Located close to Cairngorms National Park, you’ll find Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore. Before we go over to this hotel and its pros and cons, I first want to tell you something about the area.
Aviemore is a town in the Scottish highlands, with proximity to mountain trails and ski runs, beautiful lochs, and an ancient forest. It’s the perfect area to go cycling or hiking. Moreover, it’s great to walk your dog in the beautiful woods when you stay at this hotel.
On the southwest of Aviemore, there’s interesting wildlife to see such as Scottish wildcats and capercaillie birds within Highland Wildlife Park. So as you can see, staying in this hotel means that you’ll get an ideal base to explore the rest of the Highlands! And you know where the Highlands is known for wonderful, rugged nature, and filled with history such as astonishing castles.
Tip: When you make it from Coylumbridge hotel to the CairnGorm mountain resort, you can even reward yourself with panoramic views of the Cairngorms mountain range.
Now, the question is: Is it worth staying at Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore? Also, is it a good hotel to do some work (for the travelpreneurs amongst us) and is it worth going here for a special occasion? You’ll find out in this review!
Let’s get started.
About Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore
As you saw in the intro, Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore gives you plenty of opportunities to have an amazing time in the Highlands. It’s dog-friendly too, so you can bring your four-legged friend! As it’s located in a peaceful setting, you’ll truly feel like you got away from it all. From the hotel, you can take a good path and walk to Aviemore in about 20 minutes. So Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore gets a big plus when it comes to location. It's set in a 65-acre woodland estate and has a full list of amenities, including an indoor pool, a soft play centre, and an adventure park.
This range of amenities makes the hotel excellent for families as there’s something to do for everyone. However, Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore didn’t receive a lot of positive reviews. Why didn't it?
One of the main reasons for this is that not all amenities are open all year round, or they are fully booked. This also depends on the season and the amount of available staff – but you can check this with the hotel. Above you can see their ‘Fun House’, which has seasonal opening times. The Fun House is home to a large, soft play centre, adventure golf, bowling, and the American Diner. Perfect for letting your kids have a great time. If you're a guest at the hotel, you'll get a reduced rate on the entrance of the soft play and golf.
Good to know that once you step into this hotel, you’ll experience a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The reception staff is friendly and hardworking (which is quite necessary at busy times), and you can get anything you need at the reception such as tea, coffee, toilet rolls, clean sheets and towels, and more.
How to get an enjoyable stay at Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore
Booking in advance is important at Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore. This way, you prevent yourself from getting disappointed. Especially because it can be very busy in this hotel (sometimes it could be too busy in my opinion). Nothing is worse than looking forward to their swimming pool within the Leisure Centre only to get to know that it’s fully booked for 3 days. Make sure you book these amenities (including your dinner arrangements if possible) so you'll be ensured of an enjoyable stay for the whole family.
Furthermore (if opened and not fully booked), you also make use of their sauna facilities, play at their tennis court, or go to ‘’The Fun House’’ with your kids (when it’s open of course). In short: the amount of amenities this hotel has to offer makes it great for families. But depending on if these are available/not fully booked, and depending on how busy it is in the hotel, it could break or make your stay at Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore.
If you want to use this hotel as an ideal base to explore the rest of Aviemore and the beautiful Highlands, then possible unavailable amenities probably won’t matter as much.
How good is the restaurant?
Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore has multiple dining options, as it has two restaurants and two bars. For example, do you prefer sitting at The Woodshed bar with a log fire? Go ahead! The most important thing to mention here is that Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore has nice food and you’ll be dining in a lovely atmosphere – IF. If it’s not too busy and there’s room for you to sit of course during busier times.
At the restaurant of Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore, you’ll get plenty of delicious food to choose from, but don’t expect the highest quality (a wow factor). Start your day with a nice well-laid breakfast with cereals, pastries, fresh juices, tea and coffee, and more. What’s for sure, is that the staff is hard-working, very helpful, and friendly.
Tip: when you go to this restaurant for dinner or lunch, don't hesitate to ask the staff to take your order during busy times. As they work very hard, it may take a while if you don't ask them.
Remember ''The Fun House'' we were talking about? Inside, there's a very colourful area called 'The American Diner' where you can enjoy lunch in a classic American style. Your kids will love this, and they'll have a good time in the soft play areas.
The rooms at Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore
What if some amenities are closed, and you’ll mainly use Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore as a base to explore the rest of the area? Well, then it’s important to be able to have a good night’s rest in one of the rooms, right?
