Swallow Thurso Hotel

Swallow Group sold this hotel ages ago and it is now called the Royal Hotel. I stayed there for one night as I was working in the area. The checking in went ok. Girl on desk very pleasant. I had a twin room on the first floor. The room was very small and the en suite unbelievably small. If you were larger than a size 18 you would not get in the small gap between the toilet and the shower. The sink is in the bedroom. The room and en suite were clean, no problems there but no double glazing and I was beside the traffic lights and it was noisy when the busses and lorries were moving off. No clock in the room and no light bulb in the table lamp. The towels were pretty thread bare and the sheets very thin. I did not eat in the restaurant as there were two bus parties staying in the hotel and I usually try to keep clear of any hotels who take in bus parties but obviously did not do enough research. I had a bar supper in the bar which again had a pleasant staff member. Meal was average for price, nothing special but adequate. Breakfast the next day was where this hotel went seriously down hill. Staff were busy clearing tables and re setting them and far too busy to even acknowledge that someone had come in. Even though a waitress was working on the table next to me she ignored me and I had to interupt her progress as she was passing me for the third time and ask for tea and toast. No explanation was given on how breakfast progressed here and no menues or written instructions on what to do. As it was it was a buffet but they brought out tea and toast. The food on offer looked and tasted as though it was the cheapest they could have bought. The yoghurts had so many additives the ingredients took up half the pot. As I was leaving I mentioned to a waitress that a man on the table next to me would like to get her attention, he had tried a few times but was ignored. She did then attend to him. Highland hospitality was missing from this hotel. I only paid £50 for the nights bed and breakfast but would not return to this hotel.