Name: Hilton Grand Vacations Club Craigendarroch Suites
Address: Braemar Road, Ballater, Aberdeenshire, AB35 5XA, GB

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2026

Stephanie

10/10 for families

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2026

Rachel

We’ve had an excellent stay at Craigendarroch, I can’t really fault anything. Our suite was beautifully decorated, clean and comfortable and very thoughtfully equipped. We also enjoyed use of the pool and had a lovely meal in the Keiller restaurant.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2026

emma

The room, bar and staff were all amazing.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 May 2026

Jill

Excellent experience in a lovely location. Highly recommend this place for a relaxing getaway!

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2026

Terry

We loved the hotel and the grounds, we had a balcony and we were able to see squirrels, rabbits, all sorts of birds…even pheasant. The suite was so spacious and relaxing. The restaurant and bar were great and all the wait staff so friendly. We found the location very convenient for car day trips and walks to the village. We would definitely recommend this property.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 May 2026

tony

Great place, great location. Our room was very clean and the gentlemen working the restaurant and bar was marvelous. He was very friendly and cheerful!

Partner

4/10

Poor

17 May 2026

David

Wasn’t a suite as advertised, rather a room with a sink. Breakfast was only from 8.30am to 10am which was limited and basic. Staff were charmless. No bar service after 10pm to guests which was ridiculous given we were at a remote location in a Saturday night.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 May 2026

Eleanor

Excellent hotel room was lovely and spotless clean.
Surprised we had a toaster, microwave, cutlery & crockery.
Staff were really friendly. We certainly will come back as we didn’t have much time to use the pool and other facilities

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

09 May 2026

Sofya

We had an amazing time at the hotel. It’s very family friendly: great food, lots of amenities for kids, especially at the swimming pool! Will be back

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2026

Vincent

Good location

Partner

2/10

Poor

14 Apr 2026

Scott

Hotel app charged £300+ for changing dates within minutes when i had originally booked the wrong dates in error. Phoned help centre but got nowhere. Very disappointing, wont use Hotel.com again better just phoning the hotel directly.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Apr 2026

Hamida

Did not use all the facilities but had a wonderful stay. Be great to have a similar hotel near Aviemore as that is where we spent most our time. Loved the spacious and very clean suite that we stayed in.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2026

Thomas

Great location, brilliant facilities, lovely food.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2026

Jill

Our suite was perfect for a 2 night stay.
The facilities were excellent: swimming pool, sauna, table tennis, squash and fitness room. All set in lovely surroundings near Ballater. Really enjoyed a relaxing break

Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Feb 2026

Paul

Modern finish, everything clean.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jan 2026

Eileen

Very comfortable. Great facilities. Spotlessly clean

Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Dec 2025

KATHRYN

Nice apartment . Very clean ,roomy

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Nov 2025

Chris

It was perfect for our honeymoon stay. Drove over 500 miles to get there and it was worth it. It is paradise on earth. It is high quality and has amazing amenities. The staff are awesome too.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Nov 2025

Anne

Good leasure facilities. Also, Martin at the bar was a staff standout.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Nov 2025

Jean Claude

All aspects of room, facilities and restaurant, ticked all the boxes. The staff are also very friendly and attentive.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Oct 2025

Catriona

A

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2025

Tonia

Suite immaculate and well equipped.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2025

Simon

Excellent pool/spa

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2025

Deborah

Very conveniently located for the gathering and village of Ballater.

Leisure

4/10

Poor

16 Aug 2025

MamieTekle

For £300 a night the view of the car park was unacceptable plus constant noise from the room above made to spoil my birthday treat.

8/10

Excellent

04 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Good friendly hotel in amazing location.

