The Boat Hotel

3.5 star property

Photo gallery for The Boat Hotel

Double or Twin Room, Garden View
Exterior
Egyptian cotton sheets, premium bedding, individually decorated
Double or Twin Room, Garden View | Terrace/patio
Aerial view

Reviews

8.2 out of 10
Very good

Popular amenities

  • Parking included
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Business services

Explore the area

View map
Deshar Road, Boat of Garten, Scotland, PH24 3BH
  • Place, Cairngorms National Park
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, Boat of Garten Golf Club
    ‪4 min walk‬
  • Place, CairnGorm Mountain
    ‪31 min drive‬
  • Airport, Inverness (INV)
    ‪47 min drive‬

Room options

Classic Single Room

8.6 out of 10
Excellent
(4 reviews)
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Single Bed

Double or Twin Room, Garden View

8.6 out of 10
Excellent
(16 reviews)
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed OR 2 Single Beds
  • Garden view

Suite

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed

Deluxe Double or Twin Room

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful
(13 reviews)
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed OR 2 Single Beds

Classic Double or Twin Room

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(11 reviews)
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bed OR 2 Single Beds

Suite Double or Twin Room

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed OR 2 Single Beds

Comfort Double Room

8.6 out of 10
Excellent
(4 reviews)
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

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About the area

Boat of Garten

Located in Boat of Garten, The Boat Hotel is next to a golf course, a 4-minute walk from Boat of Garten Golf Club and within a 5-minute drive of Loch Garten Osprey Centre. .This family-friendly hotel is 11.8 mi (19 km) from Cairngorms National Park and 2.7 mi (4.4 km) from Loch Vaa.

What's nearby

  • Cairngorms National Park - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Boat of Garten Golf Club - 4 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Loch an Eilein - 15 min drive - 19.1 km
  • Cairngorm Reindeer Centre - 26 min drive - 22.5 km
  • CairnGorm Mountain - 31 min drive - 26.7 km

Getting around

  • Carrbridge Station - 8 min drive
  • Inverness (INV) - 47 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪High Range - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪The Inverdruie Restaurant - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Cairngorm Hotel - ‬11 min drive
  • ‪The Winking Owl - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Old Bridge Inn - ‬10 min drive

About this property

The Boat Hotel

Victorian hotel with a restaurant and a bar
The Boat Hotel offers 34 accommodations with coffee/tea makers and hair dryers. These individually decorated and furnished accommodations include desks. Beds feature Egyptian cotton sheets and premium bedding. 40-inch flat-screen televisions come with digital channels.

Bathrooms include showers and complimentary toiletries. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Hypo-allergenic bedding and irons/ironing boards can be requested. Housekeeping is provided daily.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Stay in one of 34 guestrooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include desks and coffee/tea makers, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as bicycles to rent or take in the view from a terrace and a garden. Additional features at this Victorian hotel include complimentary wireless internet access, an arcade/game room, and ski storage.
Satisfy your appetite for lunch or dinner at the hotel's restaurant, The Boat Country Inn, or stay in and take advantage of the room service (during limited hours). Wrap up your day with a drink at the bar/lounge. Full breakfasts are available daily from 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee.
Featured amenities include a business center, express check-in, and express check-out. Event facilities at this hotel consist of a conference center and 2 meeting rooms. Free self parking is available onsite.
Full breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning between 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM.
The Boat Country Inn - This family restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Free self parking on site
  • Limited on-site self parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking and van parking available

Food and drink

  • Daily full breakfast available 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM for a fee: GBP 12.95 for adults and GBP 6.50 for children
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant

Restaurants on site

  • The Boat Country Inn

Things to do

  • 18-hole adjacent golf course
  • Arcade/game room
  • Bicycle rentals
  • Books
  • Ecotours
  • Evening entertainment
  • Games
  • Golf clubs/equipment
  • Playground
  • Ski storage
  • TV in common areas

Family friendly

  • Arcade/game room
  • Changing table
  • Children's games
  • High chair
  • Playground

Conveniences

  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Proposal/romance packages
  • Tour and ticket assistance
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • 2 meeting rooms
  • Business centre
  • Conference centre

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Picnic area
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessibility
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible business centre
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible registration desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
  • Wheelchair-accessible van parking

More

  • 2 floors
  • Banquet hall
  • Built in 1899
  • Communal living room
  • Fireplace in lobby
  • Smoke-free property
  • Victorian architecture

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Egyptian cotton sheets
  • Hypo-allergenic bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste (on request)
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 40-inch flat-screen TV with digital channels

Food and drink

  • Champagne service
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Electric kettle
  • Limited room service

More

  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Iron/ironing board on request
  • Laptop workspace
  • Mobile key entry
  • Recycling

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Early check-in subject to availability
Early check-in fee: GBP 10
Express check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available
A late check-out fee will be charged
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 7:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

Pets allowed for an extra charge of GBP 20 per pet, per night
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs only
2 total pets
Specific rooms only, restrictions apply; pet-friendly rooms can be requested by contacting the property at the number on the booking confirmation
Food and water bowls are available

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
3 children, up to the age of 12 years, can stay for free if using existing beds when occupying the parent or guardian's room
Rollaway/extra beds are available for GBP 10.0 per night

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Fee for full breakfast: approximately GBP 12.95 for adults and GBP 6.50 for children
  • Pet fee: GBP 20 per pet, per night
  • Service animals are exempt from fees
  • Early check-in fee: GBP 10 (subject to availability)
  • A late check-out fee will be charged
  • Rollaway bed fee: GBP 10.0 per night

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Cashless transactions are available
This property uses geothermal energy
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, and a first aid kit

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
Reservations are required for golf tee times; reservations can be made by contacting the property prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
A fee for a mandatory Christmas Day gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on December 25
A fee for a mandatory Christmas Eve gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on December 24
A fee for a mandatory New Year's Eve gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on December 31
A fee for a mandatory Valentine's Day gala dinner is included in the total price displayed for stays on February 14

National rating

This establishment has received its official star rating from VisitScotland, the National Tourist Board for Scotland.

