Hilton Grand Vacations Club Craigendarroch Suites

Knock Castle is about a ten-minute drive away and well worth seeing. We also enjoyed Stonehaven, Loch Muick, and Braemar. There’s so much to explore around here, and we can’t wait to return. Ballater itself is a quick 15-minute walk, with quaint little shops and pubs, and we found new places to discover on our drives each day. We loved the food at the Alexadra Hotel, and Allan and Fiona, the owners, were fantastic. At the Grand Hilton Craigendarroch, we loved the beautiful setting, pristine grounds, good restaurant, and all the recreation options. Both pools were wonderful. Our room was spacious and clean, with plenty of closet space for luggage. It was handy to have laundry machines and pods on site, too. We absolutely loved our vacation. 10/10, would highly recommend!

The staff were friendly and helpful from check-in until we left. Nothing seemed like too much trouble, and they made us feel well looked after. The suite was spotless, roomy, and finished to a high standard. We slept well in the very comfortable bed, and the quiet, peaceful feel made it easy to switch off. There was plenty to do on site. We had fun with the table tennis, and the snooker table was in great shape for an evening game. Access to a squash court was a nice bonus, and the gym had enough equipment for a good workout. The leisure areas were tidy and easy to get to. The spa felt calm, clean, and well maintained, with a pool, sauna, and steam room. It wasn’t overcrowded, so it was a good place to unwind. We enjoyed the food, too. The menu had lots of choice and everything tasted fresh and well prepared. Breakfast stood out, with quality ingredients and generous portions to set us up for the day. The rooms, food, facilities, and service all felt well cared for, with good attention to detail. It’s easy to relax here, while still having things to do if you want to keep active.

We spent five days here and loved exploring the area, from the castles and towns around Ballater to day drives to Inverness and Aberdeen. There are plenty of breakfast spots and places to eat in Ballater, though we had about 80% of our meals at the resort. The food and service were phenomenal, and the staff were wonderful. Martin was our favorite waiter, absolutely amazing. The scenery and location were a big part of why we loved this place. Of all the Hilton Grand Vacation resorts we’ve stayed at, this is our favorite by far. If you’re not from here, I’d recommend renting a car. There’s lots to see, while public transport is extremely limited. You can pack fairly light, since there are washing machines and dryers on site, and pods are provided in the room. For a relaxing day at the hotel, the health spa has a pool, hot tub, sauna, and steam room. And if you like scotch or whiskey, the bar has a great selection, with options and descriptions from every area of Scotland at very reasonable prices.

A nice place to get away from it all, out in the woods but still close to several small towns. Aberdeen is an hour away, and we put over 800 miles on our rental car. The pool, hot tub, and sauna were perfect.