Macdonald Pittodrie House

We had a lovely stay just after a huge deluge of snow. The winter wonderland was beautiful and we enjoyed trudging through the snow. The house was grand and a roaring fire in the dining room was a feature point. There were limited numbers of staff doing their best to do everything but this did not detract from first class service. Food was good for both dinner and breakfast. However breakfast was served in the cold orangery, would’ve been a better idea to use the dining room, and service here was slow despite the limited staff doing their best. The room wasn’t as plush as I’d expect in this price bracket but on saying that there wasn’t anything wrong with it and it was functional, cosy and comfortable.

New year ceilidh was an excellent night with people from various parts of the world making it a great night. The meal was excellent. The room we had was excellent, probably one of the biggest hotel rooms we’ve had. To finish off, the breakfast was very good.

He worst bed I have ever slept on in my life. We had visitors from the area surprise us that my husband grew up with and they would not accommodate them for dinner. Granted we were also 30 minutes late but we were sat around the corner in the main sitting room so they could have come and grabbed us. The windows were also super old and the wind banged them through out the night. So we heard that. Burned out lights in the lamp and the overheads. It is a beautiful ground and the aesthetics of the place are great but if you want sleep, do hit stay here.

I recently attended a wedding at Pittodrie, and while the ballroom was beautifully decorated and the grounds were truly stunning, the rest of the experience fell short of expectations. The rooms and the hotel itself are in dire need of refurbishment, with a noticeably dated appearance and evident signs of wear, including cracks in the ceiling. It's clear that the venue hasn't seen significant updates in years, leaving much of the property looking tired and neglected. The service outside of the wedding event was disappointingly slow, likely due to understaffing, which made it difficult for them to accommodate both wedding guests and regular hotel guests simultaneously. The double rooms, unfortunately, are quite small, no larger than a standard bedroom, which felt inadequate given the £150+ per night rate. For this price, I expected more spacious and modern accommodations. In comparison, nearby options like the recently refurbished Premier Inn, just 20 miles away, offer rooms as low as £60 per night. Given the current state of the rooms at Pittodrie, I would much rather pay a similar price at a venue that meets contemporary standards. If the rooms at Pittodrie were brought up to 21st-century expectations, it might justify the higher rates.

We were staying with friends nearby and the group of 4, went for our evening meal. Starters were delicious and beautifully presented, I had the terrine and it looked as good as it tasted. Mains also very tasty and served by lively waiting staff. Lamb was excellent. Had the chocolate ganache for dessert and loved it, plate looked very colourful and having eaten at Michelin starred restaurants before, it was up there in presentation. Friend had the equally impressive looking cheesecake and we all commented on what a wonderful meal we had, highly recommend!

Booked afternoon tea for 4 people. We were with friends from Halifax Nova Scotia. Received a warm welcome on arrival. The afternoon tea comprising of a selection of savories’ Scones and multiple desserts. The quality of the food was excellent and the service was also excellent. Our Canadian friends were very impressed with hotel and magnificent grounds. Many thanks to all of the staff for an excellent afternoon.