The rooms at Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore are nothing special, a.k.a. basic. But they are clean, cosy, and make use of some lovely decorations. Furthermore, the beds are comfy and the bathrooms could look a little dated - but at least, they are clean and functional. Don't expect a luxurious shower with strong water pressure. Expect a bathroom that gets the job done and offers you just what you need.
Remember: if you need anything, you can visit the reception to ask for tea, coffee, toilet rolls, clean sheets and towels, and more. Make sure you do this if necessary to get everything you need during your stay. If it’s busy and they didn’t clean your room properly, ask them to do this as well as this shouldn’t happen (all rooms should be clean).
Guest rooms
If you’re looking for the most affordable room, then you can choose one of the guest rooms. These rooms are known to be bright and comfortable, decorated in cool and calm tones. You can choose from:
- A single or double guest room
- A family guest room
All guest rooms have a 32-inch HDTV, a desk, and tea and coffee-making facilities. Moreover, there's a bath, a shower, and complimentary toiletries. Are you planning to stay with a little kid? It’s possible to accommodate a travel cot in some of the rooms. Make sure to call the hotel to book this in advance.
Good to know: your four-legged friend is welcome in the guest rooms – apart from the family guest room. The family room has two double beds, so there’s room for 2 adults, 2 children, and also a baby.
Costs: £89.00 per night for the double standard room, which you can see in the picture above. Prices may vary depending on season and demand. For the latest prices and all different rooms, please use this button below.
Suites
Do you want even more space and more comfortable beds? Then have a look at the suites. The suites are ideal for families who prefer separate bedrooms. You'll get a luxurious king bed and a separate living area. Note: all-suite rooms are only accessible by stairs. You can choose from:
- The family suite (with bunk bed and kids room)
- The king-bedroom suite
The family suite has 1 double king bed, and a bunk bed, so there’s room for 2 adults, 2 children, and also a baby. On request, you can get a travel cot. As there are 2 HDTVs, both you and the kids can watch their favourite movies. There's a bath, a shower, and of course tea and coffee-making facilities. Oh and not to forget: pets are welcome!
The king-bedroom suite (in the picture above) is the most luxurious room of Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore. This room has stunning Highland views and comes with a separate seating and dining area. There's a king-sized bed, a bath and a shower, and fluffy bathrobes and slippers. The king bedroom has room for 2 adults, and a travel cot is available on request. Pets are not allowed.
Costs: £169.00 per night for the double suite room. Prices may vary depending on season and demand. For the latest prices and all different rooms, please use this button below.
Accessible rooms
The accessible rooms are ideal for those who prefer, indeed, rooms which are more accessible. These are also perfect if you have immobility issues. All the accessible rooms have the same amenities as their standard guest rooms. The difference is that it has accessible amenities (the bathroom is accessible, and you don't have to walk the stairs to get there). Besides, the decoration is a little different.
Costs: £99.00 per night for the twin accessible room. Prices may vary depending on season and demand. For the latest prices and all different rooms, please use this button below.
Final verdict of Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore
I was surprised to see so many negative reviews about Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore online. But as always, I dive deep into the hotel and combine it with my own experience to be able to tell how good it truly is. In my opinion, this hotel deserves more love – BUT you have to know how to get the most out of this hotel.
With the range of amenities and plenty of things to do, this is one of the best hotels for families in the area. The location is brilliant as well, and Coylumbridge hotel Aviemore has a friendly and hard-working staff.
Yes, the rooms are basic and not like ‘’great value for money’’, but they offer comfy beds and have all you need including a bath and a shower – and pets are welcome in most rooms as well. Besides, you can make use of all the amenities of the hotel for the same price (or a reduced entrance fee for golf or soft play). This makes it ideal for families as there’s something to do for everyone.
However, here comes the biggest ''issue'': you have to make sure you can use these amenities (if these are important to you). Check how busy it is with the hotel and book the amenities such as the indoor pool before you go. During busy times, it’s hard to make use of the indoor pool, the ‘fun house’ including soft play, and even a table for dinner without reservations.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion:
The main reasons for all negative reviews are that certain amenities were closed or that the hotel was too busy. If you’re someone who wants to make use of all their amenities, make sure to check this with the hotel and book them if possible. For us, it didn’t matter at all that some of them were closed. The hotel functioned as a base to explore the area.
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