Macdonald Spey Valley Golf & Country Club

This review is of the swimming pool and bar area only! I am a huge fan of spas and swimming so we came to the pool attached to the nearby gym and club. It was a fantastic experience and very reasonably priced for non-guests / one-time users. So from the male perspectivw, you go through to the changing room which is a a couple of benches against some lockers and just thorough to the side are toilets. The cleanliness was pretty good overall, has to be said. When through the changing facilities, you're out to the immaculately looking pool which looked clear. It was warm, not overly chloriney and just an absolute delight. Plus was relatively quiet and the guests respectable - not noisy and selfish like you get most places now. They had a jacuzzi / spa but it didn't seem to be on. Nontheless myself and a few guests used it as it felt, at least, warm and was a nice sit down. At the back en route to the gym, was a sauna / steam room. They're good, well maintained, but small. I used the sauna for a small bit but I was sandwiched in with a group of lads and wasn't in the fettle to be THAT friendly so went to the steam room instead. I met a family who opened up light conversation and that ended up being a highlight. But again the people using the facility were lovely and charming. Whilst they are small they're very good, well looked after and definitely worth a visit. After you swim, in each changing room there are gender segregated showers; in the men's these are communal and they weren't too busy. Like the rest of the area Finally we visited the very well stocked bar which had some intruiging options - which we regrettably didn't take (and we did regret) but we did have drinks and a lovely bartender who was patient as our cards didn't go through initially due to t'interwebs playing up. If you can't tell by now, I was charmed and with a completely reasonable price of admission for what you get I would go again. Tres bien!

The lodges are in a great location and while they are clean, they are very tired. There were a few cobwebs on the light fittings and the blinds were mouldy on the side that touches the window. The bed was squeaky and soft! The dog loved it though and didn’t want to leave!

Just got back from Spey Valley Resort and honestly, we had such a good time that I had to leave a review! I used to come to Spey Valley when I was a little girl, so I’ve got quite a few memories of the place. I remember there always being loads of activities for kids and the resort having such a good atmosphere. Over the years, I felt like some of that had disappeared, so it was really nice coming back and seeing the place feeling busy and full of life again. We basically joined in with everything 😂 My son did the football tournament, we did the treasure hunt as a family and we went along to the evening entertainment. The treasure hunt was honestly so much fun. It’s such a simple idea but works perfectly for a place like Spey Valley. My daughter absolutely loved it, although I’m pretty sure I enjoyed it even more than she did 😂 The kids’ disco was brilliant too. It wasn’t just a case of putting music on and letting the kids run around. The entertainer was up on the stage doing different dances and actions and the kids followed along. They were absolutely loving it! You could see all the kids copying the dances and laughing, and even some of the parents got involved. It was so much better than just a normal kids’ disco. The reception staff were all lovely as well. Every time we went to reception there was always a smile and someone happy to help. I actually asked for their names because I wanted to mention them, I believe there were two Pauls, Ellie and Keiron. Keiron definitely deserves a mention. I honestly don’t know how he does it 😂 One minute he was on reception helping people, checking them in and welcoming them to the resort, and the next he was in the bar doing the entertainment. He seemed to be everywhere! He clearly knows the resort inside out and was always chatting to guests, answering questions and getting people involved. We ate in the restaurant too and really enjoyed it. We had fish and chips and by far it was the nicest I’ve had in a long time, Craig, the restaurant manager, was lovely and always said hello whenever we went into the bar. It’s little things like that which make such a difference and make you feel welcome. The whole resort just had a really nice atmosphere while we were there. The pool was busy, people were eating in the restaurant, the bar was full of people chatting and laughing and there always seemed to be families doing something. It genuinely felt like Spey Valley had got its spark back. I think the General Manager (not sure of his name) deserves a lot of credit for that. Whatever they’re doing behind the scenes, it’s clearly working. You can see that a lot of effort has gone into making the resort feel lively again. And honestly, you don’t necessarily need a massive entertainment team. Having someone like Keiron who is willing to get stuck in, move between reception and entertainment and go above and beyond makes such a difference. If I could give it 100/100, I genuinely would 😂 We had a brilliant time, the kids loved it and we’ll definitely be back! ❤️