another room, nearer to the front of the building. This meant we didn’t get the views of the first room, however the rooms were stunning and this wasn’t something that bothered us. 

Firstly, the rooms were HUGE! I was aware the hotel had recently been renovated, however the standard is so high and the décor is stunning, it really is boutique level. We had a huge king-size bed and massive bathroom, all decorated beautifully. We also had some little toiletries to use and tea and coffee making facilities to help ourselves too, which were lovely little touches. After relaxing for a while on our bed and making ourselves a cuppa, we headed down for some food and drinks in the restaurant. Again, it had a real luxury feel about it and was a really high standard. There was also a lovely fireplace which I had my eye on, I could picture myself sitting in front of it with a cuppa on a cold winter morning!

Once dinner was finished (keep an eye for a foodie post next week) I was feeling quite tired. As I said, I am a nervous driver, so had been feeling anxious all morning and decided a relaxing bath was just the thing! The bath was massive and it was so relaxing to soak in the tub for a while! Once I was finished, We lazed on the bed and watched some tv, before I crashed! I can honestly say I haven’t slept that well in a long time… the bed was heaven!

We were of course only there for 1 night so never unpacked but their was plenty of storage space for longer stays, with case storage, drawers and a big wardrobe too. It would be the perfect pitstop for travelling out for a few day trips to some local towns and places to see! We would definitely do a weekend next time and spend a little longer exploring the surrounding areas….

The hotel really was beautiful and very luxurious… the renovation has been a huge success. It is a shame that the first room (Garden Suite) wasn’t cleaned as I would love to stay in it next time, it was so beautiful and the views were stunning, however all the rooms have been done to such a high standard!

So would I stay here again? Absolutely! I think this would be a great option if you wanted to do a little sightseeing in the areas around the hotel, or simply if you wanted a chilled relaxed break of doing nothing. The hotel has been renovated to such a high standard and feels very luxurious. The staff were all super friendly and helpful, we got chatting to the owner and she told us all about hew family, which was lovely…. You don’t get many family run hotels anymore and I always feel they are much more personal!

Check out the Stair Arms Hotel over at http://www.stairarmshotel.com/