Having read the other reviews on trip advisor, I find it hard to believe that anyone could see this Hotel as anything but awful. I think Mrs Pennington's review in June 2008 is the most accurate and one that two years on is still unfortunately relevant as not much has changed.

At £18.50 per person I wasn't expecting the Ritz but in the future I wouldn't actually pay to stay at the Harbourside Hotel. Problems included:

* Rooms changed from those originally booked. So lost money.
*Rooms dirty, damp and smelt of urine.
*Breakfast was poor quality
*Lady in Breakfast room rude and unhelpful.
*Area hotel was in was rough, depressing and not really harbourside, more like inner city.
*Drunk resident tried to open one of our doors at 1.30am.

The only positive is that Andrew the owner seems a nice bloke, so it is a shame that this hotel is so bad and unappealing and I hope he makes some desperatley needed changes to improve it.

Recently stopped in the Harbourside Hotel as all of the B & Bs in nearby Ayr were full!! Upon entering the hotel, you have to enter the reception on the left. The hotel had my booking and I was showed to my room, Room 8! The room had a double bed and a single. The pillows were very thin and needed to be piled up to make one good pillow. The room had a definate odour of mould or something similar. A small hand towel and a small bath towel of the cheapest quality were laid out on each bed, alongside a very cheap bar of soap!! Upon entering the bathroom, the uneven, very poorly fitted fake floor made it hard to keep balance. The sink had a large crack inside and could not be filled. Silver foil surrounded the shower head, the purpose was unknown. The hotel is not all bad, the large flat screen in the wall provided digital TV channels, there is a fridge in the room, but it very noisy, and there is a microwave. The hotel itself was fairly noisy due to thin Walls and little space. On the morning I checked out I declined the breakfast due to the standard if the room.

On a recent family trip to Irvine, money was a big issue so finding a decent hotel at the minimum cost was a priority. We booked a family room at this hotel and to be honest didn't expect much more at 2 star than a place to sleep.

We got much more than expected, the room was large and very clean, the bed linen was freshly laundered and the room boasted a microwave with two hob rings, a full size kitchen sink, kettle, crockery cutlery, glasses, mugs, hairdryer, iron and the cleanest glass on a hotel shower I've seen for a long time.

We arrived late at night and had been given a code to enter the hotel as the desk isn't manned at night, this proved no problem and we walked through the hotel to an exit door at the back, when we went out it was into a tiny courtyard with two external rooms, our room was here and this was perfect for me as I'm a smoker and it meant I didn't have to go all the way through the hotel and to the front door, I just left my room and sat at the wee table in the courtyard had a glass of wine and went to bed.

Breakfast was served in the first floor dining room, where we were met by an extremely friendly young lady who asked us what we would like and then cooked it fresh there and then, while we were waiting there was a table laid out with juices and cereals and a toaster; there was butter and jams and meat and cheeses if you preferred a continental breakfast.

The hotel mainly caters for golfing holidays and they have mini buses that ferry people backwards and forwards to golf courses and Prestwick airport.

The hotel is situated on Irvine Harbourside which is a picturesque walk with local eateries and pubs. A short walk away is Irvine's shopping centre and the Magnum which is a huge leisure centre with swimming pool, ice skating and a cinema.

I would recommend this hotel to anyone who just wants a nice clean room and bed with friendly service and close to all local amenities.

A bargain and I would certainly return.

We had a two night stay at the Harbourside Hotel and were a tad cautious after reading some of the reviews on here.
We arrived at the Hotel just before 9pm and let ourselves in with a security code that the manager had given us on booking. We had a nice welcome note on the door and also the contact numbers for the manager should we experience any problems.
We were booked into a family room which had a double bed and two singles, a double fitted wardrobe, sink area, fridge, microwave/stove and a table and four chairs. The room and shower room were very clean and well presented. We were pleasantly surprised at our findings and further so when we discovered an ironing board, iron and a hairdryer also in the room. This is a 2* hotel and I believe you normally get what you pay for - we think we got more for our money at the Harbourside! If you want 5* then you have to book 5* and pay the price.
We met the Hotel staff in the morning and found them to be very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed a lovely cooked breakfast with toast, tea & coffee in the small but adequate dining room.
We found it convenient to have a security code to access the hotel and at no time during our stay did we feel the need to contact the manager as we had everything and more that we needed for our stay.
The hotel is located a short walk from Irvine's sandy beach and large leisure centre. A shopping mall is also located within easy walking distance.