We had a lovely stay in The Hilton overall, however we did have to move rooms as the first room we had was very noisy with people walking and moving around above us being very audible. This is due to the fact that it is an old building with squeaky floorboards and poor noise insulation! The next room was lovely but very very hot due to being above the swimming pool and the sun shining directly into the room for most of the day. It could do with some air conditioning to help! The staff were really pleasant nad helpful, the hotel is clean and rooms very well equipped. We had room only therefore did not try the breakfast on offer, we did have dinner in the Keilor Restaurant one night which was average, perhaps even a little disappointing in terms of the food quality and the restaurant is also very noisy! There are some great places to eat down in the town of Ballater so we chose to go there instead which was fantastic.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2025

Joyce

We have stayed at Craigendarroch several times before, always in one of the lodges. This time we chose a Junior Suite in the hotel.
Everything was even better than expected. Lovely accommodation, friendly staff and great facilities.
We will definitely return.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jul 2025

Vernon

Exceptional in every way.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2025

April

Beautiful location

Great location for us. We are touring Scotland and we stopped here after driving through Cairngorm National Park on our way to Stonehaven. We spent 2 wonderful nights. Every meal was fantastic and Lucie is amazing. She is so friendly & kind and a very hard working waitress who was there all day from breakfast to dinner. She took great care to insure my meals were gluten-free and dairy-free. She is an asset to the establishment. The pool, hot tub and gym were clean and welcoming. We were there on a very hot day for Scotland and they brought us an extra fan to help cool the room. I enjoyed walking the gardens, so beautiful and peaceful. The coffee in the room for the french press was delicious . We enjoyed our stay and if ever we return to Scotland we'd book again! Thank you!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2025

Gary

Lovely hotel in a beautiful area

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

02 May 2025

David

The hotel was very clean and staff were great. Rooms look like they have just been upgraded.

Only negative would be that the bar on a Saturday night closed at 10pm.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Apr 2025

Kenneth

Place was so peaceful. Staff friendly and helpful .room was lovely clean lots off space lovely balcony with view .could not find a fault at all .will definitely be back

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2025

Hugh

On accommodation alone, 5 stars. Staff were lovely and accommodating. Restaurant was good but just that. Service excellent but food unexceptional. Okay but I've had better. A lot of it felt bought in rather than developed and cooked on site.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

26 Jan 2025

PETER

We stayed in one of the lodge suites - 2 adults 2 kids. Beautiful room in a lovely building. Disappointing was the breakfast options. Hot breakfast only available from 10 am. A reasonably priced (for hiilton!) continental breakfast was available for delivery between 8 and 9 if you pre booked the night before (we missed that detail)). Another annoying detail was check out at 10 am! 10 am on a Sunday morning is pretty brutal!

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2025

Alice

Hogmanay Stay

Fantastic stay over the Hogmanay period. Beautiful room and friendly staff

Partner

8/10

Excellent

15 Dec 2024

james

Shortened stay

Poor check in and out due to very late check in (4pm) and early check out (10am) for aSunday check out and no cooked breakfast available until 10am.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2024

Michael

First class all the way 👍👍

6/10

Pleasant

21 Nov 2024

Christopher

Nice. But no breakfast.

It’s a very nice hotel. The pool has been redone and is much better but changing rooms pretty average.

Public areas nice.

But. No breakfast at a hotel like this is absolutely outrageous. They offer a bag of bread to toast yourself in your room.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Oct 2024

Luna

The staff at this property were very kind and helpful, I was pleasantly surprised with our stay and would love to stay again in the future, thank you!

6/10

Pleasant

14 Oct 2024

BUELL

Gym & wet areas werenice as was room

Front Desk staff was only good for twlling you what they couldn’t do: get a taxi, get an extended checkout, find a shuttle service, etc.

Housekeeping did minimal cleanup - left kitchen dirty, next to nothing in room cleaned.

Will NEVER come back here!

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2024

Giulia

The location is gorgeous, the staff are excellent and we got an upgrade to a suite that was beautiful and had a lovely balcony. Could have not asked for better!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Sep 2024

Mark

Excellent facilities and staff. We will definitely return and highly recommend!

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

11 Sep 2024

Heather

Dated

The place was nice but dated. If you order breakfast, know in advance that they bring you a packet of coffee, not a pot of coffee. We already had free packets of coffee in the room. They did remove the $3.50 charge when I asked them to, although not happily.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2024

Glenn

.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jul 2024

William

Great Property

Overall this was a great property. The 1br suite was large and well equipped. The kids loved the two large pools and ping pong room. The location was great and service was exceptional. Highly recommend. Wish we had stayed longer.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jun 2024

Sebastien

-

10/10

Exceptional

28 May 2024

Debbie

Exactly as described. We loved our junior suite and the bed was perfect. Big roomy bathroom a plus. Nice toiletries and decent fluffy towels.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 May 2024

