Macdonald Cardrona Hotel - Peebles

Trip12947458446

Just returned fron a 2 night break it was fantastic. Thanks to Vitalii,Salim,Carol, Michael and Maks, who were lovely so polite and helpful. Food was amazing.imaculately clean in every area. Stunning surroundings. Some of the furnishings are a bit dated nut it's a very busy place. Leisure facilities are superb. Some of the reviews I had read before my visit really put me off, I'm so glad we went beginning to end was fault free. And the weather was great.

Rachel B.

Just back from staying 1 night B&B with a spa treatment. Staff are so friendly, so polite and helpful. Spa was exceptional, and massage was beautiful. Pool / gym is open to members so it’s well used, and rooms are dated but everything was still nice. Toilet didn’t flush however phoned reception and maintenance fixed straight away. Food & Drink was lovely, 2 courses with 2 alcoholic drinks was £70 and service was super quick. Breakfast was lovely, gets busy around 9 so go before if you want it quieter. Will recommend however could do with some TLC. 🩷

C J.

Booked a night away with spa package for me and my friend. We arrived just before 12 noon and knew we would be able to check in from 3pm but could use the facilities until then. We were greeted warmly at reception and headed down to the spa. The staff there were great, offered to change our treatment times by bringing them forward if we would prefer, this turned out perfectly. We had afternoon tea at 12.30 which was delicious and the perfect amount of freshly prepared treats, we were seated at the window with the sunshine beating in on us. So lovely. Our treatments were at 2pm. Massage and facial 2 x25 mins each. The spa was so calm and clean. My therapist Olyia was wonderful. I felt it couldn't have been any better in any way. Excellent back massage and the facial was the best I've ever had. We chatted after and she recommended some of the products I'd particularly liked which suited my skin best. I was delighted to purchase some Elemis goodies which were beautifully packaged and significantly cheaper than I'd have paid in Sephora or John Lewis. Overall 10/10 for making me feel looked after. We'd chosen to upgrade our twin room to deluxe and had uninterrupted views of the trees and golf course as the window comprised of double doors that opened completely allowing us to relax further in the room on the comfy armchairs in the fresh air. Bathroom was spotless with powerful large walk in shower. Elemis products throughout. We'd booked for dinner at 7.15pm and were again greeted warmly by the team we'd met earlier when we'd had afternoon tea. Food was great, monkfish scampi and gyoza to start, lemon and thyme chicken for main and all cooked well and very tasty. We didn't feel rushed nor did we feel overlooked. 2 hours later we had enjoyed a couple of drinks and headed back to the room. Twin beds were very comfy, squishy mattress topper made it feel like sleeping on a cloud. Quiet restful sleep. Breakfast was buffet style, all hot and freshly cooked. Great selection of both hot and cold food. Great coffee. We were glad we'd taken a trip away for the night to treat ourselves and recharge and left feeling we'd been well looked after.

lisa S.

If you like to run/walk/golf/cycle then you will love this hotel. Great that it is also really dog friendly.||We stayed for 2 nights in Feb 2025. We had been a few times and worried it had went downhill after reading some of the reviews but it was just as good as before. Rooms are a bit tired but the views are stunning, lovely walk to Peebles, 1.5km to Glentress and food and drink in the hotel was great quality. Staff are all friendly and hard working and Salim in the restaurant was great. Reception staff are lovely. If you can get a table for breakfast by the window, the views are stunning. Very relaxing and chilled break, would recommend and can’t wait to come back.

Babatunde S.

I personally wished I knew of this hotel much sooner. Our family loved it.
The rooms are clean, that's coming from a cleaning pro. The amenities are just what you need, you can play outdoor, go for a long walk, pay golf, swing, sauna, gym and the sitting area and restaurants are quite big and the atmosphere is quite relaxing. This is a really lovely place.

The best way to summarise my feedback is: Macdonald Cardrona Hotel is what a great hotel should be, old school etiquette of not compromising that just rework for everyone.

H A.

This was my first visit to this hotel. I booked it for me and my husband for Valentine’s weekend.

The room was nice. The only bad thing I can say it’s an old style hotel. The TV in the room doesn’t work. We got moved to another room and it had the same problem. Plus the WiFi doesn’t work.

The restaurant was a really nice and the food was great.

The staff were so friendly and helpful. In particular the lady with the blond hair ( think head of house keeping) was nicest person I have met. She helped in the restaurant/front desk/cleaning.

The lift doesn’t work so you have to use the stairs. So just be aware of that.

I went to the Spa and that was so nice. It was lovely treat. So much to offer in the spa. My husband played gold and he said it was a lovely course.

DM

Staff were excellent - all very helpful and friendly. Room was great - bed very comfortable and great view from the window. There was a tile a little loose in the bathroom but not a big issue for me. Very clean and good selection of teas available. Pool is a good size but you can’t see very clearly when doing lengths - it is very “foggy”. Breakfast was excellent on my first morning as it was made to order. Not so great on the second morning as the fried breakfast items were only warm and in food warmers to help yourself. Evening meal was lovely.

Magda S.

We planned a one-day trip and stayed at this hotel for one night. Since it is a four-star hotel, we expected a high standard. Unfortunately, we were disappointed—not only with the rooms but also with the overall experience.

The furniture was outdated and in need of replacement. The curtains looked like they belonged in a historic palace rather than a modern hotel. The bed was extremely uncomfortable, with a mattress that was too soft, causing back pain in the morning. The duvet cover was torn, and the bed itself showed clear signs of wear. The carpet had stains of various colors, which did not add to the cleanliness of the room.

The bathroom had a spacious and decent shower cabin, but the bathtub was chipped, and a spiderweb was hanging near the ventilation.

For such a large hotel, the restaurant was surprisingly small. Guests were divided into groups, and we only managed to get a dinner slot at 8:00 PM. There were six waiters on the floor, but they seemed disorganized. One person took the order, while another served the food, resulting in a chaotic dining experience. The waitstaff lacked knowledge of the menu. When we asked about the type of beef used in a dish, the response was simply, "meat." When we inquired about the specific cut, the waiter was unable to answer and did not make an effort to check with the kitchen.

Additionally, I received a different dish than the one I had ordered and had to wait another ten minutes for the correct one. The food itself was mediocre and lukewarm, likely because the waiters were struggling to find the right tables. The same issue occurred at breakfast—we had to wait outside the restaurant for 20 minutes due to its limited capacity.

During dinner, the dining area was also uncomfortably cold.

Overall, the surrounding area is beautiful and worth visiting, but I would not recommend this hotel.