A Break In Scotland (West)

Until my holiday at Craig Tara, I had never stayed at a Haven holiday park before.
However, I had often wondered what the '£9.50' holidays are like which are advertised in the national papers a couple of times a year, where you collect vouchers. I finally got round to collecting the vouchers for myself and my partner and set about deciding where to go. You have to choose 3 options and we decided on Craig Tara as our first choice. Mainly because we love to visit Scotland and have never been to Ayr, where Craig Tara is situated, but also because it looked fantastic in the Haven brochure.


Our 1st choice was successful, and we had booked a four night break. The total cost was £58 as we upgraded our accomodation, which isn't bad for a 4 night break. There was the option of paying extra for more upgrades, insurance and the hire of bed linen, but as we had insurance and decided to take our own bed linen as travelling by car, we were satisfied with our booking.

On arriving at the park, we thought it looked fine, situated right on the coast. We parked in the car park outside the reception building and went inside at 4pm which was the check-in time stated on the booking form. There was just a small queue of around six people waiting to check-in, and a group of twelve pensioners at the check-in desk.
I realised they were having a heated discussion with the staff member on duty, and it quickly became apparent they were not happy! I overheard them demanding to see the manager, and complaining about their accomodation.
Another staff member appeared and they began to complain about the filthy accomodation they had been allocated, and were asking to be moved. The staff were explaining the park was full and they could not be moved, and did not seem very concerned about their complaints. After around 10 mins or so of complaining and getting nowhere, they decided to leave, refusing to stay at the park, and ordered taxi's to come collect them.
By this time, I was feeling a little uneasy, wondering what our accomodation would be like.

When our turn came to check in, we were given our keys to a chalet. I explained to the woman behind the desk that we had booked a caravan, to which she informed us that they reserve the right to change the accomodation if necessary. She went on to say that the chalet we were being allocated was superior to what we had booked, and was also much warmer than the caravans anyway as there would be a heater in the bedroom. "The caravans are freezing!" she said.

We also were requested to pay £5.50 each for 'funworks passes' which gained you admission into the clubs and entertainment.
So armed with keys, passes and park map we headed off to find our chalet, which was located at the bottom of the park. On pulling up outside (be quick if you want to grab a parking space as there aren't enough!) my heart sank. The chalets were in rows of two storey's with metal steps leading up to the second storey, which reminded me of fire-escapes! Our chalet was on the ground floor.

On entering the chalet the first thing I noticed was the smell - it was a damp, mouldy smell and quite strong! The second thing I noticed was how dark it was in the hallway, (even turning on the light did little to brighten it ) and how shabby it all looked.
The chalet consisted of a small open plan living room/diner/kitchen, a small bathroom, and two small bedrooms.

The living area :-
The carpets looked dirty and badly stained and there were also some dubious looking stains on the sofa. The windows were dirty with finger marks and smears on them. they looked as if they had never been cleaned for a long time. There was a small portable TV in the corner of the room. We noticed a puddle of water on the floor in the kitchen coming from the fridge, the roller blind was missing from the kitchen window and there was no curtains at this window either. The kitchen was basic with a few cupboards containing the basic plates and cups etc.

The bathroom :- very small with a toilet, sink and shower. The shower was very small and there was an art to getting in and out of it, as it had a folding door. I had to breathe in with my back up against the back of the cubicle! I am average size, so couldn't help but wonder how someone larger than myself or pregnant would manage! Getting the toilet to flush was another procedure we had to master. I was just getting the hang of it at the end of the holiday!

The bedrooms :- one double and one twin, painted a hideous turquoise colour with red & yellow curtains which were hanging off the rails. The quilt and pillows were dirty and stained and I was so pleased I had taken my own! The mattress looked ok apart from a couple of holes in it.

The lighting inside the chalet was very poor - one light in each room with a very dim bulb in. They probably didn't want it too bright as it hid the dirt a little!

The site itself was quite large and a pathway lead down to the small beach, which had a lovely view of the Heads of Ayr. However, the beach was quite dirty also with litter and seaweed strewn around.
There was an indoor swimming pool which we did not visit after overhearing a family talking about the mould growing in the pool and how cold the water was! There were some go-karts and a couple of rides for the kiddies which were quite expensive.
Two clubhouse's are on the site. One of which is mainly for families with young children, where they can meet Rory the Tiger ( though judging by what I witnessed I don't think Rory liked children very much!) and the other had entertainment on each night after a bingo session.
The entertainment was pretty poor, and the club itself was cold, the carpets stained and the table-tops sticky. The toilets also were not very clean and a couple of them were flooded.
To get to either clubhouse you have to walk through amusements, which is where I think they make a lot of money. There were machines for the children where they can win tickets which can be exchanged for prizes. The prizes just looked like goods you can buy in your local pound shop, although you would probably pay out around £5 - £10 to win enough tickets to exchange for a prize!
I also noticed staff selling raffle tickets at a pound each in the club. The prizes were stuffed toys taken from the machine in the amusement arcade!

