HOTEL REVIEWS
The royal treatment
This month’s reviews are perfect for all of you pampered princes and princesses out there. Sit back, relax and enjoy reading about how to do a spa break in style
Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa, Falkirk Reviewed by Catherine and Stephen Brooks from Dollar
The Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa is at the heart of Central Scotland and its proximity to local attractions such as Stirling, the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel makes it an ideal base for exploring the area. The original hotel building, a traditional Scottish manor house, is beautiful and our bedroom was comfortable and spacious. A recent refurbishment has included the addition of the country’s first
Scottish Steak Club restaurant. With an extensive menu of locally sourced ingredients and an equally good wine list, service and standards in this elegant conservatory restaurant were excellent. For our main courses, it was hard to resist the house speciality, beef, which is traditionally aged for a minimum of 21 days on the bone and cut into perfect steaks. All of the steaks and grills are cooked in the Josper oven, which enhances the flavour. They didn’t disappoint. Served with hand-cut fries and a beautiful béarnaise sauce, the meat was delicious and lived up to the promise of finest Scottish cuisine. While the Steak Club restaurant was impressive, and dinner was wonderful, without a doubt the jewel in the crown of the Inchyra is the spa. The facilities are simply superb and include an ultra-modern gymnasium and a 20-metre indoor swimming pool. The expansive pool area houses an aroma steam room, rock sauna, ice fountain and massage showers. Heated beds and loungers provide plenty of space to chill out. Lantern-lit walkways guide you to the luxury spa rooms where the tailor-made therapies provide a choice of facials, massages and beauty treatments. The luxury products and huge range of therapies to choose from included a blend of relaxing and revitalising pampering rituals. There is a choice of refreshments in the Tea Room in the Spa, but most people seemed to continue their spa experience wrapped in robes and slippers, enjoying afternoon tea or glass of bubbly on the terrace outside. The treatments, the relaxation room and the whole spa experience was
peaceful and restorative. It’s a great space to relax and be pampered – and in such tranquil surroundings, a spa break at Inchyra is a time to unwind, enjoy the peace and step away from the hectic world outside. Prices from £160 per room for spa break with B&B based on 2 people sharing
220
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK
The Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh Reviewed by Shona Smith and Helen Cargill
from Edinburgh
Where do I begin? The Balmoral is a five-star hotel, but I can honestly say we received seven-star treatment from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. On arrival we were greeted by friendly, efficient staff. They even took responsibility for parking our car, taking away the stress of negotiating central Edinburgh from the outset. We were then led to our suite, which I can only describe as palatial – so tastefully decorated with all the little touches that went towards making our stay there so special. We had the most magnificent view over the North Bridge, seeing the city by day in all its glory and then beautifully lit up by night. Time for dinner. We were welcomed at Hadrian’s
Brasserie with a glass of fizz – delicious, as was the food. The extensive menu made our choice all the more difficult and our three-course meal left us extremely satisfied but with space for a cocktail in the bar. Then it was back to our suite for a relaxing sleep before we headed to the spa the following morning. The staff were very welcoming and knew exactly which treatments we had booked. I chose an aromatherapy facial from the wonderful Jess. What an amazing therapist! She made me feel at ease, asking which oils I would like, and within ten minutes I had nodded off. I woke up just as she was moisturising at the end… bliss! Prices from £220 per night
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