Macdonald Berystede Hotel

My daughter treated me to a one-night stay for my 80th birthday, and it was such a lovely surprise. The hotel upgraded our room for the occasion, which was very kind and made it feel extra special. At dinner, the staff brought me a birthday pudding with a candle and sang happy birthday. Breakfast was included and very tasty. I also swam in the pool, and loved being in the hydro pool in the dark. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole treat.

The spa was a good part of our UK break, with indoor and outdoor pools and a large garden. The weather was beautiful, so we spent the day outside on sun beds. The bar was a lovely spot to sit and relax with a glass of wine, and staff were very helpful. Our room was large, had a nice seating area and was serviced daily. The hotel was nice, with breakfast included. It was basic but adequate, and the restaurant offered fish of the day as well as meat dishes. I'd recommend it to friends and family for a weekend away.

I went for a spa day at Macdonald berystede hotel on 01/06/2026 between 9am-1pm. I didn't stay overnight, so can't comment on the rooms. I paid £158 for two people, including 4hr spa access, lunch and a 25min treatment. I honestly don't know if I'd go back. For a 4 star hotel, I expected more. The receptionist working that day was absolutely lovely and really helpful with our questions. The salt, steam and sanuna room was nice, but the pool looked run down and could use a good clean. The showers in that area were tired too, and the shower heads needed descaling. My “Elemis expert touch nourish” facial wasn't great. In the waiting room, the staff didn't really greet us, even when we said hello. Before the facial I was asked about allergies, but wasn't told which products were used. It felt rushed and not very relaxing. The esthetician had quite long nails and scratched my face. The towel on my face was very hot as well. Lunch was okay, but the set menu had limited options. The chicken wings I wanted as a starter weren't available, leaving mainly prawn cocktail and bread, so I chose the prawn cocktail. The main catch of the day was labelled “trout” but was actually salmon, with a vegan burger or pasta as the other choices. There were also a couple of sandwiches with the crusts cut off and crisps. Staff brought the wrong orders to our table multiple times and didn't seem to know what they were doing, even though it wasn't busy.

The spa was generally great. The outdoor hydropool was nice, though only warm enough in the morning, and there was a good sauna, steam room and hot beds. The pool was big enough and never too busy, but the sauna area got crowded around 5pm. Laura gave me the best massage I've had in years, and I left feeling relaxed and refreshed. Dinner on the first night was really good. It went well over the £25pp budget, but we had steak and it was very nice. There were plenty of disappointments too. The rooms feel tired, especially the bathroom, and need a proper refurb. There weren't any charging points near the bed. Staff didn't ask how my stay was when we left, so I didn't offer the positive and constructive feedback I had, as it felt like it would fall on deaf ears. Breakfast was very poor both days, barely warm, overcooked and with little variety. The ham and cheese looked as if they'd been sitting there for more than a morning. Afternoon tea, which was part of the package, had stale sandwiches and stale tasting cake pastry. I probably would have complained if it hadn't been included.