Drink prices were expensive, but you do expect to pay more. There was a Burger King which closed early at night and a Fish & Chip Shop which did not open until 8pm. All it served was fish and chips, which were edible but I would not go overboard about them. There was a restaurant, but this also closed early. We noticed the restaurant for people who had gone half-board, and this too looked shabby.
On the plus-side there was a well-stocked shop and the prices seemed quite reasonable.

A lot of the staff employed at Craig Tara were young and mostly foreign None of then seemed happy, looking quite fed up most of the time.
The entertainments team did their best though and I gave them 10/10 for their enthusiasm.
I mentioned earlier that we had paid £5.50 each for passes to gain entry to the entertinment complex, but we may as well have not bothered as we were not asked to show them at all during the week.

Usually when on holiday, I always feel sad when it is time to return home, but on this occasion I was looking forward to leaving. I don't think I could have stayed any longer.
The good points about the holiday was the fact we only paid £70 in total. I did look at the brochure prices and have read reviews were families have paid £800 a week to stay here in summer!
Also Ayr itself is a nice place, and there are some nice places to visit, which is why we decided to stay after our initial disgust on arriving at our chalet.

I am not a fussy person and I am not hard to please, but I do expect when going on holiday to stay in clean and comfortable accomodation.

The whole experience has put me off Haven, and I won't be booking anymore holidays with them.

I spent two nights at this hotel recently when up in Glasgow to see a concert at Hampden Park.
It was the second time I have stayed at this hotel, the first being a couple of years back when again I was attending a concert.

The hotel is very easy to find and ideally situated just off Junction 28 on the M8 at the airport itself. The hotel is visible from the motorway, and it just a case of driving into the airport, turn right at the roundabout, and it is straight ahead of you.
There is a car park at the hotel, which was free the first time I stayed here, but you are now charged £5.00 per night. If you are going on holiday, you can also leave your car here.

I have stayed in Express by Holiday Inn hotels quite a bit over the last few years and only once had a problem, which resulted in me receiving a refund so all was well in the end.
I have never experienced any problem with checking in at any of the hotels, so maybe I was due one! And yes, I have to report that on this occasion I had some problems!

I was greeted by a member of staff on checking in, and then I was asked to pay for my stay. I explained that when I booked the room online, payment for one of the nights had been taken from my bank account shortly after as a deposit. I had managed to secure a special rate of £60 per night online, but the terms had stated a deposit must be made at time of booking, and £60 had been taken from my account, so I now owed them £60 for the second night.
However, I was told by the young girl checking me in that the special rate was £88 per night, not £60 and she needed a payment of £88 plus another £28 which was owing from the first night!
I explained this was incorrect, but she was adamant and told me the actual room rate is £150 per night, and I had booked the advance purchase rate of £88, and there were no rooms at £60. I asked if this was the case, then why had I paid £60, and was told that was just a deposit.
I wasn't happy, and to be honest, her attitude was not very good as she told me in no uncertain terms, that if I did not pay what I owed, then she could not let me have access to my room.
I told her I had been sent a confirmation email which stated £60 per night. She asked to see it, saying I must have read it wrong, but of course I did not have it with me. She then said there was internet access in the hotel and could I show her my email?
I agreed, as I was only too happy to prove her wrong! She directed me to the computer for guest usage, and I had to pay £1 to access the internet and my email account, just to prove I was right!
I brought up the confirmation email and sure enough, I was right - £60 per night. I went back to the desk to ask her to come and look but she had disappeared! I explained to another staff member who went off to find her, but they came back saying she was unavailable! By this time I was quite angry and after explaining to the staff member my situation, she offered to come and look at my email. On seeing I was correct, she apologised and said she would let the other member of staff know.
I finally completed my check in at last, nearly half an hour after arriving! To be honest I would have preferred an apology from the girl who first began checking me in, but she never appeared.
I will ensure from now on I always take printed confirmation with me, and would advise anyone else to do the same!

Apart from my check in problems, the rest of my stay was fine and problem free.
The hotel is very clean and modern with a large dining area, bar and seated area near reception with comfy leather sofa's and chairs, where you can sit with a drink and watch the TV or relax.

