On arrival in Oban in the early evening, we phoned the hotel to ask for final directions to the place but could get no reply. Having located the Palace, we found the reception cupboard deserted but could hear what sounded like a family meal going on nearby and so we rang the bell. An extremely pleasant and chatty lady came to give us our key, take our payment and direct us to our room, but that was all the human contact we had. The service grade, therefore, is more a reflection of the absence of any service on which to comment.

On that subject, I might as well explain the other gradings.

Cleanliness - no faulting that, although we couldn't quite place the fragrance in the hall (not unpleasant, it was somewhere between mothballs and wet dog and may even have been a rare cleaning solution).

The room was quite small - space for the double bed, the wardrobe, the bedside tables and little else; the bathroom, basic but with a good shower; the sunset over Oban harbour, lovely, but the single-glazed sash window through which we watched it had seen better days and would later let much of the closing-time noise through as if it were wide open. Warmth, at least, wasn't a problem, with the room having its own wall heater.

The closing-time noise and aging window should explain the sleep quality grade, and that leads us nicely on to the location - if you like being in the centre of things and don't turn in particularly early, being right on the sea front shouldn't be a problem, but if you're more of an early-to-bed type (or have an early ferry to catch) you may want to visit the Boots store conveniently located three or four doors down, to buy some ear plugs.

As for value, we weren't terribly impressed. The problem, I suspect, lay in the gap between our expectations and the reality, starting with the fact that the Palace Hotel isn't a hotel at all. It's described as such everywhere - including on its own website - but it is in fact a B&B run in the shell of a hotel. Actually, even that's not quite right: the notice at the reception cupboard announces to newly-arrived traveller that the second 'B' - breakfast - will set them back an extra £6 per head. Having paid almost £90 for the room, we'd more or less assumed that it would be included. There we went again, letting our expectations run away with us.

By the time we came to book our pre-ferry stop, we'd left it so late that we were glad just to find a room somewhere. Had the Palace been more than just somewhere to lay our heads, however, I think we might have been looking for alternative accommodation the next day.

Stayed at the Palace Hotel on a whim and loved it. Oban is the perfect setting for spending lazy days and driving around in the countryside. Nice to have a cozy room with a great view to come back to.

I reserved a room on-line for two nites. The hotel was fine and the stay was uneventful. On the first morning, I asked the manager whether I should put the bill on my card or pay in cash and was told to wait until departure. The next day, on checkout I asked the desk clerk whether my card had been charged. She checked with the hotel office and told me it had not. I paid cash and luckily insisted on a written receipt. The next month I found that my credit card had been billed by the hotel on the day I arrived. Palace disputed that I paid despite my having a cash receipt.

I had large spacious and clean room on second floor with excellent views across harbour. Ann and her family were always helpful and friendly, and Sandra looked after the rooms and always served breakfast, which is very good, with a smile! It is an elegant, Edwardian building, with no elevator, but that did not bother me! (might bother some). Dining room and loung have superb views and are comfortable. Alll in all, a very pleasant place to stay and I would certainly return.