Macdonald Forest Hills Resort

The gardens were amazing and clearly a real credit to the team who look after them. We had a brilliant overnight break in a lovely hotel, with young, friendly staff who were happy to help. Our spacious room had a big, comfortable bed and a nice seating area. Dinner and breakfast were both very good, and the restaurant areas were lovely. The pool and spa were well maintained and a great place to unwind.

The setting and views are spectacular, but that's Loch Ard and the surrounding forests, not the hotel. We spent over £1,000 in two days and the whole stay was miserable. The price is outrageous for what you get. There are no phones in the rooms or mobile reception, and the rooms were like ovens. We could only open the windows 2 cm, so at 3am I ended up outside with my dog trying to cool us both down. There's no way to contact anyone except by leaving your room and going to reception. Service was extremely slow, sometimes nonexistent, with no urgency or care when we reported problems. They say dogs are allowed, but there are no facilities for them at all: no towels, rinse points or bowls in the rooms. They should look at Auchrannie to see how it's done. The food was disgusting, frozen and had no selection. There was no real vegetarian option, and vegans should forget it. Breakfast costs £26, plus £5-£7 for anything other than filter coffee. We pre-ordered room service breakfast, but mine arrived 45 minutes before the requested time, with a knife and fork for muesli and yoghurt. The toast was dry and had no butter, and there was no sugar for the coffee. My aunt's dish didn't arrive at all, so she went to reception. They said it wasn't something they could deal with, but they'd check with the kitchen, and told her to wait in her room. It was then delivered promptly, but three items were missing: she got boiled eggs instead of poached, cheap, disgusting link sausages, and a rack of dry toast with one small pot of marmalade. It cost £36. I could go on, but what's the point? Do yourself a favour and stay somewhere else. The hotel's prices are disgusting for what it actually offers. Take your hard-earned money elsewhere.

We especially enjoyed the pool, jacuzzi and steam room, and the reception team were keen to help and very friendly. Our young family stayed in a suite and had a wonderful time. The room was modern and clean, with a good bathroom and lounge, and a peaceful, amazing view across the loch. The hotel gardens are beautiful, with a waterfall, outdoor chess and a putting green. The restaurant serves pub-style food, all cooked and presented well with efficient service. Breakfast was good too, with a Scottish twist. We'd love to return and have recommended it to friends.

We loved how dog friendly the hotel was, even having treats for dogs at reception. The staff were so friendly and helpful that we felt like family by the time we left. They were very accommodating about dietary needs, and the food was really good. The spa facilities were excellent and well heated, with changing rooms and showers, though you do have to walk outside the hotel to reach the spa building. The grounds are stunning, with a waterfall flowing down from the hills and through the property, and paths to walk alongside it. The room was a little dated, and the soft bed and pillows left us with sore necks. Still, it had everything we needed, the views were great, and we didn't spend much time in the room anyway. It's a beautiful historic hotel with lots of character, great food and helpful staff. It had everything we'd want from a spa getaway and felt warm and relaxing. We'd absolutely recommend it and hope to come back in summer to try the local water activities.