Just returned from visiting the hotel for one night in mid jan 2006. We had heard great things about the hotel and decided to try it for one night as part of the offer where you buy the room and the dinner is free - bit of a con as you end up spending the same anyway! I've given the hotel 3*s but in reality I would rate it as 3.5 for the reasons given below.

Firstly, the staff are very good, and service from the more expereinced memebers of staff is superb, however the new starters need a bit of help. The hotel's public rooms are very nice and all done out in dark atmospheric colours which makes it dark during the day but wonderfully cosy in the evening. It is very scottish with lots of tartan (in a tasteful way) and lots of stags heads around. The whisky bar and the library are very nice and yes there are lots of different whiskys on offer - however it is very easy to run up a horrendous bar bill! If you are a whisky nut with deep pockets then this is the place for you. On the night we were there there were several large loud groups (all over 50s) who were having a great time - however if you wanted a quiet romantic night then it was difficult as they took over the bar and the other public areas after dinner - I would totally agree with the previous reviewer about the appeal to the over 50s.

We had room 230 which was supposed to be a suite, and it did have a sofa but the bed was a standard double (or smaller), and the room was quite small for a suite, and with dark furniture. The bathroom was large and OK - however the bath was a standard size (my husband who is 6ft did not fit) and the shower was above the bath which meant that alhtough it was a good power shower you got a nice 'hug' from the shower curtain as you got out!
Overall, considering this was one of the best rooms it was disappointing for this standard of hotel. However all of the hotel was immaculately clean as was the room and the bathroom - well done housekeeping.

Food - we had dinner and breakfast. Sucess at dinner seemed to depend on if you are a big meat/fish eater, and mainly heavy red meat - vegetarians's or choosy eaters beware - very poor and unimaginative non meat/fish choice, even thought they were informed when booking. It is a set menu with about 3/4 choices for each course. Desert Ok but nothing special. B/fast was Ok but marred by the fact that at 9.30 they had run out of everyting on the cold buffet and were not bothering to check on basics like yoghurts/juice -everything had to be requested repeatedly. A request for brown sauce to go with the cooked b/fast caused a 15 minute wait, by which time the cooked b/fast had been eaten without brown sauce! Again the large parties were given prefernce on the service.

Overall we enjoyed our stay but would not visit again unless we specifically wanted to be very close to the whisky distilleries on speyside. If you are in the general area then I would recommend the Old Minster's Guest House at Aviemore - much better, cheaper and lots more to do and only a 1 hour drive from the whisky stuff - or better still take one of the tours that can be boooked from the B&B and enjoy a few more drams.

The Criagellachie Hotel was a disappointment – I stayed in the mini-suite that was overpriced and uninspiring. Service was reasonable but I found the hard sell in the whiskey bar a bit too much. I would have much preferred to stay another night in the Castle Hotel than here.

I wouldn’t recommend when better options are nearby but if you must stay in Banff it is an expensive, bland, and uninspiring pick.

My partner and I visited the Craigellachie for just one night in November 2005, in between stops in London (Le Meridien Piccadilly Hotel), Edinburgh (Balmoral Hotel), and Paris (Pavillon de la Reine). This was actually my second visit, having previously visited in May 2004 with a buddy and having absolutely loved the hotel. Our experience on this visit was the same--spectacular!

Obviously, this isn't a luxury hotel like in the big cities, but I have always been pleasantly surprised by the Craigellachie. The rooms are reasonably spacious (this time was smaller than my previous visit but still plenty big enough), and quite the deal since we paid only 20 GBP for the upgraded river view room under their Free Thousand Nights program over the winter to encourage visitors in the off season. Talk about a deal! The room was also well appointed, and we had a nice bathroom (with strong but not too strong a shower as mentioned below).

The staff is as professional, courteous, and friendly as the other reviewers say. It really is incredible that such a remote location has such great service. At reception, in the Quaich Whisky Bar, in the restaurant--great service abounds, and this from a couple of travelers who stay at 5 star level hotels and resorts on a frequent basis (consider the great hotels at which we stayed for the other stops on this trip).

The restaurant offers fantastic food and great variety of choices--again, from people who consider themselves food snobs and frequently dine well. I will say our steaks this time were a bit overcooked, but I can also say that the steak I had in May 2004 was one of the best steaks I've evef had. Even so, the kitchen offered to bring me another steak which I politely declined. They also substituted our meal far beyond what would be expected, particularly for such a small restaurant. Service was excellent, and our waitress (whose name eludes me now, a charming, friendly American transplant) was AWESOME!

The Quaich bar is a stop unto itself for those visiting the Speyside and/or on the Whisky Trail. There literally are over 700 single malt whiskies--that's 100 or so more than were there on my previous visit! As a whisky fan and collector, it really is an amazing chance to try some rare whiskies at not outrageous prices (though certainly not cheap, either). They do offer a whisky of the month which is a rare whisky offered at half price, and I had a few drams of that spirit, I can assure you!

The area around the hotel is beautiful, refreshing, and relaxing. The number of distilleries within just 10 miles is stunning, so the hotel is perfect for a whisky distillery tour. The staff are also wonderful in making recommendations for things to do and see.

I can't say anything negative about the hotel--it really is a highlight and a hallmark of the region! If you visit Speyside, be sure to include the Craigellachie.

We stayed at the Craigellachie Hotel in October 2005. The room was beautiful, spacious, and full of nice amenities. The public areas were full of character and charm. But the real gem of this hotel is its staff - they went out of their way to make our experience at Craigellachie truly enjoyable and memorable. The bartender was friendly and a great conversationalist. The waitresses/hosts were polite and eager to please.

There was actually a fire alarm while we were there and I was pleased at the professional way the staff evacuated the guests. Thankfully, it turned out to be a false alarm.

The breakfast had plenty to offer...I was particularly happy with their selection of yogurts and fresh fruit.

My only warning about this hotel is watch out for the showers! For those that like a strong power shower, the Craigellachie has the best around - but the water pressure can actually be too much for the shower curtains and you might end up with a little puddle on the floor. Just take care to watch your splash and you'll be fine :)

I highly recommend this hotel as a great pit stop on the whisky trail.