Macdonald Morlich Hotel

We went with a family group for Christmas. The suite was freezing, the staff were useless and there was no atmosphere. Breakfast was absolutely awful, the worst I’ve had in any hotel. The staff just didn’t seem to care about the guests, and there was a serious lack of effort.

The staff were all really lovely and helpful, but I spent most of my Sunday night walking between venues because so many things were closed for the off-season. I was travelling for work nearby. I ate at Aspects restaurant, where the staff were nice but service was painfully slow. I’ve never visited in season, but I’d strongly advise against coming out of season. I’d stay at the Highlands hotel or somewhere outside these properties.

The location is handy, right beside a Tesco Extra and the main strip, though there isn’t much along it. The hotel restaurant was ridiculously expensive. With kids, I’d probably be happy here for two days at most, given the amount to do. The rooms need modernising. The leisure facilities are good for children, with the pool’s wave machine and slide, but it isn’t a peaceful spot for adults on their own or couples. They shouldn’t advertise a gym when it barely has equipment: there’s a dumbbell rack, a bench, weights up to 20kg and three cardio machines. The sauna was nice, but the steam room was awful, with hardly any steam.

The breakfast confusion was upsetting, especially the way one staff member treated us. We’d been told in the check-in documents that breakfast started at 7 AM. At the buffet in the adjacent building, a young server checked us off the guest list and offered preferred seating. We picked up food and headed back to our table, then another staff member, who seemed to be in charge, stopped us. He said breakfast wasn’t available to us until 7:30 AM and the service then was only for a tour group. He was noticeably hostile and made us feel unwelcome. Even though the first server had checked us in, he questioned us and made clear he didn’t want us there. He watched us closely through the meal, glaring and walking around our table. We felt targeted and uncomfortable, and couldn’t help wondering if it was because of our skin colour. We found that treatment deeply distressing and unacceptable, and it ruined the meal. The location in such a charming town was a highlight, but the rest of the stay fell well short. I was travelling with my partner and elderly mother, and we had to book two rooms for the three of us because there were no triple rooms. We’d asked to be placed close together because of my mother’s age and mobility concerns, but our rooms ended up five or six rooms apart. I understand availability can be unpredictable, but it was very inconvenient. One room’s entrance was pitch dark, which felt unsafe. Reception was unhelpful when I raised it. I was simply told nothing could be done at the moment and engineers would attend. This was the worst hotel experience we’ve ever had. We’ll choose somewhere else on our next visit and won’t consider any Macdonald hotels or resorts anywhere in the world. I hope these concerns are taken seriously and addressed for future guests.