Hilton Coylumbridge Hotel

We took out 2 girls (2 & 5) to stay at the HIlton for the 3rd time. again we were not dissapointed, it was an excellent weekend. we were put into a newly refurbished room, and I have to say they are a marked improvement on the old ones. Dont write this hotel off, its trying really hard, and will, after all the refurbs be an excellent luxurious place to stay. dont go without kids though, unless you are prepared for the masses! I booked early, so the price was great, I only hope they dont go up too much to pay for the renovations! Breakfast is a highlight, everything you can think of! I prefered the buffet dinner, as the set menu was a bit limited. that is the only critacisim I can make however, and will be booking soon on an excellent rate for later in the year. Staff were attentive and could not do enough for us.

We thought - it's a Hilton - 4 star Scottish Tourist Board, the Hilton web site does say anything about refurbishment; so we can't go wrong. I stayed at this hotel some thirty years ago and I am sure that the room I stayed in was the same now as it was then. Had a room on the second floor - the only access to which is a narrow winding staircase (NO LIFTS) - it was very dated; grubby and had an odd chemical-like smell - we opened the window and got rid of the smell ourselves. Room VERY basic; very old and worn furnishings; bathroom tiny and generally of very poor standard. There was a smell from the drains. The ceiling fan didn't work. Mattress on both single beds (twin room) well overdue replacement. The swimming pool is dated and in need of a facelift - definitely not up to the usual Hilton / Living Well standard. Pool tiles are grubby and changing rooms had broken lockers and the floor definitely did not look clean. They also let kids of any age into the sauna - this is the only place I have ever visited which allows under 14's into a suana. Dinner was very average and buffet style - supplement of £12 for a filet steak plus £2 for pepper sauce and £2 for French fries!!! Very steep. Overall Hilton should be ashamed of this hotel – it gives all of the other really good Hilton’s out there a bad name.. It is undergoing a three year refurbishment “with minimal disruption to guests” – I never saw any refurbishment ongoing – but having spoken to people on a Saga Holiday break – they had refurbished rooms which they said were of good standard. The Hilton should have closed the hotel for a few months and completed the refurbishment in one go. Instead it is being down over three years – they are now in year three!!! I would NEVER recommend this to anyone or go back again. Having paid £184 for a two-night Dinner B&B break in what was an average 2-star hotel charging four star prices I feel as if I have been short-changed.

We booked through tesco deals two double rooms for four adults and three children on the dinner bed and breakfast rate. We had a brilliant time, kids enjoyed the entertainment, a clown and live music on friday and a disco on saturday. Through the day we went to the fun house (a bit run down and grotty but the kids loved it) and there is also a new outdoor area with a dry ski slope, skateboarding and trampolines. It was quite damp but in the summertime this would be excellent. There is a balcony on the new woodshed bar overlooking this area and this also looked really nice. The pool was also in need of a revamp but was great for the kids and I understand it and the changing rooms are being refurbished along with the rest of the hotel in 2007 and 2008. Our room had been refurbished and was nice, we stayed in a family suite last year and it was really outdated and grotty, but these have also been refurbished. However they no longer sleep three children as before, as a result we had to book 2 rooms, so took my parents with us as well. Our only complaint was the prices and some of the service. We ate in the terracotta bistro the first night which was lovely, we received a £12.50 allowance because we paid for DBB and had to pay for anything extra. The second night we ate in the grant room, the supplements were quite high if you took anything off the standard menu, the childrens meals were a buffet and the service was really slow. So definitely consider terracottas for your evening meal. As said previously, the foreign staff were really attentive and friendly. Breakfast was lovely, but beware of a particularly miserable character who I think must be a supervisor by her uniform. We were seated at the door and never saw her smile once during our breakfast, and she was particularly off with us because one our children was booked in my parents room and they didn't have breakfast. We were going to be charged £8.50 for breakfast for them, but got this sorted out at reception, where the staff were more than helpful. Drinks are also very pricey. Place is swarming with kids which is brilliant for us, but I wouldn't come here for a romantic getaway. Will definitely be back, it should be fantastic when the refurbishment is complete

THE GOOD – child-friendly (good for younger children, perhaps less so for teenagers) – wide choice and good quality food at breakfast (e.g. proper meaty sausages rather that the paste-filled offal tubes so common these days) – room had been refurbished recently and was clean – foreign/East European staff seemed more attentive, well-trtained and customer-conscious than UK staff – a better wine list than we expected THE BAD – some staff were offhand in manner (e.g. when buying drinks at the bar, serving wine at table) – one waitress suffered from anmesia (i.e. forgetting to bring water at dinner – after being asked twice it never arrived) – ridiculously priced supplements at dinner (probably the most disappointing feature) – continually having to attract attention of staff at dinner (good food on the whole, but service definitely a bit flaky) – main course arrived before all starter plates cleared away – pool needs upgrading – UK staff sometimes seemed poorly trained/offhand – had to call housekeeping to get room made up after returning mid-afternoon and we were told 'we make up rooms for arrivals first' SUMMARY – Don't book this hotel if you are hoping for a child-free weekend or find children in any way irritating – We expected better for the price (two- and three-star quality for four-star prices) – Recommend eating out of the hotel (plenty of local restaurants to choose from) – Couldn't help but feel we were seen more as a source of revenue than as guests – Can't think of one single reason, but we probably won't come back and we doubt we would recommend this hotel to friends

First impression of hotel : Great : On entering hotel seemed to look like a motorway services, not many speaking english staff. Food ( High Teas ) where great for the kids they loved it. main meals were not to bad but could do with having a more mixed menu. Breakfast Great ! ( Fill Your Boots ) We stayed there for new year Day 1 £ 190.00 Day 2 £ 360 Day 3 £ 360. Very very expsensive but had no choice. We moved room 3 times first room was a moking room and stunk bad, so they moved us, next room a loud noise coming from pipes ( All Day And All Night ) they moved us and finally stayed in room 24 which was great, in need of a very big makeover. overhall not bad hotel.

