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#1 of 9 hotels in Dumfries
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Looking for a place to stay in Dumfries? Then look no further than Cairndale Hotel & Leisure Club, a family-friendly hotel that brings the best of Dumfries to your doorstep. Dumfries Cairndale Hotel offers guests an array of room amenities including a flat screen TV, and getting online is possible, as free wifi is available. The hotel offers 24 hour front desk, room service, and currency exchange, to make your visit even more pleasant. The property also features a pool and free breakfast. Guests arriving by vehicle have access to free parking. Nearby landmarks such as Queensberry Monument (0.3 mi) and St Michael's and South Parish Church (0.4 mi) make Dumfries Cairndale Hotel a great place to stay when visiting Dumfries. During your visit, be sure to check out a popular Dumfries lobster restaurant such as La Dolce Vita, which is a short distance from Cairndale Dumfries Hotel. If you’re looking for something to do, Robert Burns House (0.3 mi), Hetland Garden Centre (0.6 mi), and Dumfries Museum (0.5 mi) are a nice way to spend some time, and they are all within walking distance of Cairndale Dumfries Hotel. We’re sure you’ll enjoy your stay at Cairndale Hotel & Leisure Club as you experience everything Dumfries has to offer.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is officially classified according to VisitScotland standards.
HOTEL STYLE
Business
Mid-range
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese and 2 more
Location
132 - 136 English Street, Dumfries DG1 2DF Scotland
The Cairndale Hotel
1,252 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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The Cairndale Hotel emerges as a welcoming retreat, with guests frequently applauding the amiable staff and the hotel's overall inviting ambiance, despite some perceptions of datedness in certain areas. The establishment's value is recognized by patrons who find the pricing fair, particularly for the accommodations and dining, although some do express reservations about spa prices and certain room features. Commendations for the hotel's cleanliness are abundant, with travelers highlighting immaculate rooms and facilities.
While the rooms are praised for their comfort and tidiness, a few guests point out limitations in size, décor, and modern conveniences such as air conditioning. The array of amenities, including the pet-friendly approach and the newly launched spa, receives positive mentions, as does the hotel's prime location close to key urban highlights.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Welcoming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Well-appointed
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We have just returned from the Cairndale. Fantastic wee 2 day break. Hotel reopened and very organised for current Covid19 situation. On arrival Janet talked us through the safety aspect. Temperature taken on check in, lots of sanitiser stations throughout hotel. Room key and instructions provided in sealed sterilised bag. Rooms are cleaned then doors are sealed with sticker to ensure no one enters room once cleaned. You break seal and have a fully sanitized room. Hotel is being reburbed and our King spa rooms were lovely. Janet took our meal request for restaurant. One of our party ceoliac and this was catered for. Breakfast well catered for. You put in order day before with your requirements and cooked fresh for you that morning. Chef and restaurant staff lovely. Staff very well prepared with masks, protective clothing as and when required. Douglas made our bar visit eventful after all he taught Pavoritti to sing 🤔 Cocktail tent was an added extra. Really enjoyed our stay and felt comfortable and relaxed. Thanks to the amazing friendly staff. Hope to see you all again in the near future.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Matthew Wallace, General Manager at The Cairndale Hotel
Responded 25 Aug 2020
Hi Carol Ann. I was delighted to read the content of your review and to hear how much you enjoyed your recent stay with us. Hopefully we'll be able to welcome you back to the Cairndale in the very near future.
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After reading some of the reviews about this hotel, I was a bit apprehensive about our visit. On arrival, we were greeted by a lovely , friendly gentleman, who gave us all the information we needed about our stay, where the leisure facilities were, restaurant times etc, and booked us in for dinner. The room itself was nicely decorated, with everything we needed , including jacuzzi bath, and a television in the bathroom, which I might add was spotless. The food in the restaurant was extremely good, and piping hot, which was good, as a lot of places serve food that is barely warm. We used the leisure facilities, which consisted of a gym, with a good selection equipment, and a pool , sauna , steam room and jacuzzi, all in good condition, and very clean. Every member of the hotel staff we came in contact with were very helpful, cheerful and seemed happy to give advice to guests. All in all, a very enjoyable visit , and if we were to return to the area, we would have no hesitation using this hotel again, or recommending it to friends and family. If you're up there for a couple of days, give it a try, you'll be pleasantly surprised, and to be honest, there was nothing there in my opinion, that warranted some of the bad reviews, sometimes, people find the need to complain, even when there's nothing to complain about.