Property is also known as

Boat Boat of Garten
Boat Hotel
Boat Hotel Boat of Garten
Hotel Boat
Boat Hotel Of Garten
The Boat Hotel Boat Of Garten, Scotland
The Boat Hotel Of Garten Scotland
The Boat Hotel Hotel
The Boat Hotel Boat of Garten
The Boat Hotel Hotel Boat of Garten

The Boat Hotel Reviews

Reviews

8.2

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 292 out of 741 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 257 out of 741 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 129 out of 741 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 45 out of 741 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 18 out of 741 reviews

8.4/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Amenities

7.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

8/10 Good

Devious

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

FIONA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Our room was very clean, loads of room including large seating area. Bed extremely comfortable & cosy. All staff were friendly and attentive. Dinner was excellent on both evenings. The hotel is pet friendly but dogs were always under careful control & supervision of their owners. The hotel clearly welcomes families and had many non resident diners which indicated a good local reputation too. Happy to recommend to friends & family.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

4/10 Poor

Shirley

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Could do with alot of improvements

Arrived at hotel to be greated and looked down at by manager,very rude and abrupt,definitely wasnt a good first inpression,she finished off her personal call on her mobile before attending to paying guests who were standing waiting, booked a room for 3 people and were given a room for 2 people,not set up for 3 and was told they didnt have an extra bed to give,even though i booked for 3,therfor it should have been sorted for our arrival,manager just seemed to shrug that off, had a meal in the restaurant which again is overly priced for what you recieve and the service was shocking,left to wait ages before ofer taken,bit then rushed out once meal had been eaten,again service rude,things added onto my meal bill that i hadnt even ordered,again manager seemed to not have time to deal with this so told myself to sort it out,as i did this,our drinks were removed and cleared from our table,which were still half full. The room itself could do with alot of inprovements,mould on walls,carpets hadnt been hoovered from previous guests,bathroom had dust and grime on bath, no housekeeping service in our 2 night stay. Breakfast wws freshly cooked however produce was cheap & overcooked, very limited variety for continental stuff,not a big selection,yoghurts sitting out without placed in ice to keep fresh, limited selection of fresh fruit on display and the apples and bananas that were,had seen better days. I defo would not return here again and didntvmake an enjoyable stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Michael

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Naomi

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
All staff very friendly and welcoming - particularly the ladies at breakfast! Everyone made an effort to interact with our 3 year old which goes a long way. :) very family/ dog friendly. Good food - probably the best cooked breakfast we’ve had in a while, everything was perfectly cooked and great selection. We had a meal in the restaurant too that was tasty! We stayed in a garden room, spacious and clean. Lovely location with great views of the surrounding hills. Would recommend and would stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

8/10 Good

Susan

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Loved this hotel, comfortable, good food. Great location by the steam railway station , woodland walks. Hoping to return.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Darren

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely people!

I arrived late and the waitress was so helpful and made me feel at home even though i felt i was keeping the kitchen staff back late. Thank you for such a lovely stay. Excellent all round.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
👍
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

4/10 Poor

Matt

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The Boat Hotel was a wonderful place to spend the night. Breakfast was very enjoyable and plentiful. I would stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

John

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Was a place full of character. The food and service was excellent. Things that would be good. Either lift or.less stairs
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Celebrating my mum's 80th birthday!! Staff friendly and ideal place to stay to explore Speyside!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

2/10 Terrible

Lynn

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Avoid - dated and poor service

We booked a deluxe room which was very small and dated with a tiny bathroom you couldn’t turn round in. The bathroom had no ventilation. Twice we returned to our room to find the cleaners hadn’t latched the door so it was unlocked all day and once we returned to find neither key worked. When we left the bathroom towels on the floor to be refreshed they were hung up dirty and I came back to the room to find the cleaner using these to dry the mugs in the room. The ‘manager’ offered to upgrade us but when I mentioned this to the person on reception next day they knew nothing about it. There seemed to be a lack of anyone in charge although the younger staff worked hard - especially the young lad at breakfast who often seemed to be on his own which meant things were sometimes not replenished even though he tried his best. Not a great stay.
Deluxe bathroom with a tiny shower
Smallest bathroom ever
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Barry

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Rooms are spacious and very clean,dinner and breakfast are outstanding 10/10,although restaurant was very busy the service was 1st class.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Alison

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Fabulous Hotel

Beautiful area, very nice hotel with fabulous food and really friendly staff
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Alan, New York

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Little understaffed and limited parking, but great staff, good breakfast deal. Great location.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

William

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Relaxing area for the hotel, close to golf course and woodland walks. Nice area in front of the hotel to have drinks outside. With the hotel being an old building noise issues between the rooms.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

6/10 Okay

Heather

Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jubin

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very good service,friendly staff and nice breakfast too.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Gordon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Helen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great place to stay.

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025

4/10 Poor

Andrew

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

6/10 Okay

Margaret

Travelled with family
Could not get the shower to work. Beds not made up on day 2 though the maids did wash our coffee cups and fold the end of the toilet paper into a point!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025