Arrived at Belleisle around 6pm and were warmingly welcome by the staff of Belleisle.Our group took the whole hotel up and immediately were asked if we wanted the bar open for refreshments...to our delight. Our rooms were all of a good standard however the family room is brilliant and the room I stayed in the honeymoon suite were all decorated to high standards and sympathetically decorated modern but mixed with the old features stunning.

We had an outing on the night to go to and when we came back much to our suprise the staff had laid on food for when we got back. They had gone out of their way which was such a lovely gesture. The service was beyond anything. Everyone in our group commented on this.

Breakfast in the morning was served in a beautiful room appropriately decorated with a tartan carpet. Breakfast was lovely.

If you like old buildings come to this hotel the room where weddings are held is based on Marie Antoinettes boudoir. Stunning!!!!

Overall the standard, quality, service and staff of Belleisle were excellent and we're going back again with our children next time as it is a place where you would never be bored to go back time and time again. Peaceful and laidback.

Recommended for couples, families and groups ++++++

my husband and i are just home from a lovely break in ayr, we stayed at this hotel and thought it was fantastic, the staff were extra friendly, the 1st room was a lovely room, but we did mention we would like a golf course view, that was no problem they put us into the honeymoon suite, it was amazing ,i cant believe this hotel has had some bad reviews, we have been to alot of hotels and i can honestly say this has to be one of the best ,staff included, they made us feel very welcome and nothing was a bother to them, also the breakfast was fab we will definately be back

It really is such a shame that this place is not better than it is. It has everything going for it: a beautiful old building, wonderful grounds, and a lovely location.

So what is wrong? Well, quite a bit actually.

We had read some of the old tripadvisor reviews and were going to ignore this place completely. However, we were told, they were doing a total refurbishment. On that basis we gave it a go. Upon entering our room, it was clear that the refurbishment was pretty much limited to a lick of paint and a few lamp fittings (maybe the carpet too - I couldn't be sure). Also, it looked nothing like the photo on the website. The bathroom had not seen refurbishment of any kind from what I could tell. We had a small shower that had mould on the shower head, and there was also mould in the sink. Despite the sign warning you to beware of the hot towel rail, it was stone cold during our stay. A friend staying in another room reported finding a toe nail on her carpet along with the same hot towel rail that never got hot.

Oh well. I could probably just about forgive them for this. However, there was more.

The hotel website mentions there being a trouser press (there wasn't) and the notice out the front of the hotel talks about an iron and ironing board being available on request. Why should I point this out? Well, it led to what I can only describe as the worst example of customer service I have experienced in all my years of travelling. For some context, nearly all of the rooms were being taken by people, including us, attending a wedding nearby. We had all criss-crossed the country - with some people coming from abroad - to be there. The management were also well aware we were all there for that wedding. They had kindly arranged cabs for all of us. In that context, you can understand my surprise when I went to reception to request an iron and ironing board. I was greeted with a smile and the following: "I'm very sorry but the two irons that we have in the hotel are both broken so I cannot give you one". I thought because of the smile that she was joking. She was not. I asked about alternatives: Is there a hotel nearby we could use? Answer: no. Could someone possibly go and buy another iron in town (a mere 5 minutes away by cab)? Answer: no, I am the only person working here and I am handing over to to someone else shortly so cannot go. You do realise, don't you, that most of your guests are about to go off to a wedding and really cannot turn up in wrinkled shirts? Answer: sorry sir, what do you expect me to do. Can I speak with the manager? Answer: I am the manager.

I told her, in the calmest way that I could, that this situation was unacceptable and that there must be an alternative. By this stage, I admit, I was losing my cool with her "computer says no" attititude, but I did not raise my voice. Her only solution was that (1) she had texted the housekeeper and was waiting to hear from her and (2) at the end of her shift she could go into town and try to sort something out with a new iron. She planned doing that at about 3.45. Our cabs for the wedding were due to pick us up at 4, as she well knew. I asked whether her plan to go into town was absolutely going to happen. I said that if it didn't for any reason at all, we would not have any back-up plan ready, except for wrinkled clothes at a friend's wedding. She snapped back: "Do you want it in writing or something?!". I tried again to explain the bind we were in. If her plan did go as expected, half the hotel would need to set a world record in ironing speed. If it did not go to plan, we were all in trouble. She had nothing further to offer. I left utterly perplexed with the situation.

I left the room where we had this discussion, went through the lobby, up the stairs and saw my friends. They were similarly shocked with the situation. I said to them: "Is this actually a hotel? Did you hear what she just said?". With that, a booming voice came up from the lobby: "SHE has a name!". It was the same manager who had proceeded to listen to our frantic conversation and saw fit to rub salt into the wound by challenging my reference to "she" when "she" was not even in the area where I was having a conversation with my friends. I will save her blushes by not naming her here (although I will not forget that name).

After the manager left us again, we hatched the only viable plan we could come up with. We either had to go to town ourselves and buy an iron, or we had to phone the castle where the wedding was taking place and ask if there was somewhere we could go in the castle to do some ironing before the wedding ceremony.

I was just calling the wedding venue when a knock came at the door. An iron was thrust into our hands by the manager - an old one, but it worked nonetheless (one of the broken ones must have come good). However, no ironing board was offered. We needed to go back down and ask for that, while at the same time organising an operation with other guests to ensure the one working iron moved speedily from room to room. There was no apology. I did not expect one. I fully expect she thinks I was entirely unreasonable in this whole episode.

The next morning we had an adequate breakfast (the bacon was pretty good at least). Then we went to the room and showered before trying to use the hairdryer. It exploded after about 20 seconds. That pretty much sums it up.

The Belleisle Hotel has a stunning exterior with beautiful walks and golf courses. It is heartbreaking when you walk inside. This could be such a fantastic Scottish Manor House but the decor is tired and everything is dirty. The sense of grandeur that you get from the outside is lost as soon as you step through the door. The hotel has had some changes to it recently but it isn't enough and I just wish someone would help it to realise it's potential. I stayed here for a short break which was let down by the poor quality of accommodation, I stayed B&B but decided to use the al a cart resturant for my evening meal, I went to the restaurant to be told it was closed and they where serving the meals in the bar. the meal I picked was Steak and ale pie with cream mash potatoes the person asked would I have chips instead of potatoes I told them I wanted mash potatoes when the meal arrived it had new potatoes on the plate which had obviosly been cooked in a microwave, as I was ready for my food I excepted the meal making a note never to eat there again. The breakfast was of fair quality and plenty of choice.