Saplinbrae Hotel and Lodges

Hotels
9.3 (611 reviews)
Mintlaw , Mintlaw , GB

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Free
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Room service
Heating
Family rooms
Garden
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly, helpful staff at check-in
Very clean rooms and bathrooms
Beautiful, peaceful location with great views
Excellent food (dinner and breakfast) and good lodge facilities
Cons:
Reception closes at 22:00 and no on-site staff overnight
Mixed feedback on beds/pillows (too firm or too soft)
One guest missed a breakfast buffet option
Occasional small room amenities (e.g., small TV) noted

Categories

Cleanliness
9.7
Multiple guests describe rooms and bathrooms as spotless and very clean; housekeeping consistently praised.
Service
8.2
Staff are described as friendly and helpful at check-in and throughout the stay, but several guests noted the reception closes at 22:00 and there is no on-site staff overnight, which is unsettling for some.
Location
9.6
Repeatedly called beautiful, peaceful and in a great location with lovely views; guests highlight the setting as a major positive.
Room Quality
9.1
Rooms are described as large, comfortable and well appointed with excellent showers; a few mentions of bed firmness or soft pillows reduce this slightly.
Amenities
9.4
Good on-site parking, well-equipped lodges (kitchen/seating/TV) and thoughtful complimentary items (milk, bread, biscuits) praised by guests.
Value for Money
9.2
Many guests would recommend and plan to return; quality of rooms, food and setting gives a strong sense of good value.
Food and Beverage
9.6
Dinner repeatedly described as fantastic and breakfast praised (though one guest missed a buffet); food quality is a consistent highlight.
Overall Experience
9.6
Overall overwhelmingly positive stays, with guests noting welcoming staff, excellent food, clean rooms and beautiful surroundings; few isolated negatives.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-08-13 09:47

Property Description

Luxurious Accommodation with On-Site Bar and Restaurant
Saplinbrae Hotel & Lodges, located thirty miles north of Aberdeen, offer a luxurious stay with an on-site bar and restaurant serving fine local cuisine. Enjoy free parking and Wi-Fi during your stay.

Variety of Rooms and Suites
Each room at Saplinbrae features en suite facilities, a flat-screen TV, and tea/coffee amenities. Families and groups can opt for larger suites, while self-catering lodges are available for those seeking more independence.

Delicious Dining Options and Nearby Attractions
Indulge in a variety of dishes at the restaurant, from Sunday roasts to a children's menu. Explore the Aberdeenshire coast with attractions like sandy beaches and golf courses just a short drive away in Fraserburgh.

Book your stay at Saplinbrae Hotel & Lodges for a memorable experience!

Important information:

Please note dogs are allowed in the self catering accommodations living area only.Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: ABZ

Location

Guest Reviews

9.3
Based on 611 reviews
Cleanliness: 9.7
Service: 8.2
Location: 9.6
Room Quality: 9.1
Amenities: 9.4
Value for Money: 9.2
Food and Beverage: 9.6
Overall Experience: 9.6
N
Nick • solo_traveller • gb
8
2026-09-17 • via Nuitee
K
Keith • couple • gb
10
2026-09-16 • via Nuitee
R
Richard • couple • gb
9
Beautifully decorated, friendly and well cared for hotel
Pros:

The warmth of the arrival, the good looking room and dinner.

Cons:

The breakfast menu is a little restricted for lovers of cereals!

2026-09-16 • via Nuitee
E
Ellen • couple • gb
10
Great Place to Stay
Pros:

To date Saplinbrae Hotel has proved to be a consistency brilliant place to stay. Staff are very considerate, food is great, beds comfy and there is plenty of car parking. The rooms are clean, quiet and very well organised and a pleasure to stay in. All round good value.

2026-09-14 • via Nuitee
D
Dirk • solo_traveller • de
10
2026-09-09 • via Nuitee
D
Donna • extended_group • gb
10
Lovely lodge
Pros:

Gorgeous little lodge!
Great facilities
Gods quality towels!!!

Cons:

Nothing

2026-09-08 • via Nuitee
D
Denise • solo_traveller • gb
9
2026-09-05 • via Nuitee
A
Amy • solo_traveller • gb
9
Fantastic stay with excellent food with great vegetarian options.
Pros:

Really friendly welcoming and helpful staff. They really made the stay special.

Lovely hotel and room. Nice touches, like a personal welcome note in your room. Local wool blankets. Very clean.

Excellent options for vegetarians with a dedicated veggie evening and breakfast menu.. The food was delicious and it was very nice to have a choice and something different than the usual veggies options you see everywhere. The meat eater was also happy with his options!

The cooked breakfasts were good, and the veggie haggis was one of the best I've ever tried!

We will definitely recommend and would not hesitate to book again.

Cons:

Fish on the veggie breakfast menu. 2 options on the veggie breakfast menu were salmon based so not vegetarian.

2026-09-03 • via Nuitee
J
John • solo_traveller • gb
10
2026-09-02 • via Nuitee
R
Robert • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

Staff incredible, polite and attentive. My wife is on a gluten free diet and advised the hotel in advance. When we went for dinner a gluten free menu was already on the table for her. Surprised how many dishes were available and how close it was to the main menu. Breakfast was also amazing.

Cons:

Having to leave - should have booked a longer stay

2026-08-30 • via Nuitee
S
Shaun • family_with_children • gb
10
2026-08-27 • via Nuitee
B
Bryn • couple • gb
8
Comfortable, great staff!
Pros:

Stayed in the shooting lodge. Room very comfortable , loved the large bathroom with slipper bath and walk in shower. Full Scottish breakfast, day 1 set us up for the day. Salmon & scrambled eggs day 2 was delicious. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

Cons:

Not a lot!

2026-08-11 • via Nuitee
D
David • couple • gb
10
2026-08-09 • via Nuitee
R
Rhondel • solo_traveller • ca
8
2026-08-09 • via Nuitee
D
Denis • solo_traveller • gb
9
2026-07-25 • via Nuitee
M
massimo • couple • it
9
Ottima struttura nel verde
Pros:

Ottima struttura, camera bella grande. Ottima cena.

Cons:

Un pò scomodo il fatto che la colazione non sia a buffet

2026-07-19 • via Nuitee
D
Declan • couple • gb
10
2026-07-19 • via Nuitee
S
Samantha • couple • gb
10
2026-07-19 • via Nuitee
D
Daniel • solo_traveller • gb
8
Clean and comfortable room. Lovely friendly staff but there are no staff onsite at all after 22:00
Pros:

The lady who checked me in - Pauline was lovely, very friendly and very welcoming.
The room was large, clean and comfortable. The en-suite was a very good size and the shower was excellent - It had really good pressure.
The breakfast was good and was served very promptly.
There is plenty of parking to the front of the hotel.

Cons:

The pillows were way too soft, they didn't offer any support at all.
The TV was a little small for the size of the room.
The reception is only open until 22:00, so there is a pressure to arrive before then, which if you are driving up to the area in Scotland from the middle of England you are very much dependent on traffic circumstances, and as it is a very long drive this does add unnecessary stress to the journey.
Another thing that I found very odd is that once the reception closes at 22:00 and the reception staff go home, there are no staff at all on the hotel premises - The guests are just left in the hotel and advised within an arrival card to call 999 if there is a fire or an emergency. This is the first time that I have ever experienced this when staying in a hotel and I do find it very strange and a little unsettling.

2026-07-08 • via Nuitee
M
Macka n Maree • solo_traveller • au
10
Great place very nice location
Pros:

Awesome place and great location, brekky was awesome.

Cons:

All good

2026-07-06 • via Nuitee