Weekend pass: Oban Bay Hotel and Spa

Published on Saturday 14 November 2009 13:48

SET on the Corran Esplanade, enjoying outstanding views to the isle of Kerrera, yet just minutes' walk from the town centre, the Oban Bay Hotel and Spa has a fabulous location.

A few doors up from a pretty church, the hotel is an ideal spot for a wedding reception, as we witnessed during our recent visit in peak wedding season. Oban itself often gets a raw deal from visitors hurrying through, thinking only of escaping to islands such as Mull, Iona or Colonsay from its busy ferry terminal. But we were determined to find out just what the town had to offer as a weekend break destination.

However, as this would require leaving our hotel – with its very special star feature, of which more later – I quickly realised Oban's other charms would have to be uncovered at speed.

Arriving on Saturday morning, after deep sighs at the beautiful bay views, a quick skirt around town revealed a cinema, a pancake emporium that made me nostalgic for the similarly garishly painted seaside cafes of my Northern Irish youth, and best of all a hilltop amphitheatre. McCaig's Tower was built by a local banker in 1897 as a lasting monument to his family. A steep but worthwhile climb from town, it encircles pretty lawns and through its archways offers even more spectacular vistas.

But back to the hotel – and that special selling point. The Oban Bay Hotel has an outdoor hot tub. I could hardly wait to check it out.

Tucked discreetly at the right of the hotel, with sea views, access is via a small spa room with a tingle-inducing massage chair. It closes at 9pm and – for obvious safety reasons – you can't bring in alcohol. But why not have an early evening dip and pop up to your room for the bubbly afterwards?

ROOM SERVICE

The view from our double en suite room over the still bay made any anxieties carried over from the working week slip gently away. The beautiful textiles employed in muted colours gave our recently refurbished room an air of class. Bright and airy, it also had ample tea, coffee and hot chocolate to enjoy. A sneak peek into the corner suite next door – booked up by the newlyweds no doubt – revealed a stunning four-poster bed and abundant space for a wee jig before falling on to it. I know where I'll be staying next time.

GETTING THERE

We drove from Edinburgh, which takes less than three hours. Leave the M8 at junction 2, follow the M9 until junction 10 and then follow signposts indicating Crianlarich till you spot a sign for Oban. If you're going by train, First ScotRail runs twice-daily trains from Queen Street Station in Glasgow.

WHAT'S THE FOOD LIKE?

As the smart Rannachan Restaurant was busy catering for a wedding the Saturday evening we stayed, we were shown to the sun lounge to dine. We were more than happy with this option, with its uninterrupted views towards Mull, Kerrera and the Firth of Lorn. Local seafood features prominently on the menu and I enjoyed a delicious plate of juicy scallops, followed by an excellent cheesecake.

LITTLE EXTRAS

This place is all about indulgence. After a long week at work, arrive on a Friday with an appointment for the spa therapist to massage your cares away. Using a range of Declor products, the Sonas spa offers Swedish, sports and aromatherapy massages. And if you still manage to feel a grain of tension after all that, take a dip in the Oban Bay's heavenly outdoor hot tub.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

The dinner menu choices were a bit limited on the dinner, bed and breakfast tariff we were on. However, we decided it was worth it to pay that little bit extra and order la carte.

OUT AND ABOUT

Oban has plenty to do, with lots of independent shops, a central whisky distillery and, for the gluttonous, the fabulous

if rather kitsch Pancake Place in George Street, where you can feast on every style of sweet and savoury pancake imaginable. There are also myriad opportunities for short, good-value boat trips departing from the pier. We boarded a one-hour scenic tour to see a seal colony and took endless photos of seals of every degree of cuteness, as well as far too many snaps of a seaplane in slow take-off.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Prices start from 110 per room, including breakfast and based on two sharing. Spa treatments start from 15 for a half-body Swedish massage. Full body massage is 35 and lasts one hour.

Corran Esplanade, Oban (0870 950 6273, www.crerarhotels.com)