Macdonald Highlands Hotel - Aviemore

Introduction: A Premier Highland Retreat

For travelers seeking a comfortable and picturesque escape within the stunning Scottish Highlands, the Macdonald Highlands Hotel stands as an excellent choice. Located in Aviemore, a renowned destination for outdoor enthusiasts and those desiring a tranquil getaway, this hotel offers a blend of traditional charm and modern amenities. It’s a consistently rated accommodation that consistently receives positive feedback regarding its service and location. This detailed recommendation provides an overview of the hotel, its features, location, and relevant information to assist potential guests in making an informed decision.

Hotel Overview and Amenities

The Macdonald Highlands Hotel is part of the larger Macdonald Hotels and Resorts group, a well-established chain known for its commitment to quality and hospitality. It’s specifically categorized as a Hotel, emphasizing its primary function as a lodging and dining establishment. The hotel boasts a range of facilities designed to cater to a variety of needs and preferences. These include:

• Spacious Rooms: Guests can select from a selection of well-appointed rooms, each designed to ensure a relaxing and enjoyable stay.
• On-Site Restaurant: The hotel features a restaurant offering a diverse menu of Scottish and international cuisine.
• Bar and Lounge: A cozy bar and lounge area provides a perfect spot for unwinding after a day of exploring.
• Indoor Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is easy with access to an indoor pool and a fully equipped fitness center.
• Conference and Meeting Facilities: The hotel also caters to business travelers and groups, offering versatile meeting rooms and facilities.
• Children’s Activities: Recognizing the importance of family travel, the Macdonald Highlands Hotel provides various activities for younger guests.

Address: Highland Resort, Aviemore PH22 1PN, United Kingdom. Phone: 3448799152. Website: macdonaldhotels.co.uk. The hotel consistently updates its website with the latest offers and availability.

Location and Accessibility

The Macdonald Highlands Hotel’s location in Aviemore is a significant advantage. Aviemore is situated in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, a vast area of natural beauty renowned for its outdoor activities. The hotel is ideally positioned for easy access to:

• Hiking and Walking Trails: Numerous marked trails cater to all levels of hikers, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and forests.
• Mountain Biking: Aviemore is a popular destination for mountain biking, with trails suitable for both beginners and experienced riders.
• Fishing: The River Spey, renowned for its salmon fishing, is within easy reach of the hotel.
• Golfing: Several excellent golf courses can be found in the surrounding area.
• Watersports: Opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, and other watersports are available on nearby lochs and rivers.

The hotel itself is located within the Highland Resort, providing a peaceful and secluded setting. It’s approximately 10 miles from Inverness Airport (INV), making it accessible for travelers arriving by plane. Road access is straightforward, with the A9 providing a convenient route to Aviemore. Public transportation options, including bus services, are also available, although a car is recommended for exploring the wider region. The proximity to Aviemore town center allows guests easy access to local shops, restaurants, and attractions.

Guest Feedback and Reputation

The Macdonald Highlands Hotel has garnered a considerable number of reviews on Google My Business, with a total of 829 reviews. The average opinion currently stands at 3.8 out of 5, indicating a generally positive experience amongst guests. While there are occasional criticisms related to minor issues such as room size or slow Wi-Fi, the vast majority of reviews highlight the hotel’s friendly staff, comfortable accommodations, and convenient location. Guests consistently praise the quality of the food, the cleanliness of the hotel, and the overall value for money. It's advisable to review the recent reviews to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current guest experience.

Recommended Information for Prospective Guests

When considering a stay at the Macdonald Highlands Hotel, potential guests should be aware of the following:

• Booking in Advance: Especially during peak season (summer and winter holidays), booking well in advance is highly recommended to secure the desired room type and availability.
• Dining Reservations: It’s advisable to make reservations for the on-site restaurant, particularly for dinner services.
• Activities Planning: Aviemore offers a wealth of activities. Guests should research and plan their excursions in advance, booking tours or activities as needed.
• Transportation: While the hotel is accessible, a car is beneficial for exploring the Cairngorms National Park.
• Package Deals: The Macdonald Hotels and Resorts website often offers package deals that combine accommodation with activities or dining, providing potential savings.

In conclusion, the Macdonald Highlands Hotel presents a reliable and appealing option for visitors to the Scottish Highlands. Its combination of location, amenities, and positive guest feedback makes it a worthy consideration for anyone planning a trip to this beautiful region. Further details and booking information can be found on the hotel’s website: macdonaldhotels.co.uk.

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👍 Reviews of Macdonald Highlands Hotel

K2618HXdanieller

Yes it’s dated, however overall the resort was what we were looking for-a short family get away. Choice of resultants on the resort. Our room was clean and comfortable. The children were in bunk beds and although we were in 1 room, the dividing wall offered a sense of space for all after an action packed day. Staff were all hard working and polite. Kids enjoyed the pool, there was a daily activity programme too. We could have stayed longer as it was all so easy!