Forbes

Lucy & Christine in the Keillor Lounge made us very welcome once again and the entire Craigendarroch environment was, as usual, very relaxing, whilst the gardens at this time of year are spectacular . Great job by a great team.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 May 2024

Ben

Property & room were well appointed and maintained. Room seating was uncomfortable as sofa was a sleeper and chair was stiff, but really, most time is spent out of the room. No AC so we were hot when outside temps were in the 50’sF. In fairness this is common in Scotland.
Very nice pools - yes more than 1 - plus restaurant and separate informal lounge. Good food, but breakfast hours start at 10. Doting staff. Perfect service.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 May 2024

Alan

Expensive

At £220 a night a few simple things like robes, biscuits and even a disposable show cap might have been included. We stayed in a very nice room in pitlochry the next night for just under £100, basically we felt the hotel was expensive.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Apr 2024

Paul

Excellent rooms.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2024

Rhona

Loved the luxury, delicious food and service from all staff. Leisure facilities were superb. Our third time here and it was brilliant!

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

24 Mar 2024

Rhys

They never answer the phone. No room service and no breakfast u til 10:00AM. Check out was also at 10:00 AM.

Awful stay and very pricey.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Mar 2024

Daniel

Good quality hotel in a fantastic location

It didn’t let us down. We primarily chose the hotel because of the location, which I cannot recommend enough. Perfect for our one-night trip to get away for the weekend. Beautiful scenery, fantastic walks on the door-step (Burn O’Vat a particular delight, literally felt like you were walking through a waterfall into a different world), and a lovely, well kept village to wander round for an afternoon.
We chose the Hilton primarily because it had a pool and because we expected a good level of quality given the brand reputation. It didn’t disappoint. We went for the smallest room, which was still plenty large for us, and the facilities were just as advertised. Good cleanliness, professional staff and a comfortable bed. The restaurant was particularly good, better than expected, and worth staying in the hotel rather than going down into the town from our opinion. The one negative was that they don’t do a ‘hotel breakfast’ service, only a continental room service option which looked expectedly overpriced. Brunch begins at 10am, but the options are limited (no full Scottish breakfast!). However, given the number of good cafe options in Ballater this wasn’t a problem and not a deal breaker for us.
A very enjoyable stay, would have no qualms about returning and doing it all again.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Feb 2024

William

Terrible staff work in the hotel

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2023

Ana

Location was perfect for easy access to town and palace tours.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2023

Graeme

Very friendly and helpful staff. Comfortable room. Great lounge and excellent restaurant.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Sep 2023

abdul

It is a beautiful location. The suit was roomy, clean and well equipped. Some of the staff are poorly trained. As an example my wife ordered Halibut for dinner and wanted it cooked pink ( not well done) The waitress told us that the hotel could not do that under health ans safety rules. We suggested that she went and had a word with the chef who said, absolutely no problem!!! The staff at the reception are completely unhelpful. And for breakfast the only option is to have a little wire mesh container delivered to your room which contains a croissant, a muffin, a small carton of yogurt and an orange juice. There was no fresh coffee or tea. We were delivered a packet of coffee powder and expected to make coff in the room!!!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Sep 2023

Leslie

The property is lovely except that there is a lot of construction happening. The biggest downside for us was the heat....the room had a small fan and even with both windows open all night, it could not cool us off. Global warming is happening.....bigger fans and top sheets are needed. The food in the restaurant was quite good also.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2023

Philip

Great Place, Great Stay!

A wonderful break. We were put into Suite 11, which I swear was the bridal suite. Beautiful bedroom and lounge (with dining table) with a microwave and fridge along with the usual coffee/tea/etc. We also had a lovely meal in the Keiller restaurant, a little pricey but every now and again this is OK when accompanied by high quality food.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Aug 2023

Isobel

Not quite what expected

Didn't know when I booked that room has kitchenette and if wanted anything to eat before 10 am it was a case of make it yourself. Evening meals were delicious and good value.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2023

Mark

Friendly staff and beautiful room. Recommended.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2023

Vicky

Really lovely room and the staff were all so friendly!

