Search Hotels Near Ballochbuie Forest, Ballater

"4th time at the hotel, great views, amazing hotel, great pub and restaurant. We’ll be back"

"A slightly tired hotel in need of upgrading/modernising. Cannot fault the staff or amenities."

"Room was abit disappointing. Not very clean, mugs and spoons in the room dirty. The check in process was 25+ minute wait. We were looking forward to using the pool during our stay, to find out it was closed for a big chunk of the day and didn’t reopen until 15.30. By then we would have been travelling back home. I didn’t quite understand why the pool would be closed bang in the middle of the day during the weekend. Quite disappointed in the overall stay for the Money we paid. We won’t be back. "

"Parking was a real issue"

"We had an amazing time at the hotel. It’s very family friendly: great food, lots of amenities for kids, especially at the swimming pool! Will be back"

"We were woken at 7am by a fire alarm and had to evacuate our room with a baby and a 6-year-old, only for it to stop before we even reached the muster point. It was later explained, quite casually, that it was caused by someone showering with the bathroom door open. Given there’s a sign warning about “sensitive” alarms, this doesn’t feel like a one-off and isn’t acceptable in a family hotel where sleep is already precious. We stayed at Macdonald Aviemore Resort as a family of four. When we raised this, along with a broken kettle, reception initially offered complimentary breakfast but later withdrew it after checking with a manager, which felt poorly handled. The hotel itself feels tired and in need of investment. Our room was small, especially with a cot, the shower was only lukewarm, and carpets were dirty with an unpleasant smell. The lift also smelt strongly of smoke. There are positives: the pool and facilities are good and we enjoyed them, though some maintenance is needed (hair dryers out of order, puddles on the floor, drains not very clean). The outdoor park is great for kids but also showing wear. Aviemore is a fantastic location, but the resort feels like it’s relying on that rather than maintaining standards, it’s certainly not 4 star. With better upkeep, it could be much better."

"We had a lovely stay with our dog. He was made to feel very welcome with plenty of treats and fusses from all the staff. The location is great and the area surrounding has plenty to see and do."

"We had to carry our heavy bags yo the third floor, which was very difficult. A working lift would have been beneficial. "

"Beautiful, classic room with poster bed in an ancient but well-maintained building, giving a full Scottish feel. The hotel is close to Loch Kinord natural reserve, which provides picturesque and serene walks."