Peebles Hydro

The public rooms and facilities were excellent, from the dining room and ballroom to the coffee area, bar and leisure centre. Staff were friendly and helpful, the food was good and plentiful, and there is plenty to do at the hotel and nearby. Peebles is a lovely town and well worth a visit. Our bedroom at the back of the hotel was much less appealing, shabby and neglected. The bed itself was clean and comfortable, but we were woken around 5:30 by what might have been an alarm or roaring pipes. It happened again around 6 and 7. The shower was over the bath, and the curtain kept blowing against me while I washed, which shouldn't be what you expect in a luxury hotel. The comfortable white gowns for walking to the pool were welcome, though the carpet wasn't pleasant underfoot. A nice hotel let down by the details.

The views from the hotel are fabulous, and the charming town of Peebles is only a 10-minute walk away. We stayed for two nights in February, sharing the visit as three friends, each with a single room. The rooms were very comfortable. Breakfast was included, freshly made, very good and offered lots of choice. Dinner in the Grill room was good too and reasonably priced. The leisure centre has a nice big pool, steam rooms and a jacuzzi. It was fairly busy because the school holidays were on, but not too bad. Some parts of the hotel are a little tired, though there are plenty of positives.

It was the staff who really made this stay memorable. Even with a party of 160 in the hotel for an event, the service still felt like VIP treatment. Lyall and Jake were friendly and attentive at dinner without hovering, and Evan and Joey kept our drinks flowing. Simon played piano later in ‘Not the Cocktail Bar’ and happily took requests, which turned into a great singalong. The food was excellent. The steak was stunning, the chicken with haggis delicious, and both the sticky toffee pudding and crème brulee were beautiful. The sticky toffee pudding is among the top three I've had anywhere. Breakfast was a treat too, especially the poached eggs made to order at the table and the standout sausages. We asked for a front-facing room and got a lovely, clean and tidy one with stunning views over the town and valley. Nichola was very helpful with check-in, and Anastasia had done a great job with the room. We had drinks and dinner in town the first night, then came back for a nightcap in the relaxed ‘Not The Cocktail Bar’. The next morning we had a quick swim, then used the steam room and jacuzzi. After a day walking and an afternoon nap, we had pre-dinner drinks and ate in the restaurant. The hotel, grounds and facilities are all excellent. We'll definitely be back.

I really recommend the gin tasting and making session. It's three hours, with some history of the hydro and how gin came to the UK. You get to taste their own homemade gins, then make a bottle of your own to take home from all the botanicals on offer. There are endless combinations. Staying overnight at the hotel would be the icing on the cake.