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Visit Dumfries regularly and enjoyed our stay until breakfast time as were impressed with Covid measures until then. Guests to wear masks in public areas and plenty of gel available to use. Staff also wearing face coverings which was very much appreciated especially in the restaurant. However some guests weren’t wearing face coverings when moving around the restaurant when not eating or drinking (as requested by the Scottish government to stop the spread of Covid) This concerned us when the help yourself breakfast buffet had uncovered juices, pastries and bread on display, so decided to stay safe by only eating the covered food served by the staff. When we reminded a guest he should be wearing a mask when walking about the restaurant we got funny looks from staff and he replied by saying “how am I supposed to eat food with a mask on” so we kindly explained he could take his mask off to eat his food once he had returned to his table. It’s human nature that some may not follow Covid hygiene rules or forget at times so perhaps more notices, a polite reminder from staff or table service would help keep the hotel a “safe environment for you to enjoy” Hopefully the reception staff I spoke to after breakfast will pass our concern on to the duty manager as he was unavailable at the time.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were visiting friends in town and we wanted an hotel with a pool and Leisure facilities. This place was spot on. Only a little stroll from town centre. The hotel was clean, staff was friendly, trained and helpful. As we entered the room we were surprised by the generous size and the bathroom had a jacuzzi (small) bath with TV on the wall. (favourite features for my daughter).
Bar prices are very reasonable and the breakfast is quite efficient with a good selection of hot food. Maybe the continental selection could be improved.
We spent a couple of hours in the gym, pool, sauna and steam room. Changing rooms were clean and despite a generous amount of non residents members it was not crowded.
Overall a good stay. Highly recommended.
Surprised to see they are a 3 star hotel as I have worked in few 4 star Hotels and they ain't as good as this place.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Matthew Wallace JNR, Other at The Cairndale Hotel
Responded 23 Aug 2021
Dear Fran C, Thank you for not only staying with us but for leaving such a kind review. The team and I are delighted to read how much you enjoyed your visit and very much look forward to welcoming you back soon. I am glad that you made good use of the leisure facilities and enjoyed the room. Have a great week ahead! Best wishes, M. Wallace Jnr. Director
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Wow. Just wow !! What an amazing experience! We had the absolute pleasure of dining in one of the winter domes last night. . It was without doubt( during these unprecedented times) the absolute highlight of my year. The dome itself is absolutely stunning. Its design is fabulous and completely atmospheric regardless of the horrendous weather that we had last night. It is beautifully and tastefully decorated and adorned with candlelight, twinkle lights and a log burning effect fire. It is cosy but yet spacious and feels private but still with the beautiful music filtering through. We arrived for our dome at 6 pm where we were greeted by a lovely lady and just bought it into our dorm. The lady explained exactly how to order drinks and explained how our evening would be planned out. In no time at all we would happily sitting with an ice cold glass of Prosecco and some delicious canapés. The service was impeccable. Everything was very timely and the food was absolutely delicious. The presentation of the food was beautiful. The festive dinner was really beautiful and it could not be faulted. It arrived very quickly and was piping hot followed by another tastefully packed wine for us to enjoy along with our festive turkey. Following on was a beautiful festive duo of creme brûlée and Christmas pudding desert served on a hot slate !!!! again presentation and quality was impeccable. This was again complimented by a festive drink of hot toffee cider.!! It was absolutely delicious. Matthew, the general manager was attentive and very welcoming and spent time talking to us about the dome as we were completely in awe of this magical experience!!! All in all there was nothing to fault last night about the winter garden. Not even the weather could have dampened down our evening. We were extremely grateful to be allowed to stay in the dorm for the rest of the evening. We took advantage of this by enjoying the Winter Gardens amazing selection of cocktails! I can highly recommend the after eight espresso martini it was delicious!! As we left our dome, Matthew was there with a large umbrella to guide us to our car!! . I would like to take this opportunity to thank Matthew, and all of his staff for giving us a very magical experience and a fabulous Christmas night out. . The staff were faultless, attentive, kind and charming and we wish all of the team a very happy Christmas. What an amazing place to have in Dumfries. With love from all at Dome 2 Gillian Blaylock ❤️
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am currently still staying at the hotel with my mother, but I wanted to do my review before the chaos of everyday life takes over when I go home and I forget.