Bar prices are quite expensive - it was over £5 for a Jack Daniels and coke, £15 for a bottle of wine. Meals were served till 10pm and the menu was not very large but did include fish and chips, curry, burger and chips all priced at £10.99. I did not have a meal so cannot comment on the food quality.
I did however, have breakfast which is included in the price of the room, and it was very nice. It is available until 10am weekdays and 10.30am weekends, and consists of a self-service continental buffet, where you can have as much as you like from the choice of cereals, toast, pastries, croissants, yoghurt and fresh fruit, as well as tea, coffee and juice.
You can eat your breakfast in the dining area or take a tray back to your room if you prefer.

The room itself was bright and modern and very clean. It was also quite spacious with a large comfortable king size bed, a sofa bed, TV, tea/coffee making facilities, hair dryer, and wardrobe space.
Air conditioning is in all the rooms which was fantastic as the weather was very hot and humid during our stay.
The fully tiled en-suite bathroom contains a toilet, sink and a lovely refreshing power shower. Hand soap, shower gel, tissues and plastic cups were provided.
The view from the window overlooked the airport and the runway, so you could see the planes landing and taking off. However, I must point out it was not noisy at all!

A great plus point for this hotel is the fact that it is only a couple of minutes walk to the terminal building, so ideal for people who have an early flight to catch. The hotel seems very popular with holidaymakers.
During my stay there were also quite a few other people staying who were going to the concert also, and a taxi from the hotel to Hampden Park will cost around £23.

If you are thinking of staying here it is worth pointing out that you may wish to join the Priority Club Rewards scheme. Full details of this are on the website at HIEXPRESS.CO.UK.
It is worth joining this if you frequently stay at any hotels in the group (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza to name a couple, are included) as it is free to join, and you collect points for every stay which can be redeemed for free nights.
This is a really good reward scheme which brings many benefits, apart from extended check in and out times, you will also receive priority check in, complimentary newspapers and regular offers sent to you via email, to earn extra points.
I have earned quite a few free nights over the last five years, and the good thing is your points never expire so you can save them for as long as you wish. There is also no black-out dates on redeeming your points, so you can have a free night on any day you wish.


On returning home I decided to email Guest Relations on the hiexpress.co.uk website and inform them of my check-in experience.
I received an email from them the very next day, apologising and was informed that the matter would be dealt with, as this was not the service they wished to provide. I was told I should not have been expected to 'prove' my room rate in that manner, nor have to pay for the privilege of doing so!
The person writing to me could not apologise enough ,and credited me with 2.500 priority club points, which was a nice gesture, and a welcome boost to my balance towards a free night!
So I cannot fault their complaints department, it was fast, efficient and very helpful on this occasion.

The Premier Inn at Annandale Water, Lockerbie is one I discovered by chance when driving home to the North East from Glasgow with my partner last summer.

It is situated at Annandale Water Services just off the A74(M), at junction 16.
We decided as it was a hot sunny day (which we didn't get too many of last summer!) and not wanting to waste it travelling in the car, to ask if there was any rooms available at the Premier Inn and stay overnight.

We had noticed a large grassed area with picnic tables to the side of the hotel and thought it would be nice to sit and relax and enjoy the sunshine. We walked round the side of the hotel just to see if it was quiet with plenty of room to sit out, and were amazed to discover a large lake with swans, ducks and geese at the back of the hotel, set against a backdrop of rolling hills. It was quite breathtaking and totally unexpected!

The rooms at the back of the Premier Inn overlooked the lake, and each had patio doors leading out onto a small private balcony so you could sit out and enjoy the view.

We asked at reception if there were any rooms and were told there was, so we asked if we could have one facing the lake. The receptionist was very helpful and allocated us an upstairs room overlooking the lake, as she said the view was even better from the first floor.
Checking in was quick and easy, we were given our key and made our way up to the room.

The room itself was spacious and very clean. There was a large king size double bed, which was very comfortable,plenty of pillows and towels, a TV, tea/coffee making facilities, hairdryer and en suite bathroom, with bath and overhead shower.
A fan was also provided to keep the room cool.

French doors opened out onto a small wooden balcony, and the view across the lake was fantastic!

We freshened up then went downstairs and went for a walk, as we had noticed a pathway leading right round the lake. It was very peaceful and quiet and you could not here any noise from the road or the service station. In fact you forgot it was there!
There was a small waterfall leading down into the lake and at the top was a courtyard where you could sit out at the tables provided, and have a coffee or something to eat from the cafe, coffee shop or fast food outlet inside the main building. Many of the ducks were in the small pond at the top of the waterfall and children were enjoying throwing bread for them.

