Oban lacked a chic hotel until 2020, when No 26 by the Sea materialised; now it has two. A bigger brother to No 26, which is also owned by local entrepreneur Paul Sloan, No 17 the Promenade launched in summer 2022 following the wholesale renovation of a Victorian guesthouse. It has 19 boutiquey bedrooms and — unlike its sibling — a restaurant, all bursting with panache. The mood is comfy and informal, rather than stuffy.
Overall score 9/10
Main photo: No 17 the Promenade in Oban
Rooms and suites
Score 9/10
The bedrooms are all unique yet similarly eye-catching, decorated in exuberant printed wallpapers and blocks of colour such as plummy purple or sage green, with dramatically tiled bathrooms, vintage furniture and dial telephones. The rooms range from compact and snug to spacious and opulent; the best come with sweeping sea views. All rooms have espresso machines, rainfall showers and smart TVs.
Food and drink
Score 9/10
The restaurant, Porcini, serves seasonal Italian comfort food, and is as attentively staffed as the rest of the hotel. It’s popular with locals as well as guests, who might start with a fritto misto of deep-fried calamari and other mixed bites, served with piquant chili aioli. Mains, meanwhile, range from asparagus risotto to homemade braised-beef ravioli in a rich garlic pomodoro sauce accompanied by minty pesto; it’s as superb a plate of pasta as I’ve ever scoffed. I’m equally taken with the artworks: eclectic clusters of Tamara de Lempicka seductresses, still lifes and Audubon’s Birds of America. It’s a pity the wine list is so succinct. Still, my continental breakfast was delicious, particularly the granola and cooked-to-order fry-up.
What else does it offer?
Score 8/10
Two atmospheric and cosy salons for curling up with a coffee-table book and malt whisky or working on the laptop. One has fringed lampshades and winged-back armchairs, the other muted navy walls hung with colour-drenched landscape paintings. There is also a bar terrace facing the water — on clear days, the terrace is perfectly positioned for catching the sun as it sets behind the Isle of Mull, turning half the bay pink.
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Where is it?
Score 8/10
Ferries to Hebridean islands such as Mull, Coll and Tiree depart from here, but Oban isn’t the grimy port you might expect. Halfway up Scotland’s west coast, it’s a very likeable resort town, encompassing isle-speckled vistas, a whisky distillery, walks in Dunollie Wood and the Colosseum-like folly that is McCaig’s Tower — not to mention some of Britain’s finest cooked mussels, at Oban Seafood Hut. No 17 is a 15-minute walk from pretty much everything, including the train station; alternatively, venture north past ruined Dunollie Castle to the white-sand beach of Greenacre bay. Boat trips to seal colonies are also available, while inland there are heather-covered hills to hike and trout-filled lochs to fish.
Price B&B doubles from £150
Restaurant mains from £14
Family-friendly Y (children aged eight and under stay free)
Dog-friendly N
Accessible N
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