At the very start of our epic Scotland adventure, we spent a long weekend at the Dalmahoy Country Club, which is located about 10 minutes drive outside Edinburgh. This historical house built in the 1720s has expansive grounds, a renowned golf course in a beautiful setting, a health club with pool and spa as well as a restaurant and bar. This isn’t the type of property we usually stay at – especially with a 15 month old – but wanted something special for our 10th wedding anniversary. We booked what is described on most external booking sites as a “traditional suite”, but direct with the hotel this is called a period room and is one of a handful of rooms located at the top of the main hotel.
The vast majority of the 215 rooms are located in a modern annex which is still very accessible to all the amenities, but booking a period room means you really get a sense of the history and grandeur, although there are a few downsides such as four flights of stairs and no lift, as well as old fashioned windows that don’t open very far! Luckily the room had a fan in it, as the country was in the midst of a heatwave when we visited – perhaps not usually a problem for Scottish visitors.
Here are a few pictures of our traditional suite / period room at the Dalmahoy Country Club
Check in was handled smoothly and professionally, although it was only on check in that we found out there was no lift – a little awkward with a 15 month old who is barely walking (and weighs an absolute ton!). They had a luggage room that we stored our pushchair in at this time, although in future we just left it in the car. It was far too much hassle to bother taking it up to the room. This is the main downside to having a period room and if staying with a baby again, I’d personally stay in a modern room – although it was a very romantic setting for our 10th wedding anniversary and I’d very highly recommend it to couples.
The Dalmahoy Country Club is a popular wedding venue, so if you’re staying a weekend there is almost guaranteed to be a wedding party. We stayed here 4 nights, and of those 4 nights the bar was closed due to a wedding party on two of them. We also had to call down to reception at three am in the morning because of the noise directly outside the room window – another downside of staying in the period rooms, they’re directly above the bar. The staff dealt with it quickly by moving the party inside.
The Staff at Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club
One thing I will say above all else during this stay – the staff were amazing. From breakfast, to dinner, to the concierge, the reception staff, the luggage handlers, the room service and cleaning staff, everyone always had a genuine smile and polite manner, whilst also being extremely efficient and good at their jobs. I’ve never been to a hotel where the staff were so polite, attentive and seemed genuinely happy to interact with you.
The Amenities at the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club
It has two restaurants / bars, a health club with swimming pool and gym and of course, the renowned golf course. We don’t play golf, so I can’t comment on that, but we did enjoy the health club and walked around the grounds. The setting was beautiful and an absolute joy to look at the window to every day. You definitely don’t need to be a golfer to enjoy a stay here, although I imagine a round of golf would be a delight.
Here are a few pictures that we took in the grounds
Breakfast at the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club
Each morning at approximately 7:30 to 8am we headed down to breakfast in the Pentland Restaurant. This was a buffet breakfast with a wide variety of hot items as well as continental, cold and fruit, and also had cook to order specials. Tea and coffee was plentiful and you could even fill up with a take-out cup on your way out.
Breakfast was busy, but we were always seated within a few minutes. The food was excellent quality and we all tried our first ever haggis! I would highly recommend breakfast if it’s an option for you. It is perfectly suitable for children as well as adults
Is this hotel Family Friendly?
As I’ve mentioned we visited the Dalmahoy Country Club for our 10th wedding anniversary, but with our 15 month old in tow. This is a grand hotel and there weren’t many children around at all – but in my opinion, it is perfectly family friendly as long as you understand that you’re staying in a hotel with a stately atmosphere. The staff were all happy to talk to my son, high chairs were available in the restaurant and a travel cot was no problem in our room. Kids under 12 stay AND eat for free when accompanied by an adult, which means you can take the kids for no additional cost. The swimming pool is excellent for children – whilst having times for adults only as well. A formal country club isn’t always going to be the first choice for all families, but we thought it was excellent for our son and would definitely bring him again.
This was the perfect base for our Edinburgh holiday, just a 15 minute drive to the city, but in a very peaceful, relaxing and beautiful location, with all the amenities that we wanted for a perfect long weekend stay.
No Comments