Inside the building was a restaurant, a Costa coffee shop, Burger King and shop.
We had a toasted panini and coffee ,and later that evening we had a meal in the restaurant which was quite nice. There was quite a lot of choice on the menu such as Steak & Ale Pie, Fish & Chips, Burgers etc. Meals were around £7 each,or 2 for £10.

It was a lovely warm, still summer evening and we sat out on the balcony with a glass of wine, watching the swans until quite late. It did not feel like we were staying at a Motorway services at all, there was no noise from the front of the hotel or nearby services.

After a good night's sleep we checked out at 12pm the next day. Breakfast is available in the restaurant but we only wanted a coffee, so sat outside with the ducks before leaving.

Our overnight stay was so nice that we returned on another warm day this summer. Once again we had a lovely peaceful stay and our request for a room at the back of the hotel overlooking the lake was fulfilled. I had rang the hotel previously with my request and the staff were very helpful and friendly, ringing me back to confirm my room would overlook the lake.
It is the most scenic hotel we have ever stayed at, so if ever you need an overnight stay when travelling to and from Scotland, I would definately recommend this Premier Inn.

Rooms are available at £56 per night Fri- Sun or £59 Mon-Thurs.
Visit PremierInn.com for more details. There are also promotions available from time to time on the website.

I have stayed at this Express by Holiday Inn hotel, at Strathclyde Park many times now on my frequent visits to Scotland with my partner.
It is very easy to get to, just turn off the M74 at Junction 5, and it's literally just off the roundabout.
The hotel has 120 rooms and 120 free parking spaces, so no worries about parking your car.
We have always been given a warm welcome and found the staff helpful and friendly. The hotel itself is clean, modern and comfortable, with a bar downstairs with large TV where you can relax with a drink. the bar is open from 11am - 3am.
There are also some vending machines selling Toasties, chocolate, crisps, drinks and ice lollies. An ice machine is also available. There is no restaurant in the hotel but take-away menu's are available, so that if you wish you can have a take-away delivered to the hotel. The receptionist will ring your room when it arrives, and you go to reception to collect it.

All rooms have en suite bathroom with power shower, TV, hairdryer,and tea & coffee making facilities. I find the rooms are spacious and always clean. The beds are very comfortable and there are always plenty of pillows and towels, but if you wanted any more, then just ask reception and it is no problem. Shower gel and handwash are provided in the bathroom, but if you did happen to forget any toiletry or sanitary items, these are available free of charge from Reception, which is useful to know.
Breakfast is included in the price of the room. This is a serve yourself continental breakfast buffet consisting of a large selection of cereals, toast, croissants, pastries, fresh fruit, yoghurts, cheese and jams, as well as tea/ coffee and fruit juice.
You can eat this in the large dining area next to the bar, or take it back to your room on a tray if you wish.
I am very impressed by the breakfast, as when I first stayed here and discovered it was included in the price, I did think it would be pretty basic, and wasn't expecting much. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the large range and quality.There is always plenty available and certainly enough to fill you up!


Check- in is at 3pm and check-out at 12pm, though if you are a member of the Priority Club Rewards scheme you can request earlier check-in or later check-out at no extra charge.
Full details are available on the website of the Priority Club Rewards, visit HIEXPRESS.CO.UK. It is worth joining this if you frequently stay at any hotels in the group (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza to name a couple, are included) as it is free to join, and you collect points for every stay which can be redeemed for free nights.
There are often bonus points offers which you will be sent via email, so your points can quickly build up. I have had quite a few free nights over the last five years, and your points never expire so you can save them for as long as you wish.
There are other 'perks' to being a member of this scheme such as complimentary newspapers and priority check-in.
Adjacent to the hotel is a Toby Carvery and bar with a beer garden. The carvery is really nice and I would recommend it to anyone. Prices vary depending on the time of day but a carvery will cost around £5 - £8 per person, and it is well worth the money. You can help yourself to as much veg and yorkshire puddings as you wish, after choosing which meat you would like.

One of the reasons we choose to visit this hotel is because of it's location, as the back of the hotel faces out onto Strathclyde Country Park, with its large lake and watersports centre, country walks and also M&D's Theme Park, advertised as Scotland's only theme park.
It is free to enter, which is great if you don't wish to go on any rides, and just want to walk around. There are quite a few rides here, for kids and adults of all ages, and places to eat, as well as amusement aracdes and side stalls. We have often sat outside a large bar which also serves meals and had a couple of drinks in the sunshine, overlooking the park and lake.
M&D's is a great day out for families and always seems very popular.
If this is too noisy or you prefer something more peaceful, you can always go for a walk along the lake or around the park. There are plenty of grassed areas where you can have a picnic or play ball games etc.

