This was our third trip to Portsonachan Hotel.
Previously we have always stayed in the loch side cottages/apartments which are very nice; but decided to try out the lodges this time and were equally as pleased.
We arrived late on the Friday evening and everything was set up wonderfully. The hot tub was already on pre heating and they had turned all lights and heating on ready for us. Daniel the manager had even phoned us to let us know that the weather near the hotel was getting bad (snow) and to be careful on the single road near the hotel which can get really icy as we discovered the next day.
With regards to some peoples comments about the water. Yes it is a bit discolored but it's something to expect really when going to remote parts of Scotland, plus we were given ample amounts of free bottled drinking water by the staff.
We found that the lodges are much larger than the cottages and include a very nice hot tub and sauna. We stayed in one of the three bedroom lodges that had two double bedrooms, a smaller room with bunk beds and a sofa bed in the lounge.
I would suggest if going in winter to park near the hotel as we struggled to get up the driveway to the lodge due to ice then couldn't get the car out the next day. Which didn't really cause us an issue as we just enjoyed the hot tub and sauna all day which included a free bottle of wine from Daniel and the team. They even gave us a lift back from the hotel to the lodge in a 4x4 (even though the lodges are about 300m away) after our evening meal as the ice was very slippy.
We had breakfast in the hotel every morning which as always was very nice with a good selection of cereals, cooked and cold options, tea, coffee etc and the staff were always attentive and helpful with regards to swapping things I.e just having a plate of bacon and eggs instead of a full breakfast.
Daniel even helped us track down a sports bar in Oban so that the guys didn't miss the football, which gave the women a good excuse to go to the seal sea life sanctuary in Oban.

THE VIEWS

The views as always are amazing and on a clear day you can see the tips of the snow covered mountains in the distance. The friends that came with us this time said it was worth the long drive just for the beautiful views and the peace.

THE STAFF

We found everyone went above and beyond especially when the other half locked us out of the lodge when we were all in the hot tub at about 9pm Sunday night. Luckily the hot tub was an amazing 40 degrees as apposed to the outside air temp being around -5, we had bathing suits on (we were told this had happened before but the people were naked) and the hotel had a spare key.
If you want to take a step back and relax then this is definitely the place to go.
I will definitely be going again next year

The fact that a large number of the guests at the hotel were regular visitors tell you all you need to know. The Manager Daniel is a very friendly and informative not to mention entertaining host and the area really speaks for itself. you just couldn't be closer to the Loch with stunning views all year round. We stayed in one of the superior hotel rooms with a loch view. We stayed for three nights in November so some inclement weather was expected and the weather conspired against us on our last night at the hotel so we stayed for Dinner and the chef prepared a meal of our choice that wasn't even on the menu for that night.
If you are familiar with the road network in scotland then finding the hotel isn't a problem but otherwise be prepared for single track roads with passing places ! a sat nav is recommended though.
The hotel was recommended to us by friends who had been earlier in the year so we knew exactly what to expect and we weren't disappointed. It really is a beautiful area even in the autumn rain.
One thing to be aware of is the fact that the water in the rooms can be discoloured (quite common in this part of scotland according to what I've read on the internet) Bottled water is freely available from the hotel so nothing to worry about but worth being aware of prior to travelling I think.
All in all a great relaxing break or a wonderful base for exploring scotland whichever takes your fancy.

I last stayed here in 2006 and it was a great experience, however, i have just returned (5/12/11) from what was supposed to be a booking of one of their romantic weekend packages, that was supposed to include, champagne, chocolates and flowers, in your room on arrival, when we arrived, none of these were in our room and only after a long debate, did we get them, minus the flowers and included a very cheap box of chocolates. As for the rest of the hotel, to list but a few, telephones didn't work, TV remote was out of batteries, conservatory, where you had breakfast or dinner, was so cold, you had to sit with your coat on, hotel is in a very tired state of repair and the staff give off an air of, cant really be bothered, only when you complain, do you feel they then start to make an effort, also, very short staffed. A highly disappointing experience, especially after my satisfying time in 2006.

Our last of a 3 day stay at Portsonachan and after a day out walking in the beautiful countryside the bright lights of the hotel greeted us. There our cosy, comfortable loch side apartment was waiting, the perfect place to unwind and to listen to the silence.....or TV, DVD, CD. A malt in front of the crackling log fire, after dinner, completed the day perfectly.
Unlike many of the other guests this was our first visit to the hotel. Daniel and his team made every effort to ensure that we enjoyed our stay. We did, thoroughly, and left feeling refreshed, relaxed and expecting to return.