Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort
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Summary of reviewsThe Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort is a great location for exploring the stunning Cairngorms area of Scotland with convenient access to amenities and the ski resort base. Reviews of the breakfast and dinner options are mixed with some guests disappointed with the quality and value while others found them enjoyable. The hotel offers a variety of room options with different levels of comfort and cleanliness, but the staff consistently receive high praise for their friendly and helpful service. The fitness and leisure facilities are good, though some guests note limitations such as odd opening times or outdated equipment. The hotel is also a great option for families, offering excellent facilities and activities for children. However, some guests have raised concerns about the hotel's four-star rating with some feeling that the amenities and services do not meet those standards.
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Hotel with Swimming Pool,
Heated Pool Indoor Pool Children's Pool Pool Water Slide
Hotel with Pool Water Slide,
Hotel with Children's Pool,
Room Types
About Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort
Guest Reviews
The Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort is located in the heart of the stunning Cairngorms area, making it an excellent base for exploring this beautiful part of Scotland. Guests have nothing but positive things to say about the location with many describing it as perfect or great. The hotel is conveniently situated near amenities with a few minutes' walk into town and the supermarket. The ski resort base is also just a 20-minute drive away. The location is central, making it easy to explore the village and enjoy all it has to offer. The hotel is set back enough from the main street to enjoy the beautiful views in peace and quiet. There are lots of walks to enjoy and the hotel bar area is a nice place to relax after a day of exploring. Overall, guests agree that the Macdonald Highlands Hotel is in a brilliant location for a Scottish getaway.
Guest reviews for the breakfast at Macdonald Highlands Hotel vary greatly. Some guests found the breakfast to be poor, disappointing or bland with overcooked and hard items. However, many guests enjoyed the breakfast with lots of choices, great food and excellent options. Some guests experienced long queues, limited seating or items running out. Vegetarian options were limited and some guests reported difficulty getting dairy-free milk. Despite the mixed reviews, some guests praised the breakfast chef and enjoyed making their own toast. Overall, while some guests were disappointed with the breakfast, others found it lovely and a great choice.
The dining experience at Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort seemed to be a mixed bag according to guest reviews. While some found the breakfast and dinner food to be good, others were disappointed with the limited dinner menu and poor quality food that was either cold, overpriced or missing items on the plates. Some guests also felt that the food and beverage packages were a bit of a con and not good value for money with astronomically overpriced options. However, others were pleased with the dining options at the Italy and Aspects restaurants, where they found great quality and value for money. Unfortunately, the dinner menu never changed during some guests' five-night stay and some had to wait up to 40 minutes between their starter and main course. The service at the restaurant was also criticized with some reviewers describing it as abysmal or woeful. Overall, while some guests enjoyed their dining experience, others were left disappointed with either the quality, service or value of the food they received.
The Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort offers a variety of rooms with varying levels of comfort and cleanliness. Some rooms are clean and cosy with super comfy beds, while others are outdated with tatty furniture and knackered mattresses. The hotel provides professional service and daily cleaning in some rooms, but others have issues with cleanliness and servicing. Despite some rooms looking a bit tired and dated, others are stylish and well equipped. The soundproofing of some rooms is poor and some guests were disappointed with the lack of fridge or hot water for a shower. However, most guests found their rooms to be clean and comfortable and they slept well on large comfy beds with quality furnishings. Overall, the hotel offers a range of room options with varying levels of comfort and cleanliness, but with some attention to updating tired spaces, it could provide a truly exceptional experience for all guests.
Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort offers a range of comfortable beds to ensure guests have a great night's rest. Many guests found the beds to be very comfortable, while others specifically mentioned the large, super comfy or huge beds. There were a few guests who found the beds to be uncomfortable, either because they were too hard, too soft and lacked support, or due to the old mattress. However, one guest did mention that the bed was a little too soft for their liking but was still comfortable overall. The quality of the furnishings and cleanliness was appreciated with some guests highlighting that the rooms were a good size and clean. Some guests did find the twin rooms to be quite small with the beds touching each other, but the pillows were good. For families with children, the hotel offered flumes to keep them entertained with one guest mentioning that their youngest particularly enjoyed them. However, a few guests did note that the room felt cold, which may be worth considering during colder seasons. Overall, the comfortable beds and cleanliness were praised by many guests.
The Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort is known for its well-maintained and tidy rooms. Many guests praise the cleanliness of their rooms and the professional service provided by the staff. While some guests have noted that the corridors and changing rooms in the pool area could benefit from some extra attention, the majority of the hotel is immaculate. The cleanliness of the pool facilities varies with some guests noting that the pools are clean while others felt that the changing area floors could be cleaner. Some guests have commented on the dated decor of the hotel, particularly in the dining room, but this did not detract from the overall cleanliness of the hotel. Overall, guests are impressed with the cleanliness and comfort of the rooms and the helpfulness of the staff.
The staff at Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort receive rave reviews with guests consistently describing them as lovely, friendly, polite and extremely helpful. Many highlight the exceptional service provided by the staff, who are praised for their attentiveness and professionalism. However, a few guests note that the hotel may struggle to cope with larger crowds and that communication between guests and staff can be poor at times. Overall, the staff are seen as a major asset to the hotel with many guests commenting on their warm and welcoming demeanor. Despite a handful of negative reviews, the majority of guests describe the staff as excellent or outstanding.
The Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort offers excellent fitness facilities for guests to use on-site. However, some guests have noted that the gym is quite small and lacks natural light with outdated equipment. Additionally, some guests were disappointed by odd opening times of the gym and pool with the earliest availability being 9 am. Despite this, parents traveling with young children will appreciate the presence of a soft play on-site. Guests have suggested more dining options would be appreciated, but overall the hotel provides good facilities for a fitness-focused vacation.
The Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort boasts fantastic leisure facilities, particularly the impressive indoor heated swimming pool complete with water slides and a separate children's pool. It's a perfect place for families with plenty of opportunities for great fun for kids. Changing rooms in the pool area could be cleaner, but this is a minor disadvantage when compared to the excellent facilities on offer. However, the pool should open for longer hours and with adequate supplies such as towels. The hot tub and jacuzzi were out of service at times but otherwise, the swimming pool was clean and well-maintained. The sauna and steam room were also available, providing an alternative to outdoor snow sports during inclement weather. Despite minor shortcomings, the free pool access, especially for children, was a definite bonus for guests.
The Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort is a great place for families to stay. The facilities are excellent, especially for children, including a nice coffee shop, play areas, soft play and a lovely pool with a slide and waves that kept the toddlers entertained for hours. The hotel is a great base for exploring the area with plenty to do, especially for the kids. The Christmas activities tailored to children in the theatre were great and there's loads of other activities too. However, the swimming pool was too cold for some, including a 2-year-old. The amenities and facilities are included, which is really nice and the food was of high quality, but some kids' meals were the worst the guests had ever tasted. The family rooms, unfortunately, were not available, only connected rooms. Despite some negative experiences, overall, the Macdonald Highlands Hotel is a fantastic family location, perfect for those traveling with toddlers and kids.
If you're looking for a winter wonderland holiday destination, Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort should definitely be on your radar. Guest reviews rave about the lovely area around the hotel with two ski resorts within an hour's drive. For those who want to hit the slopes at Cairngorm Ski Centre, the hotel is an ideal base with a convenient boot room for snowboarding gear.
But it's not all about skiing and snowboarding here. The hotel has an array of on-site facilities that attracted many guests, although they admit it's hard to take advantage of both skiing and swimming pool facilities on the same day. That being said, the nice coffee shop and welcoming atmosphere helped make their stay extra special.
The hotel is also accessible to those with disabilities, as demonstrated by one guest's experience with the charity Disability Snowsport UK (DSUK). Overall, guests found plenty of things to do in and around Aviemore and even received a nice bottle of bubbly and birthday wishes during their stay.
The Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort has received mixed reviews regarding its four-star rating, facilities and services. While some guests found it to be a good hotel, others were disappointed, stating that the hotel lacked basic amenities and was in need of TLC. The hotel is not recommended for those expecting luxury services and some guests were unhappy with the lack of extras in the room. There were also concerns raised about the hotel's ability to organize and deliver changes quickly. Despite being advertised as a four-star hotel, some guests were of the opinion that it didn't reach those standards. Moreover, several guests indicated that they were unhappy with dogs other than guide dogs being allowed on the premises. Finally, some guests were not satisfied with the breakfast, which they felt did not meet four-star expectations.
Yes, Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort has pool(s) that belong to one or more of the following categories: Heated Pool, Indoor Pool, Children's Pool, Pool Water Slide.
No, a spa isn't available at Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort.
No, Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort doesn't allow dogs.
Yes, parking facilities are available at Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort.
Yes, Macdonald Highlands Hotel at Macdonald Aviemore Resort has a gym.
