Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa

Location, views, welcome and decor in room brilliant.

Unfortunately someones balcony light was on all night shining brightly into our room so we had to shut the curtains, losing the nice views as we woke in the morning. Food okay but a little bland and had issues with toilet flush in the room.

We’ve been gong to this hotel and the lodges for many years and after being a bit in the doldrums the new management have taken things to a new level. Great welcome, great staff and great atmosphere. Well done.

All good.

We loved the location of the hotel, the spa facilities, the staff was very friendly, the garden of the hotel, everything in terms of facilities was really great. We loved the food of the restaurant in particular. The bedrooms were very comfortable, and the restaurant has a beautiful and majestic view on Loch Ard.

I thought the variety of food offered for breakfast (since it is included in the price of the night by default and we do not have a choice) was not great given the price, and I thought that the additional 7 pounds for certain other items on the menu was exaggerated. The spa experience was great, but if there are signs that prohibit from jumping and shouting in the pool (and if the aim of the spa is in fact to provide a relaxing environment), then the staff could be more prone to 'police' in one way or another the pool area when this is not respected. These things did not however spoil our stay which we really loved.

The hotel is in a beautiful setting, with very well-kept grounds and lovely scenery. There are lots of activities available and plenty of walks and hikes of varying difficulty nearby, which was a real highlight of our stay. The spa itself was lovely and a really relaxing space. Our room was as pictured online, and the bathroom in particular was great, with a separate bath and shower which we really enjoyed. Overall, the location, grounds, surrounding scenery and range of things to do were probably the strongest parts of our stay.

Although the room was as pictured, there were some maintenance and cleanliness issues that took away from the overall standard. The faux leather was peeling quite noticeably, particularly on the headboard, there was cobweb-like gathered dust around parts of the ceiling, and there were areas in the corners where the paint was scabbing. Our experience with staff was also quite inconsistent. Some were very friendly and helpful, while at other times I was left feeling as though I was bothering staff by asking for something. The spa itself was lovely, however my masseuse appeared to have a cold and was regularly blowing her nose while I was lying down, including during my facial, which wasn't particularly pleasant or relaxing. Breakfast was okay, and the additional charges for certain items were clearly communicated, but I didn't feel that what you received necessarily justified the extra cost. We also noticed that tea and coffee regularly had to be requested again after initially ordering, not just at our table but at several tables around us. We also ordered room service during our stay, and unfortunately the tray was left outside our room for around 24 hours after we had finished. Overall, there were a number of relatively small issues which, when combined, made the experience feel a little below the standard we had expected.