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Reviews of Mackays Hotel

3 out of 5
Mackays Hotel
The Square, Strathpeffer, Scotland

Reviews

6.6
Rating 10 - Excellent. 12 out of 91 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 27 out of 91 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 32 out of 91 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 12 out of 91 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 8 out of 91 reviews" "

7.2/10

Cleanliness

7.0/10

Staff & service

6.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020
Response from Debbie Scott on 9 Mar 2020
Thank you for scoring your stay, I hope we see you again in the future.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

8/10 Good

RACHEL

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Good choice for the area
We were desperate for accommodation in Inverness and couldn't find anything available so we ended up in Strathpeffer. The hotel is old, reasonably clean, fairly quiet and comfortable enough. The breakfast was great, service was faultless. We also had dinner there one night and it was excellent. Was it worth £90 per night???
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019

6/10 Okay

derek

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Very basic clean enough tho nice breakfast
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

6/10 Okay

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Suzanne

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

6/10 Okay

Linda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A long way from anywhere ( our choice) very uncomfortable bed tiny TV no bar fridge. 7 miles to good local pub. Good food
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019

8/10 Good

Chris

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel with character
Had to ring Hotels.com after I'd checked in because the hotel tried to charge me when I'd already paid in advance. Probably a glitch in the booking system. But the staff were friendly and Hotels.com rang them to ensure it was paid. Had a meal in the evening and a breakfast which was fine. Lovely old building. Even had a swimming pool which we used free of charge before dinner. Would stay again if in the area.
Stayed 1 night in May 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 1 night in May 2019

10/10 Excellent

Ian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great staff and lovely room
I thought the staff were really friendly and helpful. I ate in the hotel and the food was good and very promptly served. My accommodation was one of the spacious, clean lodge rooms. All in all, it was extremely good value.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 16 Nov 2018
Thank you for taking the time to right such a kind review, I hope we see you again in the future.

6/10 Okay

anna, western isles

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
1 night in Strapeffer
We stayed here 1 night, our room was in separate building which was fine although in the morning you have to go to main building for breakfast, we were lucky it was dry. Breakfast was very good. The night before we ate in the deli across from hotel, it is v small but cosy we had delicious homemade pizza also has very good drink selection, there is another small restaurant 2 min walk "red poppy" looked v good.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 16 Nov 2018
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, I hope we see you again in the future.

4/10 Poor

Mildred

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
In need of improvement
Most of the staff were friendly, but the hotel is badly in need of an upgrade. Towels were threadbare and the room was cold with no additional blankets provided.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 16 Nov 2018
I am sorry to hear you were unhappy with aspects of your stay we have taken your comments on board.

6/10 Okay

Eilidh, Scotland

Liked: Cleanliness
Pleasant location in lovely village
Main issue ..... would have been a good breakfast, IF, it had at least been warm or preferably, hot...... everything was cold on each of the three cooked breakfasts brought to the table. The hotel is very tired but do not think it would take much to improve the outside of the building and make a better first impression.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 11 Sept 2018
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, I take your comments on board to avoid disappointment for future guests.

6/10 Okay

Chris

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
It's what you expect and that's cool.
We were warmly received by the team at MacKay's hotel, and they were super helpful over email before the stay too. The waiting staff at breakfast were really jolly even when faced with a busy room full of guests. The hotel is in a great location on the square for access to the main village and local attractions. Next door to the pavillions which is the main point of our visit (156 steps from door to door). Plenty of car parking as long as you get there early but you can find other places to park if not. In terms of the rooms - it was in line with what I was expecting- this is basic accommodation but doesn't pretend to be otherwise. Beds are comfy, showers are hot and work well, the place was clean and tidy. Yeah it's all a bit tired and basic but if you're paying £110 for a room for three/four people in a room you can overlook this. The price is reasonable for the type of accomodation and the local area. The Wifi is a bit hit and miss but it's only really meant for the shared areas and not for the bedrooms. Breakfast was good standard, again in line with expectations. The pool and sauna are a nice addition and we had a laugh in there with the free pool inflatables, again all clean and tidy and seemed safe.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 25 Aug 2018
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, I hope we see you again in the future if visiting Strathpeffer.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 25 Aug 2018
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful surroundings
Food at restaurant good not great. Parking when hotel is busy is crowded. Hotel staff exceptional room very comfortable
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 8 Aug 2018
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, I hope we see you again in the future.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Hotel okay, room very dark. bed very solid. breakfast very understaffed
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 11 Aug 2018
Thank you for reviewing your stay I will look into the matter raised.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Didn't appreciate the plastic under blanket
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 14 Aug 2018
All beds are covered with mattress protectors, I am sorry you did not like this but these are in place to preserve the mattresses for our guests.