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2023

Heather

Relaxing stay near beautiful views

The Hilton was a beautiful stay. We booked 4 nights in a suite. The suite had 2 bathrooms, a refrigerator, microwave, 'kitchen' sink and a living space. It was private and quite. It is a great location just outside of the town and near hiking trails. The only downside was that the pool was closed for renovations during our stay. We did get a massage, it was in the 'spa' which felt more like an extra bonus room that they set up a space.
Overall, our stay was relaxing and very enjoyable! I would recommend staying here.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 May 2023

Neil

Short Stay

Lovely Hotel, although a way out of Ballater. I assumed it was a short walk into the town going by the website however this is not the case. Nice room although a fare walk from reception with two lifts to negotiate and luggage. No offer of help with luggage or even a trolley! Room and bed very comfortable, although the bathroom was incredibly small.
Not sure it was worth the price we paid for the stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2023

Verified traveler

Lovely room, hotel and village.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Apr 2023

David

The reason for choosing this hotel was the leisure facilities which we've used before. Not until after we'd made the booking did they email us to say the leisure facilities were closed for repair. I asked for some compensation and was told bluntly \"No\" and that the booking couldn't be cancelled. Rude and a rip-off. The room we were given over looked a flat roof with machinery - not exactly Royal Deeside. Won't be going back.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Feb 2023

Hazel

Having searched for and booked a hotel with a spa I was disappointed to learn the spa was only open 3 weekdays and not at all at the weekend. On arrival I discovered the advertised swimming pool and leisure suite was closed for refurbishment for the next 8 months. I also found it odd to be asked to pay for a continental breakfast having paid £150 for a single overnight stay. The hotel itself was lovely, staff fantastic but I was left feeling as if I had been sold a pig in a poke.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Sep 2022

Richard

Third time at Cragendarroch says it all.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2022

David

A fantastic location in a very pleasant and exciting location in Scotland.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

23 Jul 2022

Ronnie

Was a typical Hilton Hotel nice room friendly staff and easy parking, the bar restaurant lacked atmosphere the fish and chips wasn’t good at all the local chip shop far exceeds the fish was too long out the sea and chips dry as if cooked and kept hot very poor food for the price I wouldn’t eat here again

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

13 Jun 2022

Paul

Utter rubbish for cost.

Utter rubbish, restaurant closed, lounge closed, bar closed at 9.30.
Room had various steps within it.
No cooked breakfast, just substandard continental left outside room in a bag.
Also the rooms are not being serviced daily.
They should close or offer a substantially reduced rate.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 May 2022

Gary

Great Location

Lovely spa and pool - a well equipped suite, stunning views and very helpful staff. Only a short walk into Ballater - lots of interesting shops By Royal Appointment. Would stay again.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2022

Nigel

Excellent short break; we'll be back.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

20 Dec 2021

david

food was substandard and operating hours terribl

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2021

Ashley

Suite is a great standard of accommodation. Service was also excellent. We didn’t eat at hotel as some great options in town. Felt safe in this covid madness. We will stay again

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Sep 2021

Lynda

Hotel suite was very clean and well stocked.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2021

John

Good hotel, nice staff .

Great hotel & lovely suite (25), with a double balcony. Nicely appointed with fridge, microwave & adequate crockery. The we pool was good, but you need to book in advance to use it & get a time slot. Breakfast is not available in the restaurant at the moment, only room service breakfast available, so we walked into Ballater for breakfast, where the choice was good & cheaper than room service. Our friends were in suite 6, not as nice, fairly dark room & their external door opened onto the rear passageway of the hotel where the laundry collection point was. I’m surprised that both rooms were priced the same at £211 per room per night, as suite 6 was not as nice as 25. As you use the path down the side of the hotel, via the playground, to walk into town, the 4 lights on this path, are not working & need fixing ASAP, as visibility is very poor on the way back in the dark.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2021

Gary

Anniversary mini break

Excellent accommodation & service in the dining area, would highly recommend this resort.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

it is in a beautiful setting, lovely trees.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

The property is very nice, it has very nice grounds. It was very clean and the suite was very nice.
What I did not like was the very very low water pressure in the shower and all taps. I thought it was to do maybe with the time we were taking the shower, but it actually happened at all times.
The view of our room wasn't great either, overlooking a roof. The property has many rooms and it's immerse in nature, so it was very disappointing to have to look at a roof of another building.
I have been a Hilton Gold member for many years, it was nice to have a couple of complimentary water bottles, but
it was also strange to be told by receptionist that this place wasn't a Hilton property and therefore we could not get complimentary breakfast with Gold member. And all i could see in the hotel was stickers of Hilton brand everywhere.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Jun 2021

Steven

Very enjoyable, highly recommend.

