Rocpool Reserve is just a year old and already stacking up awards. The five-star retreat in the heart of Inverness was Scottish boutique hotel of the year and Scottish hotel of the year at industry award ceremonies last year.
Industry gongs appear to be distributed like confetti, so when my wife and I set off for a two-night stay we asked: could it really live up to the hype?
A stone's throw from Inverness Castle, the hotel is situated on a hillside overlooking the fast-flowing River Ness. The cream Georgian building stands out from a distance. It used to be a guest house, but was renovated by Adrian and Susan Pieraccini, who wanted to create "something different", and Rocpool Reserve presents itself as the city's first boutique hotel and restaurant.
Described as a romantic "retreat", it is actually just a ten-minute walk from the train station in Inverness city centre.
Inside, it is apparent that Rocpool prides itself on its independence. It veers away from the appearance of a large, multi-national chain.
The modern, elegant and sophisticated Italian décor is striking, as black, white and red dominate. Each of the 11 bedrooms is bespoke. Depending on your taste - and budget - there are delightfully named hip, chic, decadent or extra decadent rooms to choose from.
We were booked into Room One.
"Luxury" is an adjective that's overused in the hotel business, but if your bathroom is bigger than your bedroom, the L-word is surely compulsory. The bathroom in Room One is a level below the bedroom and much more spacious.
So much so, in fact, that it is easy to wile away a few hours down there luxuriating (there's that word again). Dominated by Italian ceramics, the central feature of the room is a deep bath, comfortably big enough for two. With a plasma TV on the wall and a water-resistant remote control to hand, no invitation was needed for us to crack open a bottle of wine, tune in, lie back and wallow in the opulence.
The double-headed shower, meanwhile, is powerful enough to sweep you off your feet, and along with the his-and-hers sinks, Molton Brown toiletries and fluffy towels and bathrobes, the room was fabulously indulgent.
The bedroom is stylish too. Details are everything at Rocpool.
It's not just the Egyptian linens and dimmed lights: even the upright radiators have style. All the rooms have plasma TVs, DVD players and king-size beds.
Surrounded by so much luxury indoors, we wouldn't have minded had it poured with rain for two days.
There was plenty to dine out on. Before going to the restaurant, we decided that a visit to the cocktail bar would be the perfect way to perk up after a long soak in the bath. The R Bar features chandeliers, Japanese art, chic furnishings and, vitally, an appealing and reassuringly expensive list of cocktails: the Italian Style and Sweet Cosmo drinks we watched being shaken, stirred and served in front of us made us feel a million dollars.
The restaurant is decked out with white leather furniture and matching tablecloths. Through the windows we could see the lights glint on the river and the north of the city. It is a picturesque, romantic setting.
The à la carte menu of local produce has an Italian flavour and we were unsurprised to find all three courses were as sumptuous and beautifully presented as the rest of our surroundings. The cheapest wine on the list was £30, but you get what you pay for at a place like this.
The next day, after discovering that my wish had not come true and the rain had stayed away, we were forced to venture outdoors to explore our surroundings.
A four-hour walk, hand-in-hand along the nearby banks of Ness, let us keep up the weekend's romantic theme - and tired us out enough to provide the perfect excuse for another soak in the bath before dinner. sm
Rail returns start at £15 from Aberdeen, or £20 from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Visit
Rocpool Reserve, Culduthel Road, Inverness (01463 240089, ).
Double rooms from £140 to £280 a night.
Rocpool Reserve restaurant, mains from £14.50.
Rendezvous Rocpool restaurant is on Ness Walk.
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