6/10 Okay

Charlie, Ipswich Suffolk

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
A very run down hotel that time has passed bye. I would not recommend this hotel to anybody. There are far nicer hotels in Strathpeffer with up to date facilities.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 30 Jun 2018
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, I am sorry to hear you we unhappy with aspects of your stay, I do hope this did not ruin your time in the village.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Great if you're 60+ on a coaching holiday
If you are part of a coaching party, strathpeffer caters for you, it's a coach orientated resort. If you are traveling for work, pay the extra and stay in Inverness, you then won't be subjected to set menu's which consist of half a pie, two boiled potatoes (yes that's right, two) and a smattering of carrots... The kind of meal your average coach connoisseur would heartly enjoy I'm sure.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 26 Jun 2018
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, I am sorry to hear you were unhappy with aspects of your stay. We have many non coach guests who visit us on a regular basis and are delighted with the food provided, I can however appreciate we are not to everyone's taste.

2/10 Terrible

Kelly

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Don't stay here
This was an awful stay, the room was not as advertised at all, in fact we were put in what appeared to be an old staff lodge, the room was advertised as having a shower/bath combo and climate control heating, this wasn't true. The bath didn't have enough hot water to fill up, and the boiler was in the bedroom so it made a very loud noise. The room was also uncomfortably hot. When I asked for assistance no help was given, I asked 3 times. The final time I was told to open the window - something I had already done. Food was also poor.
Stayed 1 night in May 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 26 Jun 2018
I am sorry to hear you were unhappy with your stay, our apartments are loved and many returning guests request them, I do appreciate they are not to everyone's taste. All rooms have individual radiators and can control the temperature to their taste, they can also be switched off completely if that is required. We have had unseasonably hot weather recently which is very unexpected for the Scottish Highlands air conditioning is something not normally required.

10/10 Excellent

Fiona

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in May 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 26 Jun 2018
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, hopefully we see you again in the future.

8/10 Good

alan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Mackays
Limited menu so I eat elsewhere
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 26 May 2018
I am sorry you were unhappy with our menu choices, our new menu will be available to our guests soon.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
MscKays Hotel
Hotel clean enough but very tired needs a good upgrade Food was fine but room very small but again clean. OK for what we needed
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2018
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 26 Jun 2018
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, I hope we see you again in the future.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Fawlty towers😁
Passing through on NC500... ok for a nights kip & a wee swim...£64 for 3 of us including breakfast was good!

6/10 Okay

Dan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, hopefully we will see you again in the future. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

6/10 Okay

Jonathan

Liked: Cleanliness
Bed for the night
Friendly check in, room was located off main hotel building. Large room. Hotel seems to cater for large coach parties. Leisure facility was being used for kids lessons, but looks dated. Breakfast ok, nothing special. Stay was booked as other hotels were far more expensive, this wasn't cheap by any means, would stay again, but only as a last resort.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, I do hope we see you again in the future. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

10/10 Excellent

Sarah, Northern California

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place in Strathpeffer!
Good nights sleep at Mackays in Strathpeffer on our way to the Orkneys. The breakfast was great too. The very best part came a week later when we stopped back by to see if forgotten items were still there. They still had my USA/UK electrical cord and adapter. I was finally able to have nice hair again! Thanks so much!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 11 Sept 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, I am very pleased we were able to return your items to you. I hope this makes the rest of your trip a little easier. Hopefully we will see you again if you return to the Highlands.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Good breakfast un the hotel. Sorry bit I do not add more.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 7 Sept 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay I am pleased to hear you enjoyed your breakfast. Hopefully we will see you again in the future.

6/10 Okay

robert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay. Hopefully we will see you again in the future. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

6/10 Okay

Pavan

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Mackay's hotel
Pretty dated rooms. Very few electrical points in room. No internet even in cafe next to reception. Serious need for upgrading. Though two rooms booked at the time but allocated separate floors
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay. Unfortunately due to the room types you required they are not all located close together within the building, we allocated the rooms as close together as we could. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
the shower was really bad - we run out of hot water after 1 shower.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay. I am sorry to hear you ran out of hot water this is something I will look into as a matter of urgency. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
The breakfast was disgusting. We did not dare try the evening meal or go for breakfast the following morning. The sheets and duvets were stained heavily. The bathroom floor was grubby. The radiator had been turned off in our room and it was cold.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2017
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 9 Sept 2017
I am sorry to hear that you were unhappy with your stay, I would like to discuss this further if you are willing. Please get in touch at your earliest convenience.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Nice location staff need training service slow and unorganised food very poor
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2017
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 27 Aug 2017
I am sorry to hear you did not have an enjoyable stay. I am surprised to hear your comments regarding the food and service as while we do not profess to be 5 star we get many great comments regarding our food and the staff. I do hope this would not deter you from future visits.

