Marcliffe At Pitfodels

Get prepared to part with your cash. Excellent service in this 5* hotel. Nice drawing room to have drinks with friends whilst you wait for the table. Great selection of wine. Steaks were recommended, definitely one of the best I’ve eaten. Nice open kitchen with an upmarket feel about the whole place. Only suitable for celebratory meals or events.

We landed in Aberdeen after a long day of travel at around noon. While our room wasn’t ready (we weren’t expecting it to be), we had a lovel lunch in the lounge. When our room was ready, went up for a nice quiet nap. Service was very attentive and friendly. Great dinner too ! Highly recommend. Nice linens, too.

There is only 1 hotel in Britain that I have stayed in, that ticks all the boxes, and the Marcliffe is it.
I realise that this sounds like a spectacular exaggeration … but it’s true!
I travel quite a bit and can tell you that there are only 3 in the world that tick all my boxes (Aberdeen, Barcelona and Donegal).
Now, it’s probably important to point out that my boxes that I like ticked are… well…err…picky! Well it’s the little things that make the difference isn’t it ;)
The Marcliffe has exactly the right balance:
Upmarket without being stuffy.
Comfortable without being fussy.
The staff are professional without being haughty.
Sufficiently pricey so you know it’s a luxurious treat without being outrageous.
Now, to those «little things»…
Fresh milk in the mini-​bar. Don’t you just hate those capsules of white liquid that most hotels offer?
Fresh flowers in the bedroom. I never have flowers at home now, so this is a nice touch.
A bowl of various fresh fruit in the bedroom. I rarely eat fruit (way to healthy), but it is nice to know they are there if I have a rush of blood to the head. And if you do succumb to the dark side and «go healthy», whatever you eat will miraculously be replaced… within hours.
The coffee is PROPER coffee made with espresso, and once you have given explicit details on exactly how you like it (did I say I was picky?), you never have to ask them again, it turns up exactly right every time.
To date, I have only stayed when I needed to be up there on business but I keep promising myself that I will go just for me. I really should deal with that… soon.

Clearly used to Aberdeen’s oil money this hotel falls into the cliched position of exploiting a captive audience by charging an extortionate £4 for a pint of draft Coke. No wonder people take their own drink to weddings.
That aside I’ve no complaints — very courteous staff, large portions at meals, a clearly extensive wine-​list, food done near perfectly and a smartly decorated and comfy interior with, on the night I was here, a roaring real fire in the lobby.

Five star hotel and spa and it shows in the price. VERY expensive. Might want to remortgage the house first. I suppose you get what you pay for — as a guest you are probably very well catered for. Very snobby so if you have any illusions of grandure I am sure you will fit in perfectly. Lots of regular guests, famous folks and hoity toity types that can be quite entertaining to listen in to over dinner (if you are the earwigging type that is).
Might want to wear your Sunday best!
The building itself is pretty plain.