What absolutely makes this hotel is the staff, the warm welcome, the relaxed easy going manner and the friendly banter, this is across the board. Prior to arriving I had sent an email with a couple of questions, I received a quick response in such a welcoming manner by the manager, I already had a good impression.
They are professional and efficient, a tiny issue we had was resolved quickly, which in my opinion is a good measure of a hotels standards and customer care.
We didn't know what to expect with regards to food, it wasn't a large menu choice (I suspect Covid constraints) but WOW! Delicious roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, perfectly moist chicken breast wrapped in bacon; we have loved every bit.
Thankfully we booked into the Secret Garden for cocktail... An absolute must if you are coming to stay at weekend.. Thursday to Sunday. Lovely atmosphere, great service and sublime value for money cocktails; they put to shame some top Edinburgh cocktail bars. Again, the staff were fantastic.
Our room is spacious (king spa twin ), comfortable beds and plenty of sockets...something many hotels lack. For us there is the added bonus of the windows opening.
The hotels gym has a good range of equipment and again staff helpful, friendly and approachable.
The location of the hotel is perfect for walking into Dumfries centre and along the River Bank, there are bus stops to Carlisle and Gretna Gateway just outside hotel.
We are here just as restrictions have eased to level 2, we are looking forward to returning to enjoy the Cairndale at full throttle at one of their music nights, with family and friends.
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Matthew Wallace JNR, Other at The Cairndale Hotel
Responded 19 May 2021
Dear yorkiegirlAbuDhabi, Thank you so much for taking the time out of your stay to leave us such kind words. It is a sheer delight to read how much you are enjoying your stay with us and that the team have been most welcoming. I am very pleased to learn that you are enjoying dining with us and we can't wait to welcome you to our new cocktail bar, The Secret Garden. We very much look forward to welcoming you back on future visits for one of our entertainment nights or even just visiting the local area. Whenever the time comes to re-book please feel free to make contact with me at mpw@cairndalehotel.co.uk so that I may handle your reservations personally. I hope you continue to enjoy your stay and should there be anything at all you require do not hesitate to make contact with a member of the team. Best wishes, Matthew Wallace Jnr. Director
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Just back from an excellent three night midweek break at The Cairndale. From check-in to check-out we were looked after very well. The room on the second floor was well equipped warm, clean and comfortable and met all our requirements.We were on a half board deal with dinner on two nights and bed and breakfast on the third day which was excellent, the dinner was expertly served by super staff great menu always served piping hot which is always important to my wife and myself.Being midweek the adjoining bar to the dining room was quiet and we both enjoyed a drink and a friendly chat to the young barman on my birthday night. Summing up we had a very nice experience on our first stay in Dumfries and would have no hesitation in recommending the Cairndale Hotel for a pleasant stay, keep up the good work, all the staff are doing a great job. Hopefully we will return to enjoy even more attractions Dumfries has to offer.
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have awarded 1 star for this and 1 star is because my room was nice, clean, pleasant, decent tea tray. In seeing others rooms I felt like Alex Politzzi and had been given the decent recently updated room.
The other 3 stars you lost on account of your breakfast being soooooooooo bad I cannot express it strongly enough.
You really need to take your cook/chef along to the Premier Inn or over to the cafe in Morrisons (where we decided to go for breakfast today!) to see what a decent cooked breakfast should look like. I am not asking for a Michelin starred breakfast offering by a long chalk, but for the money paid the cooked offering falls way short !!
Here’s some tips:
Bacon shouldn’t be boiled/broiled/steamed - however your cooking this STOP.
