I stayed at the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf and Spa at Peebles, with my husband Clifford, in September 2014 when we were touring Scotland.
The Macdonald Cardrona Hotel nestles in a tranquil setting between the border hills and the River Tweed, three miles east of the ancient little town of Peebles in the Scottish Borders. Standing just off the A72 the hotel is clearly seen from the road – painted white it stands out amongst the green countryside.
This four star hotel provides luxury, contemporary accommodation, a championship golf course and relaxing spa facilities. It makes an ideal base when visiting the the Scottish Borders or further afield – Edinburgh is just a 40 minute drive away, Glasgow can be reached in around 90 minutes.
A free 200 bay car park (including disabled car parking bays) is immediately outside the hotel. Automatic doors take you to Reception which leads to the lounge and cocktail bar furnished with comfortable sofa’s and seats, then to Renwicks restaurant. Large picture windows in both the lounge/cocktail bar and restaurant capture the panoramic views of the golf course, hills and river.
The hotel has 99 bedrooms including some suites. We spent one night at the hotel in a standard room. We booked online via the Macdonald Hotels website. The price included breakfast and the opportunity of a free cancellation or amendment up to arrival day.
A lift took us to our spacious bedroom at the front of the hotel on the second floor with views of the surrounding hills. Our twin bedded room was furnished with comfortable armchairs, tables, a good sized wardrobe and flat screen TV. Our bathroom with quality fittings contained both a walk in shower as well as a separate full size bath with a grab rail. As I have arthritis which sometimes can cause mobility issues, it was nice to have the choice of the walk in shower or the bath.
Fine dining is available at Renwicks restaurant, alternatively informal dining is available in the Cocktail lounge and Spikes bar with only the best ingredients used.
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast from a varied buffet, our hot food was cooked to order.
For Golfers the par 72 parkland and woodland course is immediately outside the back of the hotel. The course was designed in 2001 by former Ryder Cup player Dave Thomas.
The Spa offers a range of treatments (it is wise to book in advance) and various packages. The spa is on the lower ground floor to which there is full lift access.
We enjoyed a swim in the 18 metre swimming pool, a steam room and sauna are on the poolside.
All the staff were helpful, and welcoming but all to soon it was time to leave. Before leaving we enjoyed a stroll through the grounds down to the River Tweed.
We visited the beautiful riverside town of Peebles with its long high street full of interesting shops and restaurants. There are a host of attractions to visit in the Scottish Borders, near to the hotel are Kailzie Gardens, Dawyck Botanic Gardens and Abbotsford House – former home of Sir Walter Scott – with so much to see, we plan a return to the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel.
Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Spa
Peebles, Scotland
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