6/10 Okay

Rae

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
wi fi connection virtually non existent. hotel is used for bus tour parties as are most in the town. ask for room in the lodges at rear, as some rooms only have a bath and no shower or shower attachment. (room 5). only one restuarant in the town. breakfast ok - sausages no taste whatsoever.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay. Unfortunately our complimentary WIFI is not yet available in every room although this is something we are working on. I am sorry you did not like the sausages at breakfast I will take this into consideration when looking at menu options. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay I do hope we see you again in the future. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manger

10/10 Excellent

Roddy, West Vancouver, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect Location on Strathpeffer Square
The Manager is wonderful and so are the young women from other countries who serve the food. The Scottish woman who appeared to be in charge of the breakfast dining room was however annoying. Our room had a lovely view of the Strathpeffer Square so we could watch the Strathpeffer Pipe Band perform.
Strathpepper Pipe Band in the Square
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 9 Sept 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay. I am very pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay, hopefully we will see you again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Vicky

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good for an overnight
My boyfriend and I stayed here for a wedding at the Pavillion next door so the location was perfect. Right next door and within stumbling distance. The exterior isn't much to look at and inside its not too special, but for an overnight it was just the ticket. We were in room 5 above the reception and it had a beautiful view. Nice and bright with 2 windows and a comfortable bed. There was only a bath though, no showers. Breakfast was nice, lovely servers and typical scottish highland breakfast. I went for a swim in the pool and to use the showers there. Very small but I was the only one there so was fine. If anyone else had been there it would have been crowded. I also used the steam room. This is right next to the kitchen so its pretty loud but I didnt care much. The pool and "gym" are round the side of the building and not very well sign posted. All in all it was just what we needed for a night but nothing special.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, I am pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay and found it suited your purpose. Hopefully you will visit again if back in Strathpeffer Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

8/10 Good

Jane , Portsmouth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good hotel, basic with nice & friendly staff.
Visited the town for a wedding in the Spa- great location for a wedding. The hotel located within easy stumbling distance of the Spa. Took time to visit the area, Inverness, Dornock (gorgeous) and the surrounding countryside(wonderful). Only a weekend- short but very sweet. Great Pipe band every Saturday in the wee town square. Bonny Spa town.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2017
Response from Debbie Scott, General Manager on 9 Sept 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay. I am pleased to hear that you had an enjoyable stay unfortunately yes our accommodation is split over three buildings which can be a little confusing. I hope this would not deter you from future visits.

10/10 Excellent

lior

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, hopefully we will see you again in the future. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

8/10 Good

Richard

Disliked: Room comfort
Basic but adequate
Room was basic but clean. Noise from the entertainment was loud, so I went to join in! Not great if I'd had children with me, but fortunately I didn't.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review you stay. Noise is not something we normally have an issue with so I do apologise if you were disturbed during your stay. If you were to visit us again we can always allocate a quieter room for you. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Not Great
Restaurant staff seemed more interested in talking to each other than serving customers, not very helpful or polite. Staff members seems to hang around lounge area of extension building which I found very intimidating, especially when they were all outside smoking and not moving to let you get into the building, felt these members of staff really let the hotel down. The hotel itself is in need of upgrading throughout.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017
I am sorry to hear that that you did not have an enjoyable stay. We receive many wonderful comments regarding our staff on a daily basis so I am surprised by your comments, nevertheless I take all complaints seriously. The hotel is in need of upgrading and while we have completed many areas including reception, bar area and toilets, pool area and around 30 bedrooms this all takes time as much as we wish we could do it all at once it is not possible. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

2/10 Terrible

Harald

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017
I am sorry to see that you were unhappy with your stay, if you would care to elaborate please contact the hotel directly and ask for myself. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

6/10 Okay

Fiona

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Lovely location
The room was clean....lovely location
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2017
Thank you for taking the time to review your stay, hopefully we will see you again in the future. Kind Regards Debbie Scott General Manager

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2017

8/10 Good

laura

Everythings ok
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2017

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Ok for one night
Good bits - Friendly staff - Nice breakfast Bad bits - Very very outdated hotel - Wifi did not work in rooms or reception area - Dinner was not served past 8pm!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place
Nice friendly place, great spa facilities. Not much in the village but a short drive takes you to the town. Would love to stay again