Sausage - wow! Was this microwaved or something.? Truly awful!!
Tattie scones - looked like curly up crispy (yet soggy) leaves in autumn.
Tea urn/flask you are using to serve tea needs a really really good scrub or flinging out!
This is not a cheap hotel really but the breakfast truly is!
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Don’t eat here - save yourself some time & just book the Premier Inn along the road.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Matthew Wallace JNR, Other at The Cairndale Hotel
Responded 21 Jun 2022
Dear Victoria, Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. I am pleased to read your kind comments towards our excellent staff and very happy to read that you had a nice recently refurbished room. Despite a standard room being booked, I am thrilled that you were indeed upgraded to stay in one of our beautiful four poster rooms which included a brand new Nespresso Machine as part of your “tea tray”. Naturally, I am disappointed to read your comments regarding breakfast and I will of course share your feedback with the team. Breakfast is often the lasting impression that our guests receive and I am saddened that on this occasion it has not been a positive experience for you. We of course accept that there is always room for improvement. However, to put readers minds at ease our sausages are certainly not microwaved nor is our bacon boiled. I would also encourage anyone considering a stay with us to enter “Breakfast” into the review search bar to reveal all of the reviews received relating to the subject. As you have described us as “not a cheap hotel” I feel it appropriate and for transparency to highlight that your total bill was £258.00 inclusive of tax. This was for a two night stay (Saturday & Sunday) on a Bed & Breakfast basis for two adults. Your rate also included access to our leisure facilities including swimming pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi as well as complimentary parking for the entirety of your stay. Thank you again for your feedback. Matthew Wallace Jnr. Director
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After reading a few reviews I wasn’t sure what to expect. We were only staying 1 night so it didn’t matter. But what a surprise this hotel was, the room was large, clean and very good toiletries in the bathroom. Dinner, Wes greeted by a very friendly staff the tables were set out beautifully like a 5star restaurant but I would give them 6 if I could as there was ice cold water jug ready on the table, everywhere else I have to ask for. I had the soup, only £2.50 it blue my mind it was the best I have ever had in my life I will ask for the recipe.the gent who brought the drinks in was very funny. The only sad thing is we had to leave I will be back for more days and thanks.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fantastic from start to finish! The staff were all amazing and couldn't do enough for us. The food was top notch and the room which was the honey moon suite was very comfortable with plenty space. We made great use of the facilities in the gym and spa which were very relaxing and again staff very nice and following protocol during covid restrictions. The sextet garden was booked for drinks and that did not disappoint! We were greeted by Matthew who was very accommodating and made us feel like VIP'S!. He helped us choose from an extensive range of drinks and I would highly recommend booking a time slot and a stay at the hotel. 10/10. The hotel is in a prime location with plenty of shops and the train station near by and the hotel has a large car park so it was a hassle free trip
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Matthew Wallace JNR, Other at The Cairndale Hotel
Responded 19 May 2021
Dear Z8208NLclairem, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your review following your recent visit to the hotel. I am thrilled to read of your experience and I know that the entire team will greatly appreciate this kind feedback. I am glad that you were able to make use of our leisure facilities and most importantly you felt safe during your visit. Of course, I am also delighted that you enjoyed your time in the new cocktail bar, 'The Secret Garden'. It was a personal pleasure to meet you both and I look forward to ensuring that you always feel like VIPs when staying with us!! Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me directly so that I may handle any future reservations. I hope you have a wonderful day and we look forward to welcoming you back soon! Best wishes, Matthew Wallace Jnr. mpw@cairndalehotel.co.uk
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Apologies for the delayed response! Our full leisure club including swimming pool and gym are free for guests to use during any guest stay. At present the pool is closed 2pm-4pm to allow for cleaning. Our beautician is able to complete treatments and can be reached on 01387 254111.
There are more places to choose from in the Dumfries area.
PRICE RANGE
HK$1,320 - HK$1,763 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
cairndale hotel and leisure club, cairndale hotel leisure, cairndale dumfries hotel
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandDumfries and GallowayDumfries
NUMBER OF ROOMS
86
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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