Ok so we should have guessed from the number of rug rats in the reception hall that this wasn't the ideal spot to stage a getaway from our 9mth son but it was close to the funicular and the walk we wanted to do so we chose it anyway. The room was fine, standard Hilton, can't complain. Pool was ok but seemed more like a poorly maintained leisure centre rather than that of a luxurious hotel. We enjoyed a drink in the Woodshed bar, nice place good ambience, although permanent MTV rappers loudly on the tv screen. Dinner was well below the standard you would expect in a Hilton. Firstly the add ons to the set menu were ridiculous, £9.00 for a steak then an additional £2.00 for sauce then another £2.00 for chips if you wanted them. The wine waiter was a great comedy character who knew nothing about wine and demanded to know what number we had ordered and then it was our responsibility to check if the wine he brought was correct !! The waitress spoke such poor english that she didn't know the herb or spice that was in the soup - so tasteless that my husband couldn't tell either. Basically it had less ambience than a Toby Carvery which would be fine but its not cheap to stay and eat there. Breakfast was even worse, some waiter tried to nab my plate while I was still eating ! We would definitely go back with our son because it is very geared up for families but I think we would try and go B&B only and eat in The Woodshed or somewhere else entirely.

We have a timeshare at this Hotel but my daughter wanted to have her birthday party here, outwith our time, so we took a family suite. The family suite was perfect, spacious and nicely decorated. However, the bathroom was a disaster. The bath had mould around it and in between the bath-tiles there was dirt. We couldn't believe it and if we had a camera we certainly would have taken pictures. While the girls were having a superb time in the disco, we had planned to have an evening 'in' including a nice soak, but in that bathroom even rodents would run. It's a pity as the Hilton Coylumbridge Hotel is a hotel that we would recommend. But after such a dirty bathroom, we would suggest you ask to see the room and if the cleanliness is not up to scratch, ask that they clean the room again. The Hotel is ideal for families and children have great freedom here.There is much activity and during the day and evening there are various events to keep the whole family busy. Actually, this hotel is one of the best hotels for families we know and one of the few where parents can relax, as most of the other guests are parents as well. In the hotel there are a choice of 2 restaurants and before dinner there are special buffets catering for children. Two hours a day supervisors will look after the children for free, allowing parents a cosy and relaxed evening. They also organise early morning swims and breakfast for children, allowing parents to sleep in. The activities are in 4 groups: for toddlers, for kids, for teenagers and for the whole family. They have tennis courts, a swimming pool and a toddlers pool with a slide. There is a jacuzzi and a sauna. For those wanting a quiet or rigorous swimming exercise, there are times available for this. There is a Play House, with 2 mini golf courses, a children's crazy space, bowling, air hockey, computer consoles and a restaurant. It's also a great hotel for groups and business and even for couples, a good 'all-rounder'. Furthermore, summers and winters are special in Scotland. It's centrally located, with day trips to the Malt Whisky Trail, Castle Trail, Inverness, Perth, Stirling or Balmoral and lovely walks in the Cairngorms, a National Park. Loch Morley and Loch Shin offer watersports and are a 10 minutes drive away. Rothiemurchus and other estates next door organise daily events and thus there is no way that anybody would get bored at this hotel.

This hotel is certainly not a 4-star establishment, but I would have no qualms about going back there. I thought the food was very nice indeed, and the staff were all incredibly friendly. The lunch service wasn't up to scratch, but I put that down to George at the cafe bar being left pretty much on his own for an entire afternoon - not his fault, but something the hotel management should look at. It is an extremely kid-friendly place, so if you are looking for a romantic getaway, I wouldn't come here. The kids in our party had a marvellous time - they loved the pool and the activities. The hotel is very well situated - there are so many things to do around the area that you could never be bored (the steam railway, Landmark and the Cairn Gorm funicular were particular highlights of our stay). The rooms can be a bit grim - our net curtain smelled of wet dog, and the bath was absolutely tiny (the bathroom itself was definitely in need of a complete overhaul), but the beds were extremely comfortable. You should bear in mind that this is a family hotel which is undergoing an extensive (and much-needed) upgrading - I suspect in a few years it will be far nicer and meriting its 4-star status.

£169 for Dinner Bed & Breakfast ? They should have won a mask, Dick Turpin style. Advertised as a four star hotel, is never that in a million years. More like two star, on a good day. The bedrooms were VERY in need of refurbishment (in fairness they say a refurbishment programme is underway, but I saw no evidence of it whatsoever). No minibar, no satellite TV (other than The Golf Channel, bizarrely), a grubby 30 year old bathroom which didn't open from the inside (I kid you not - you could open the door from the outside but not the inside, so if you were in the toilet you had to call on your partner to come and let you out), they got my morning paper wrong, had to queue 10 mins for a table at breakfast, and at dinner I have never had a romantic three course meal with a bottle of wine and been rushed in & out in 45 mins! In the hotels defence, the breakfast was very very good and there was fantastic entertainment for the kids. Doesn't make up for all the many flaws though. Fortunately we were only there for one night, otherwise we would have left. Avoid like the plague, until Hilton realise they are ripping people off here by falsely claiming a four star rating when it clearly is miles from that.

Maybe ok for families - however did seam very expensive for what it was - a poor hotel. i had the best room / suite and that was tired and worn. this hotel probable surves a purpose for all of the kids running around but its really quite expensive - even the standard room rates.