G612UTmariaa

First the positives |The staff were so lovely and welcoming although it was obvious some where really new to the role so some mistakes where made with our food orders. |The amount of facilities this hotel offers is so amazing. There is so much that a family can do just within the resort is unbelievable, never mind outwith. There are so many activities thst are so close to the resort it is unbelievable. The reception area is also lovely but this makes the rest of the hotel look old and tired. We stayed in the building to the right and left of the main reception. The whole building is looking so tired. Carpet in hallways and stairs in some areas totally worn out. So many scuffs on all the walls, corridors, stairs and more importantly rooms. Rooms are also needing a refresh, really beginning to show thier age. Wood on the front of baths, really showing their age. Stickers on bathroom walls starting to come off ( please just take off and replace - really simple to do)

X8181QIandrews

We booked into the Aviemore Morlich Hotel, but we were informed the night before that it was closed and we were being moved to the Highlands Hotel for our 3 night stay.||The hotel was old and tired with narrow dismal corridors. It did not appear to be very clean. All the fire doors were sticky to the touch. The deluxe room we had booked was supposed to have a nice view, we were looking out at a wall of trees and an electric substation. ||The evening meal - we had only one course was pricey but barely adequate. The breakfast was not hot and had been sitting around too long. Very limited pastries and no nice bread, only sliced for DIY toast. Had much better at a Toby.||I felt sorry for the large parties arriving because they had to manage all their luggage in one very small lift.||The reception staff were very helpful and managed to arrange a refund for the last night so we could move on.||We have stayed in several different MacDonalds Hotels over the years and always enjoyed the stay. Up until now we associated MacDonalds with quality accommodation, service and food. ||The Highlands Hotel is more like a budget hotel. Come on MacDonalds, it needs a complete make over to bring it up to the standard we expect from MacDonalds.

Jewlztravels

Stayed here for a couple of nights with a travel group. Although my room and bathroom were clean I have to knock off some stars for the bathroom sink with a separator hot and cold faucet. It might look quaint but making a cup with your hands and moving back and forth under the extremely hot tap to the cold to make a mix of warm water in your hands is just a little old school for me. ||The staff were very kind and hard working. Our bus was 2 hours late for our dinner due to a bad accident and they stayed late and fed us good food. They have a large buffet in the morning.||One bonus is that you can use the pool in the building across the street. You must wear a swim cap. Bring your own or have exact change to buy one from them. Such nice people that work at the pool too. I was able to get up against the side and swim laps. This pool has a giant slide and perfect for kids but I managed to use it to exercise. What I didn’t know is that it is a wave pool. To my surprise, the whistle I heard was the beginning of an open water rough swim! I really burned some extra calories with that one. I think this resort with multiple areas to stay is perfect for a family. Pool, movies and ice rink will keep the kids busy and happy.

U7035JUryang

Stayed for one night with my wife and little son. We went straight to the kids soft play, good facility and staff. All of it needs a clean. Went to the Italian for our tea, staff were grand as was the food. Room was filthy I’m afraid. I had to move the bed so we were closer to sleeping with our son. Under the bed was an inch of dust,dirty sock and rubbish. We were so glad to leave that accommodation. The entire building needs a thrashing with a hoover or totally decorated. Breakfast was good enough. Staff was busy and not very chatty but that’s ok.

454angusj

We booked a room in April for July and have now just been cancelled due to overbooking. This is disgraceful and I would advise others to consider whether booking this company’s hotels is the safest option. We have managed to book somewhere else but we have been lucky. We booked this through Booking.com and we have been told that the policy of this hotel is to cancel third party bookings first which suggests this is normal business practice for this firm. Not good service and we are very disappointed.

Wing C.

1/5

I would rather not give a single star to this hotel. We have booked our stay three months prior. Just under 3 weeks before our trip we have been advised there has been an overbooked situation at the hotel and have been asked to change our dates. We have in respond cannot change our dates due to work and childcare. Then a week later they went ahead and cancelled our booking. They explained they have arranged a conference during the same week that the people have taking the majority of rooms, even though the manager knew there were already a number of bookings in place. This is absolute poor management and they completely disregarded our request. The lady on the phone tried to tell me there are other places which are cheaper we can book for. That was not the issue, they have left us very little time to look elsewhere. She also sounded very unapologetic. This place provides poor customer service. Would not consider this hotel anywhere in the future.

20molliem

Nice hotel and nice facilities but allergen control needs improved. We ordered from Giovanni’s a pizza with no cheese and no meat as we are vegan, we picked up and went back to our room where we were given a pizza with chicken & cheese, so we needed to walk back to the other side of the resort to return. We also ordered breakfast in bed & received all vegan options excl a pork sausage rather than the vegan one we had ordered. ||There was also 3-4 dead rabbits between Scandinavian apartments & highland hotel which is unsafe given how dog friendly the resort is.