[ This was a gifted opportunity to stay at The Courtyard by Marriott Hotel at Inverness Airport through Dall Communications. Although this was gifted, all opinions are completely my own ]
On the 19th of June, I packed up wee Flora (the fiat) and took her on her first trip up to Inverness Airport! Unfortunately it wasn’t to jet off to Rome however I got to check out the gorgeous Courtyard by Marriott Hotel. The hotel was opened in March 2020 right as lockdown hit so they haven’t had much chance to show off their ideal location.
THE LOCATION
The hotel is located right across from Inverness Airport in Dalcross. When I say across from the airport, I truly mean that it will take you 2 minutes to get there! This makes it a prime hotel for if you are catching any flights. With this in mind, at no point could we hear any planes from our room. It is also just a 15 minute drive into the Inverness Railway Station making it a great hotel for visiting Inverness too.
THE HOTEL
As I said, the hotel was opened in March 2020 so everything is very clean, bright and modern through out the hotel. The carpark had lots of parking around the building which felt very safe and secure. I was even able to park my car in a space that allowed me to see it from my room window which I thought was brilliant.
The reception area is welcoming and bright with lots of wood panelling, giving it an almost rustic feel. A lovely contrast with the modern and geometric vibe. There is a tv that shows all of the arrivals/ departures of the airport which let’s you keep track of when you have to leave. Also in the reception area is a shop full of hotel essentials, drinks and snacks that can be purchased and taken up to your room.
THE BEDROOM
There are 3 types of room you can opt for; Standard King, Standard Twin and Superior Family Room. Each room is decorated to a similar standard. The main difference being that the Superior room features a corner sofa bed.
The rooms have a large desk space for those who may be visiting on business and need to get some work done. Equally, if you are looking to completely chill out then the luxuriously comfortable bed and large flat screen TV sure will help! The TV is also set up to to cast programmes from your phone to the screen so you don’t have to miss out on your fave shows.
Other amenities in the room are; a mini fridge, tea/coffee station, hair dryer and an ironing board too. You’d think with all these that you’d be lacking in space but that couldn’t be further from the truth! There is plenty of space for suitcase storage and hanging space too – no creased shirts in sight. Another thing that I noticed that made a big difference to me was the amount of wall sockets there were! There was around 7 or 8 in the room we had which I thought was brilliant! – It’s the little things 🙂
THE BAR AREA
The bar area is perfect if you’re looking for a relaxing place to enjoy a drink. There is a couple of TV’s set up and the staff are more than happy to change the channel for you. They also have a huge variety of alcoholic and soft drinks to choose from. Stephen was most excited to see Corona on draft!
THE RESTUARANT / FOOD
Onto the bit I’m sure you are dying to know about… FOOD! With no options for food within the area, it was important that the hotel could provide a great menu!
When entering the bar area, you will first see a long high table and this is actually the breakfast bar. Each morning this table is set up with a wide variety of cereals, pastries, fruit and juices to kick start your day! We were seated at the back of the restaurant in a booth that boasted it’s very own TV – perfect for watching the Euros!
~ Starters ~
For starter’s we opted to share a bowl of Nachos and some Mozzarella Dippers. Oh my goodness, I was not expecting these portion sizes!! You could have definitely just shared one of these and it would have been more than enough. Both dishes were hot and fresh and definitely set us up nicely for our mains.
~ Mains ~
After a great starter, we were very excited for mains. Stephen opted for the classic Fish and Chips which came with a side of mixed veg, coleslaw and of course tartare sauce. The fish was super crisp, golden and full of flavour!
The curry fiend that I am went for the Green Thai Chicken Curry and it did not let me down! I was presented with a large portion of the curry with a side of rice, accompanied by a poppadum and a naan bread. It was bursting with flavour and wasn’t too spicy either.
~ Desserts ~
After giving our stomachs a little bit of a break we ordered some puddings! Stephen again opting for an absolute classic of Sticky Toffee Pudding. It was dense but fluffy and nicely drowned in toffee sauce. It came served with vanilla ice-cream, chocolate curl and a strawberry too.
Since Stephen stole my first choice, I went for the Chocolate Fondant and I’m so glad that I did! It was super rich and oozing with chocolate. It certainly curbed my chocolate cravings! Again it came served with vanilla ice-cream, chocolate curl and strawberries too.
The service we received through-out our meal was completely unfaultable! Our server was called Sylvia and she has got to be one of the happiest servers I’ve ever had. She permanently had a smile on her face and went out of her way to make sure we had a lovely evening. The servers didn’t have any name tags on but I can assure you if you visit the hotel that you will instantly know who she is!
SUMMER OFFERS
If I haven’t already given you enough reasons to head out to this hotel these summer offers might do the trick! The Summer Staycation package starts from £139 and gets you a great 2 night stay with breakfast AND a bottle of prosecco in your room for arrival – amazing! For more fabulous offers at the hotel click here.
Shout out to Dall Communications and The Courtyard by Marriot Inverness Airport for giving us a fabulous weekend away!
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