Good location for Royal Deeside and Ballater

No Riverside views, needed maintenance, uncomfortable sofa and uncomfortable bed. No communication with owner only automated messages. No wine on arrival, even after a note in flat saying enjoy on me and an email saying the same! flush in main bathroom toilet doesn't function correctly, both extractor fans don't work and loo roll holder in en-suite falling off to name a few. If you are taller than 5'9" don't sleep in the main bedroom as the bed is too short (although the room is quiet)

We hired this place as we have family who live in Royal Deeside In saying that though, this is a fantastic location to base yourself for the area.

Few minor issues that could easily be resolved: sinks blocked, hot water nor great

We were visiting for Ballater games so the location was perfect, very central. The parking was very convenient as well.

We thought the price was too high for the apartment and what it had to offer. It was almost £300 per night for the apartment that needs modernisation. Yes, I took into consideration that it was Ballater games weekend. The bed in the main bedroom was uncomfortable, too short and too small. It was advertised as amazing views, however, you can see this amazing sight through the window of a bathroom or when you wash the dishes - so that was a bit of exaggeration. It was generally clean and tidy, but I found an empty pack of crisps in one of the drawers, perhaps, it was missed by the housekeeping team. The host was ok with communication. I got all the info I asked for. We knew we had to leave the apartment before 10am next morning, he sent me the reminder a night before to make sure we vacate the property on time which was a bit much. In general, I don’t think the apartment was worth the price sadly. And we had other places to compare with at that time. Thanks.

Great location, good communication from the owner. Quiet with comfortable beds made for good nights sleep Nice bottle of wine on arrival!

No hot water on arrival. Too much furniture for holiday let. Bits of food still left in sink and empty packets in drawers

The flat was the perfect location for all the amenities in Ballater. It has a great range of facilities and tea,coffee and a very nice bottle of red. It is one of my favourites. 😂🍷

Bit too much furniture in the en-suite bedroom. Plenty of space for clothes in wardrobe and dresser

Good location, comfy beds

clean and nicely furnished

Stairs to apartment which was on the 2nd floor (no lift) we had our eighty year old parents with us so we spoke to property owner prior to arriving and he explained that the stairs should not be a problem as they were not steep and well spaced out and yes my parents managed them ok.

This super clean and cosy apartment accommodated 6 of us for a weekend, and it done us justice. We had everything needed; towels, bedding, cutlery etc and cooking & cleaning utensils, we just had to buy the food. With amenities only a stone throw away and surrounded by stunning views, I can’t fault this place. Stephen was always there to communicate with via booking.com, also kindly provided a complimentary bottle of wine too which was nice to find after travelling for whole day! For what you get and the price you pay, I would highly recommend this place!

Be sure to download all the instructions for appliances, heating etc as there are none at the property. Couldn't get hot water in the bathroom shower one one occasion

Lovely location, decent clean flat

Sadly it was a very unpleasant experience. We arrived in the evening at a time of a power cut in the whole area due to the storm. We stayed one night in a cold and dark flat with no phone or internet reception so we were not even able to contact the host. Local people told us that the previous time when there was a power cut it took 3 days to fix. We were with our small children so could not just wait for the power to come back on. Therefore, the next day we decided not to wait but started driving home. The owner offered an option to use 2 remaining unused nights within a couple of months. Unfortunately we did not have availability to come back and requested a refund for unused nights. Communication with the owner was poor who eventually refused to give us any refund. Choosing this property was a huge disappointment for us. We contacted booking.com who did not help.

Lovely apartment in an easy to reach location by the river in Ballater. Very clean and nicely decorated. Good facilities. Easy walking distance to pubs, cafes and shops.

We forgot to turn on the hot water boost so woke up to cold showers on the first morning! Our fault really for not reading the emails fully prior to departure, but a notice might have helped. Being on the second floor was a bit of a pain with the dogs, but OK for a couple of nights.

We liked the situation in the town of Balater. The views from the top floor were lovely. The main bedroom was really good, comfortable and plenty of furniture, with an ensuite. The lounge was pleasant, and furniture okay. A lovely bottle of red wine on our arrival :D. Thank you Stephen.

I feel the owner Stephen should have visited the property at the start of the season and fixed things that were wrong. The bed in the 2nd bedroom pulls out into a double (maybe king sized bed), but there were some slats missing and the mattress is just a memory foam mattress and not very thick to sleep on, especially uncomfortable with slats missing! So we had to revert it back to a settee for a more comfortable sleep! A cheap standing lamp was nearly falling apart, and my daughter had to tighten it all up. In the kitchen the pans should have been replaced, as they were so scratched with the enamel missing in chunks, no decent knife to peel any vegetables, no jug to measure or use in the microwave, which left me with no alternative but to heat things in the dreadful pans!! The door in the kitchen where the bin is kept was hanging on by one hinge. The Fridge could do with a defrost as it partially froze our salad goods and the washing machine was soo noisy, it vibrated throughout the apartment. If you ate out, and did no washing (we were touring Scotland so needed to wash clothes) and it was 2 of you sleeping in the main bedroom then I think you would be very happy (apart from the stale smell of cigarette smoke in the bedroom), and probably give it a 9 or 10. But if like us, you cook in, to avoid Covid or prefer your own cooking, then that's when you really notice how poor the basic cooking utensils are, and how many are lacking! I am disappointed to read, now having looked back on other reviews, that the same things I mentioned were also mentioned previously, about the slats missing in the 2nd bedrooms bed, lack of utensils ie jug, in the kitchen, smell of smoke in the main bedroom. Stephen really!!! These are such small things to fix! I will definitely be checking reviews more thoroughly from now on before booking, as when you get to your holiday apartment, all you want to do is 'kick back and relax'!

We loved the two bed apartment, and where it was, the owner Stephen Westall couldn't have tried to be more helpful, thank you.

The only downside for us as a family of my husband and I and two of his sister's, all in our late seventies, we were top floor and no lift in this part of the building, we didn't know. We would definitely stay again but ask for ground floor.

I would highly recommend staying in this apartment in Ballater. It was easy to find, incredibly clean and an excellent location for exploring royal deeside. The rooms were spacious and has everything you need in a self catering apartment. We will definitely be coming back!!

Location great. Flat was cosy and warm, decor lovely. Everything you needed in flat.

Nothing.