Overview

We were staying at the McDonald highlands hotel in aviemore for four nights on a dinner bed and breakfast offer. On our first night the only time available to eat in the restaurant was 5.30pm , as I have to eat fairly quickly after taking my medication at 6pm. We thought this would be ok. After negotiating long corridors, lifts from our room. We eventually arrived at the restaurant there is a small lift that takes you up to the restaurant. We were offered a table in a dark corner which we turned down as we felt we were being put out of the way as I’m in a wheelchair. We asked for a table we had seen by a window with nice view over the hills and easy for the wheelchair. The waiter said oh I suppose that ones ok for you to have .i will check with another member of staff. Once settled at our table they brought us the menu which I have to say is very limited and was the same every night of our stay. Very little choice if you were vegan or vegetarian. In fact on the Friday night they ran out of both dishes that would have suited these people. We explained to the waitress about my allergies she in turn got the restaurant manager. Who said to us there’s no point turning up and expecting something different because of your allergies . We need notice . My husband explained that we had informed them back in January when making the booking and again the week before our stay. We had been told they would pass on the information to the chef and restaurant. Which clearly they hadn’t. I ended up having a burger for dinner thinking that’s on the children’s menu so would be ok. How wrong I was I had a really nasty reaction after only eating two mouthfuls. Difficult to know if it was the spices or bone marrow in the burger both of which I have to avoid they hadn’t told me it had these things in or the relish that came on top of the burger, or the tomato sauce that was served with it, this was bright orange/red colour and very runny. I did notice other nights that people were bringing in bottles of Heinz tomato sauce. I ended up just being able to eat a few fries and had a chocolate ganache dessert. We spoke to the manager before leaving the restaurant that night my husband asked would it be possible to do a grilled piece of chicken for Saturday night along with veg, gravy and mash . He said he would see what he could do and would I have that every night . To which my husband said no my wife doesn’t want to eat the same meal for three nights, can you not do her a bit of the slow cooked beef shin in gravy instead of spicy sauce with veg and mash, he said he would have to see if that was possible. Its not as if we were asking them to buy in different foods they had both chicken and beef on the menu ,just wanted it without the spices and sauce etc. .saturday night I had grilled chicken with a small portion of veg but no mash they had forgotten that my husband asked where it was and the reply from the waiter was you actually want that. Sunday I had the beef shin which was very dry as they hadn’t cooked it in any gravy. Monday night we decided to treat ourselves to a steak, we waited ages for the meal in fact the waiter came and asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu . My husband said we are still waiting for our main meals . He replied oh well it will be along soon , then the manager turned up at the table, he said I will see what’s happening. Turns out they forgot to cook the meal, they then brought my husband the wrong steak he had ordered rib eye and ended up with a sirloin . The waiter brought us the wrong drinks as well. For a four star hotel we were rather disappointed to say the least . Every night there was a problem . Staff had no idea what to do or how a restaurant ran. We weren’t the only ones who had problems other guests were getting main meals before starters had arrived, meals not cooked correctly cold and still a bit frozen in the middle, meals cobbled together as they didn’t have all the items on the menu. It really was hit and miss as to whether you got what you ordered. We did ask the hotel manager if we could use our meal allowance on sandwiches at lunch time given all the problems in the restaurant. We were told we could that as a last resort. Our whole experience at the hotel wasn’t great please see my report on the hotel stay.

Transport & Parking

Parking for blue badge holders right outside the hotel and there are ramps

Access

Access ok ramps up to the bedroom complex and reception over the road. As for the restaurant our room was on the ground floor and the restaurant on the first floor . We had to go up in a lift , along a long corridor with doors not easy to negotiate in a wheelchair , then it’s up a ramp along another corridor, then up in a small lift to the restaurant.

Toilets

Staff

The waiting staff in the restaurant were hopeless no idea what to do or how a restaurant is run, service very slow. The kitchen wasn’t much better they were slow and didn’t seem to have a clue either. The restaurant manager tried his best but it certainly wasn’t easy for him at all.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

We would certainly have to think twice about eating here again. There are other places in aviemore that you could have dinner in of an evening. The girl who worked in the bar was very helpful and kind she sorted our drinks for us to save us having to go across to the main bar as we were eating in the restaurant. She even came up with a non alcoholic cocktail for me that was really nice, we would have to think twice about staying here again. Which is a shame as it has easy access to the town. We had stayed here a number of years ago before I became ill. And it was such a lovely stay at the hotel. The food and service were very good. Nothing like we experienced this time but that was back in the early 2000.