Glasgow is only around 20 mins drive from the hotel, if you fancy a day exploring the big city and maybe do some shopping. Likewise Hamilton and Motherwell are only 5 mins drive from the hotel also.
You can book a room online via the website for as little as £49.95. Sometimes there are offers available from £39- £45 per room, per night. Taking into account that this price includes breakfast, I think this offers real value for money, when compared to Premier Inn where rooms are over £50 per night and you would be charged extra for breakfast!

An ideal place for a short break or overnight stay!

Days Inn at Abington is an ideal base to stay to explore Southern Scotland, or for those one night stopovers to break up your journey.
Situated at the Welcome Break Services at J13 on the M74, this Days Inn hotel is said to have the most scenic location of all the Days Inn hotels, as it is nestled between the hills, looking down onto the Clyde Valley.
Indeed the location is quite breathtaking, and to the side of the hotel, there is a large grassed area with picnic tables, looking out onto fields and hills.
Because of its location, it does get quite cold in the winter, which I will come to a bit later!

The hotel is situated 45 mins away from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, so after a days exploring or shopping in the big cities, you can return and relax in this peaceful rural setting.
Abington village is nearby with lovely walks along the River Clyde.
Days Inn hotels are part of the Wyndham family of hotels, which includes Ramada and Travelodge, though I would say these hotels are better than a lot of Travelodges I have stayed in!

On both occasions I have stayed here with my partner, we have always received a friendly welcome from the staff and checking in has been problem free.
The rooms are clean and modern, pretty much the standard size you find at most Premier Inns , Travelodges etc. A comfortable double bed, sofa bed, wardrobe space, TV and work space feature in every room. Also all rooms have en-suite bathroom with both bath and shower. The rooms are suitable for up to 2 adults and 2 children.
Hairdryers, trouser press, tea and coffee making facilities with complimentary tea and coffee are also provided. Extras such as cots are available from reception at no extra cost.
The rooms we have stayed in were both comfortable and adequate.The bathrooms were spotless. There are non-smoking rooms but pets are allowed, which is handy for people travelling with their dogs. I must add that I have not noticed any animal hair, smells or stains anywhere in the rooms we stayed in, they have all been perfectly clean. Your dog will love all the open space outside to run around on!

If you fancy upgrading to something a little more luxurious, then Executive rooms are available which have a fridge, coffee machine, water, snack pack, fan, iron and ironing board, but we have not stayed in these rooms on our stays.
As I mentioned earlier, it can get very cold here in the winter, and that is the only problem we have encountered staying here. The first occasion was fine. It was in the summer and we did not need to put the heating on. However, our next stay was in late November and it was freezing! There were gusts of cold air coming through the window, and although we had the heating on full, it was still quite cold in the room. We were huddled under the quilt to keep warm!
I did tell reception that it was very cold, and we were given a heater for the room which helped, but they really need to get the windows sorted, as the cold air constantly blowing through was not comforting! Maybe in other rooms, the windows are fine, but we did meet another couple who were experiencing the same problem.
This is the only problem I have found with this hotel however, but I will say that seeing the early morning frost on the fields and the snow topped hills make it very picturesque!

Staying here is also quite quiet, even though the main service area building is next door and can get busy, the petrol station is located quite a distance away from the hotel, down the bottom of the services area, so you are not disturbed by lorries etc coming and going.
You can have continental breakfast delivered to your room for around £4 per person, but we passed on this, due to having something similar delivered to our room in a Travelodge once, and it was basically one of those twin pot cornflake things with UHT milk, which was warm and horrible, a small carton of juice and a small muffin. We swore we would never pay for one of these breakfasts again!
A better option is to walk out of the hotel and into the main services area next door where you will find a restaurant and Burger King, as well as a shop.

Booking a room can be done easily online at DaysInn.co.uk or by telephoning reservations on 0800 0280 400.
Room rates are very reasonable, and by booking online you can secure a room for as little as £38 per night for a family room, or £43 for a executive room. These are a saving of 25% on usual room rates of £51 - £56, but the cheaper rates have always been available when I have booked online, and this is a really good rate for a hotel room.

At the moment there is a rewards offer available, where if you stay twice at Days Inn hotels between 4 June and 30th September 2009, you will receive a free night.
Overall I can recommend the Days Inn hotel, Abington, but I am not sure if I would stay here again in the middle of winter!
If all their hotels are up to this standard then they are a really good value hotel chain. This hotel has been awarded 5/5 sunburst rating, I would have awarded them 5 stars here, had it not been for the windows!

Days Inn Abington
Welcome Break Service Area, J13, M74
Lanarkshire
ML12 6RG
E-mail: abington.hotel@welcomebreak.co.uk