Advocate Arms

Called in Saturday morning for breakfast, it was very busy for 10 am but we found a table and ordered 2 x large breakfasts and they did not disappoint, I gather that most is locally sourced and very tasty it included 2 rounds of toast and a tea or coffee all for £13 per person and was worth every penny, it was hot, tasty and very nice, we will be back.

Only stayed for one night, and was very pleased with my room. Spacious, good bathroom and a comfortable bed. Couldn't fault it. Didn't eat here so couldn't offer any opinion on the food quality, but the restaurant area was attractive. Hotel looks a bit shabby from the outside, but I liked it once I stepped through the front door.

Stayed for 1 night as a treat and we had an amazing time! The room was spacious and clean. The check in process was very easy and everything was explained to us. The staff were incredibly friendly throughout our stay. The meal in the evening was sublime! Service excellent and staff very knowledgable. We opted for the B&B rate, and was so glad we did, the breakfast was served promptly, piping hot and delicious, my son commented that his eggs were perfectly runny! A great stay and perfect treat!Shall definitely return and whole heartedly recommend!

We paid £170 bed & breakfast for 2 nights. The breakfast bit was good. The bed bit wasn’t… After being led up two flights of smelly, carpeted stairs, we entered room 9 and my heart sank. Not only was it a dark and gloomy room, but when I did my usual first-time-in-a-hotel-room checks (pillow-smelling and toilet-cleanliness), I was disappointed and disgusted to find somebody else’s urine on the toilet rim. My husband went down to tell reception, who suggested the yellow liquid was toilet cleaner. It wasn’t, and I know this because I could see little dried crystals in it and I also smelt it. It was definitely urine. Anyway, we were offered room 7 (also on the second floor) but we could not sleep in there as it smelt like it had had wet dogs drying in there. The overpowering musky, damp smell was unbearable. This time, I went down to reception and the lady informed me there were not any other rooms available. I explained that I didn’t want a room that had someone else’s urine on the toilet rim - and that it was definitely urine as I had smelt it- and as if by magic, room 3 was available. Room 3 was bigger, less smelly and less drab that rooms 9 and 7. The cleanliness of the toilet still left a lot to be desired – splashes of faeces at the back and ingrained dirt around the toilet lid fixings. Still, it was getting late and we'd travelled 2 hours, so with little other choice, we took the room and I cleaned the toilet with my make-up wipes. According to their website, the Advocate Arms’ “luxurious hotel rooms have been awarded 5 stars by the AA, offering the ultimate in comfort and relaxation”. This is incorrect as the rooms are not luxurious, and after conducting some online checks, I could not find 5 stars awarded to them by the AA or anyone else, for that matter. I think the Advocate Arms would benefit from learning how to deal with disgruntled customers. Customers who have to check out two rooms before they find a third one that is suitable for sleeping in are not happy customers – nobody wants to start their weekend away by feeling the need to examine the cleanliness of the bedroom and bathroom. We were not offered any compensation for the inconvenience - even a drink in the bar would have sufficed – to make up for the palaver we’d faced, and upon check-out, we were not asked about our stay. I would not return to the Advocate Arms.

We were meeting friends we hadn’t seen for 20 years. One had a hearing problem. We had asked in advance to have a table in a quiet area. We instead were put in the noisiest part of the hotel next to some young women screeching like they were on heat! Our meals were dry and rather tasteless. We made a polite complaint and were told the chef apologised, but nothing in the way of recognition otherwise. The staff were unhelpful and when I went to pay for the dinner, half the restaurant we were told was booked out was still empty. It ruined a catch up with old friends. The meal was over priced and the service was dreadful. Certainly won’t be going back there again.

Would NOT recommend this hotel. Booked after reading good reviews on other sites. The whole upstairs guest area is grubby with dirty carpets. We booked 3 rooms and all three had a problem, from the minor of no loo roll in one, broken hairdryer in another to the horror of dirty bedding with a dead bug and several dark hairs in the third which wasn’t discovered until bedtime so could not be rectified as there was no staff around. Other guests trying room doors at night and arguing and banging in rooms close by. The price of the breakfast was not included, took ages to be served after ordering and was barely warm when arrived.