Ellangowan Hotel

What People are saying

Nobody cares about the place...

Craigie on 22/09/2017 06:50

I dont think any money has been spent on this place in years. The hygiene in the bar was appalling and everything was just generally run down. Bar staff seemed uninterested and 3 or 4 locals in the bar who really didn't seem as if they cared much about anything other than their next pint. Its a shame that the only pub in Creetown is just such a fleapit. I would not eat here, drink here or stay here again!

Poor attitude to grey nomads

Tom C on 29/06/2017 06:33

Stayed at the free camp opposite the hotel and as many others did went to the pub for dinner as a way to give back to the town. But we were blasted by loud music until 1.30 am and then the shouts and foul language of the drunks

Needs some TLC

Symonator on 12/11/2016 15:06

Ive been dreading putting this review on , as i was so looking forward to my stay there. As huge fans of the British horror film The Wicker Man.....we were both really excited to stay here during our road trip around Scotland. It is true to say that The Ellangowan hasnt essentially changed too much from the 1970's as has Creetown itself. On first glimpse its clear that The Ellangowan would have been a very impressive building many many years ago, and i can see why the makers of the film chose it.
However the experience of visiting and staying in it now is a little more low key. The Bar itself appears to be the original one from the film that Edward Woodward and Britt Ekland stood behind and the layout of the room is recognizable, However the addition of jukebox and pool table do nothing for the place. Its curious ....that the most famous thing about the place (The Wicker Man) is referenced only by a handful of photos on the wall in the rear end of the bar above the pool table and rarely features anywhere else. Any enterprising owner / manager would surely make more of it than that !!.
Anyway.....on arrival we made our way around several customers dogs to the bar and introduced ourselves to the manager who told us that lots of people were staying at the hotel and we were in Room 18 on the top floor.
Im not sure if all the other guests checked out during the night but there were only 2 other guests for breakfast who were BT workers bringing internet to the town.
Room 18 was on the top floor and despite being old and tired...... the towels and bedding were beautifully clean. These are obviously cleaned by an external company as the large laundry sacks were piled up out side the front door. Tea and coffee making facilities were available and the room was warm. The view from the window was of the main town but the flow of traffic is only very light.
The bathroom was in traditional 1970's Avocado Green but the shower was Hot and welcome. On closer inspection cobwebs could be found in the corners but hey ho.
After freshening up from our journey we went down to the bar . A quick stroll round Creetown earlier revealed there was literally nowhere else to go and other nightlife was Zero. The beer was drinkable even though it was Carling. The clientele appeared to be workers from around the area with several Northern accents detected but the only Scottish people appeared to be the Manager and the cook. The cook was a very nice and helpful lady that we later found out was also the cleaner at the Hotel.
We perused the wipe clean menus and were informed that the Macaroni and Chicken Nuggets were off !!
We eventually settled for the Pie and Chips and a Cheese Sandwich and Chips. The food came out quickly and was hot and filling. It certainly wasn't Michelin Star food but it was honest pub grub produced by someone trying their best. We retired to a comfortable nights sleep waking to feel refreshed. Breakfast was welcome and warm but clearly made up from cheap ingredients including "Happy Shopper" ketchup and Orange Juice.
The tea was a very interesting experience which tasted as if each cup had been sprayed with cheap perfume .
However again much praise for the lady who cooked it all whilst apparently doing all the other jobs in the hotel as well at the same time.
All in all im glad i went ....if only to visit the pub where the interior shots for the film were shot....... but i do feel sad that the Ellangowan is so run down and not achieving its full potential. A bit of elbow grease and some TLC would go such a long way. I just cant understand why the owner / manager doesn't make more of its famous film association because i cant think of any other reason for anyone to visit the hotel or Creetown.

Restaurant still closed

Mx L on 08/10/2016 20:28

Would-be diners beware! I came here with my partner for a restaurant meal (we hoped) and an overnight stay. The website advertises its restaurant. However when we arrived we were told it was closed, with no explanation why. They were only serving bar food, and only until 8. I thought it might be a one-off, maybe a staff member was off unexpectedly, but looking at other reviews now, I get the impression that they have permanently stopped opening the restaurant for dinner. I really feel they should say this on their website, which I did consult before coming.

It wouldn't matter as much if there were other restaurants in Creetown but I couldn't find anything like that there. In the end I got some local ready-cooked pies from the local Premier shop, which were very nice. My partner had the bar food and had no complaints about it.

The thermostat on the radiator in our room was broken (ripped off the radiator and lying on the floor when we arrived) and the en suite could've been cleaner. We did mention the thermostat problem to a member of staff at the bar (the reception desk seems to close at night) as the room had become really hot, and she turned the heating system off.

We did have a good night's sleep as it was very quiet and the bed was comfy. There was plenty of space in the room, which had nice original ceiling decorations. The hotel could be very nice with a bit more effort and vision.

Wicker Man Tour Stay

Dunn73 on 05/09/2016 19:12

I stayed at the pub/ hotel in early September with 2 friends and after reading the mostly negative views, had low expectations. The main reason for the stay was to cross off a location for The Wicker Man film.

The negatives were that the room desperately needed a revamp and the lack of imagination to cash in on the most famous British horror film. The bar meals just passed muster, which is just as well as there is no way else to eat in the town. I was disappointed the hotel restaurant wasn't open, but I didn't starve.

The pluses are the excellent staff, particularly the lady who made the wonderful breakfast and enthused about the film scenes shot in this hotel. We took several photographs of the bar area used in the film as we chatted.

At the end of the day I think some of the reviews are unfair as you have to accept this is a pub with rooms, not a 4 star hotel.

I am sure if the owner cashed in a little more on the landmark film and upgraded the rooms it would pay dividends.