Very nice room, hotel and grounds. Service was excellent, staff very good. Restaurant was also enjoyable.
Only downside was no air con in rooms though and with linked balconies wasn't comfortable leaving the balcony door open so a bit warm at night. Desktop fan was provided in room though.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Nov 2020

Verified traveler

Perfect relaxing weekend away

Great service and lovely clean rooms!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2020

Verified traveler

Spacious and comfortable studio, very well furnished.
Felt like a home.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

Really fantastic hotel and great facilities. Thank you. K

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

13 Feb 2020

Phil

staff and suite are superb
we tried some food in the bar but were not impressed

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2019

Ginette

A gem in Ballater

Amazing hotel wuth outstanding service

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Comfortable, nice and clean

Lovely location but the trees height need to be controlled so one can enjoy the beautiful mountain views. Views is everything and I wasn’t wowed by it as it was hidden behind the trees. Beautiful & comfortable room, nice and clean. The towels were were clean, fluffy & really white how it should be. Delicious breakfast, nice service but I must say I didn’t like the breakfast room, too enclosed, low ceilings & no windows, I like to enjoy the views with fresh air. To me tea must be served in the tea pot & made with water boiled in a kettle & not by a machine. I expect that in a quality hotel. The hot water kept cutting out the cold water in the bathroom which is dangerous & water pressure could be improved. Otherwise very good service.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2019

a

Stunning scenery, amazing suites, well furnished and beautiful design. Felt like a real luxury stay. Pool was lovely and the gym was useful.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Dec 2019

David

Excellent Stay

Fantastic location, could not fault the hotel in any way. Lovely staff, very modern and comfortable rooms and meals excellent.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Dec 2019

Sarah

Excellent location for visit to Balmoral.

Quick one night stay. Provided an excellent location to visit Balmoral. Staff was very friendly and helpful and the dining options were delicious. Nice perk was the concierge via text!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2019

Kerri

Boss

Brilliant

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

Not a criticism only an observation although a fan was supplied the room was very hot, the patio doors and balcony were a bonus but you cant leave them open all night due to the gate and footpath leading off them, air con (yes even in Scotland) or a restrictor fiited to the doors would be a benefit. Overall whole experience was a wow! will certainly visit again

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

There should be a morning coffee bar prior to 8am as there is no room service

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2019

A&W

Our Jr Suite was lovely! Spacious comfort, kitchenette so we could eat our own breakfast. Ate dinner one night, and was very good. This is NOT your avg Hilton! it’s proximity to Ballater, hiking (Loch Muick), Balmoral Castle. Quaint stores, restaurants.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

19 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

Shameless and unbelievably experience for being able to check in !!!!!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Aug 2019

Linda

Very good stay at Craigendarroch Suites, Ballater.
All suites very spacious, beds comfortable and clean. Small kitchen area which had everything you needed. Good pool facilities. A walk into the lovely little town takes about 15 - 20 mins.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

Great location, great staff. Amenities lacking, no AC, no room service and pool area dated and dirty.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2019

Mark

Very good hotel in all respects, would certainly go back and would have no hesitation in recommending it

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

11 May 2019

John

Tired!!!

Craigendarroch is tired!! We booked a Suite with them for two days at about $250/night.

Get this, you need to tell them that you want your room cleaned!! Of course, they didn’t mention this when we checked in. So we left their tag saying “Please tidy my room” on the door knob at 10am. We returned at 4pm. The room was not touched. So we callled reception and they said you didn’t tell us you wanted your room cleaned!!!!

Also, no bathrobes
Small, old flat screen tv in the bedroom
The room is advertised as having a fireplace. The fireplace was an electric thing that showed a piece of material flapping in the wind!

The restaurant served a good, not included in the price, breakfast but the dining room is totally boring.

Hilton needs to put some money into this tired hotel.

Partner