We were a little confused on our arrival as there are 3 hotels on this site but apart from that our whole 2 night stay was brilliant. What wonderful friendly, helpful staff - everyone was so very kind and professional. Nothing was too much trouble. The food was delicious in Aspects and Giovanni’s for our two evening meals. The breakfast was delicious too, beautifully cooked and lots of choice. We also thoroughly enjoyed the swimming pool and sauna etc. absolutely brilliant and included in the cost of our room. Towels were all included too. Our room was very comfortable and had all the extras we needed. Would love to come back sometime.
Stayed Fri to Sun with my 8yr old son for a ski break. We’ve been to Aviemore numerous times staying in lodge rentals or camping, however this was our first time at the Macdonald resort. I didn’t realise the resort was split into different hotel buildings, and just selected ‘Aviemore’ building when booking, this was a mistake! The building is far away from the rest of the resort, with no restaurant or bar open in the building when we stayed. Our room was on the ground floor, with a separate entrance from main reception. Corridors had breeze block walls which made it feel like we were in a basement rather than a 4 star hotel. The room itself was ok, large with high ceilings and modern bathroom. Breakfast also ok, but not a huge selection. The issues for me started at night as I discovered the Aviemore building is next to the path that leads into Aviemore town centre, with our ground floor room 3008 directly next to it. Saturday 12am it started to get extremely noisy with large groups wandering past, and safe to say it kept me awake all night. At 2am one group decided to shout ‘wakey wakey’ next to the building (maybe staff returning from night out, who else would do that?), at 3am another group were going about in shopping trolleys from Tesco next door. I felt unsafe and worried that my son would wake up. Totally unacceptable and not what I expected from a family hotel. I raised this with the receptionist in the morning but he didn’t seem interested, just apologised and mentioned he would raise with management but I doubt he did. The only upside at the resort for me was the swimming pool which my son loved. We never tried the restaurants on-site as they were fully booked. If you want to stay at the resort I would suggest you stay in one of the other buildings (Highland or Morlich). …
The resort itself has all the possibility in been a fantastic experience, however it is very dated and in need of much upgrading. The room was clean and comfortable and the staff were polite. The food on offer left a lot to be desired. 2 of the restaurants on site were closed. The Italian was a complete disappointment. There was as much food going back into the kitchen as what was coming out. The A La Carte restaurant had limited options available and the children's options were a disgrace. The prices were also extortionate.
Hotel and resort very dated and needing lots of love and attention. Pool grotty and wave machine wasn’t working. Restaurant we used on side advertised as carvery style was £62 for family of 3 ( all soft drinks). Meal consisted off beef, Yorkshire puddings and sausages. Potatoes, gravy and veg had all ran out. Hotel room was old fashioned, bathroom in a very bad state. Wi-Fi was not fit for purpose was unable to connect. Staff were unmotivated and unhelpful.
The staff at this hotel were excellent, very friendly and helpful. Facilities let them down. The hotel is tired and shabby. The bar area is dark and uninviting (probably why nobody used it) and the Pool ran out of towels 10am on Sunday. It all just needs better management and a bit of TLC and it could be worth the money. Doesn't feel 4 star anymore.
Very comfortable bed, and very nice room etc.. However of the two choices of restaurants available, neither were at the hotel where we stayed. This involved a walk which took us 20 minutes in the dark, unnecessarily climbing outside stairs and back down to find the entrance. I have a heart condition, this is unacceptable. Why, if the hotel manages its restaurants in this manner, do they not provide a shuttle service? We are very glad that whilst cold, it wasn’t raining. If we stay again, we shall skip the on site offerings and go to the town to eat.
After turning up with only 1 girl on reception and a big queue for check I was instantly on the backdoor with the place, went a wander in the reception bar which was shut and in need of a major makeover, couldn’t grasp why a busy hotel would have bar/lounge areas closed. Rooms were nice enough beds comfy shower ok. For the kids the pool and soft play area were absolutely fine, dinner and breakfast was decent but all in all kids enjoyed it and I guess that’s all that matters. In need of a major refurb and modernisation though. Don’t expect anything fancy. Pint of Peroni was ace.
We travelled as a family of 6 adults and 2 kids for the family Hogmanay 3 night package. It was fantastic and we would definitely come back again. We attended the Santa weekend in 2021 and enjoyed it but I was worried after reading this years reviews. Glad to say we had a brilliant time. The entertainment on Hogmanay in the osprey arena was fab. We stayed in the highlands hotel and it was warm and comfortable. There was so much to do at the resort for the kids we didn’t manage to fit everything all in. The swimming pool was like a warm bath, we were so pleasantly surprised. Only reasons I’ve not given the 5 starts was the price of drink, £8.50 for a pint! And the DJ wasn’t great, we saw him vaping while working which was extremely unprofessional. Think he just had a playlist which he pressed play then left, I think they tried to clear the place early on the last night as they even put the lights on very early too! …
This was the worst experience. A new year hogmanay 3 night break for £450 a night, which even in these times of high costs, is still a lot of money, promised wonderful family time in sumptuous and gastronomic accommodation. The reality was a dreary worn down hotel building with cold tartan rooms (only available 2 hours after check in time), polyester bedding, and a tiny but OK shower. The breakfast was gloopy porridge, a meagre cereal collection or some congealed hot things. The soft play and pool were pretty good for our 4 year old but not open from noon on nye or before 1pm on new years day. The hotel clearly didn't care about what the guests were supposed to do during this time. There was no proper lobby or common seating area and no real attempt to make it feel remotely special. The advertised lunch option - an Italian- was closed because it was out of season! There were plenty of staff milling around but they were clearly untrained and ill-informed save for the cheery bartender who told me that Peroni's at £7.50 pint, were cheaper in the Shard! Basically it was a huge rip off and misleading advertising. It's so disappointing given the price and the promise. It has potential to be decent and we relied on the brand but its clearly just seen as a rinse and repeat operation. A car is necessary to enjoy Aviemore. If you have one then drive away from Macdonalds as soon as you can!…
We got married here in 2021 Xmas time under covid restrictions and thought it was a great hotel. Stayed here 2022 Xmas. Expect a 3 star service. Some staff are nice. But the other half look like they've been made to work there. Don't pay for all inclusive because it's just food and you cant have steaks because they don't have any. £7.50 for a pint of larger which is shocking and flat. The rooms are standard 3 star not 4. At Breakfast they don't have any hot water ready. The moral of the story is expect 2-3 star hotel and you'll enjoy.
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