August 2023 by catrionac717
We were very disappointed with the attitude of staff at this hotel. Having eaten at the Flying Stag before, four years ago, we had high expectations, remembering lovely food and a nice friendly atmosphere. On that occasion, my husband and I were hiking and camping in the area and were dressed for the hills but we were welcomed by staff and the place was very relaxed. The food was good and the service also. Not so on our recent visit. My husband went in to the bar for a drink first. Again, we were camping but he was wearing jeans and trainers rather than muddy boots and full on waterproofs like last time. Immediately he felt the staff made him feel out of place and unwelcome but as we had agreed to meet there he ordered a drink and sat down. Before he had finished his pint, he was approached by a member of staff who told him the table was needed for a booking. As there were several empty tables he felt that this was just a way of getting him out and felt very uncomfortable. I met him outside. We had planned to eat there but after his experience we enquired at Farquharson's across the road. They were fully booked and could not offer us a table that evening. We had our two children with us and so needed to eat somewhere, the Fife Arms was our only other option. So, I went in to enquire about a table. I definitely felt very unwelcome and embarrassed as reception staff looked me up and down and told me that on Sunday evenings, they do not serve food to non-residents. Perhaps this is hotel policy and not, as we suspected, just a line staff use to turn away unsuitable clientele but if so, it makes poor business sense as there were still many empty tables. Braemar is a popular place for campers, hikers and out-doorsy types but it would seem that we are no longer good enough for the Fife Arms.
August 2023 by aventureuxOhio
Lucky us; we had a few hours here so we relaxed in the historic, cosy, yet regal Fife Arms. Our mid-day dinner was in the snug of the Flying Stag.Amazing surroundings and the service and food are tops. All staff are professional and helpful throughout the property. Make time to stay a night or two as we will do soon. Our one beautiful afternoon just was not enough.
August 2023 by 234warrens
We've been meaning to go for a wee while as it's almost on our doorstep. The restaurant surroundings are excellent, but the service was only so so. What we assumed to be the restaurant manager must have walked past out table 20 or 20 times without a smile or "how was everything" which was unusual for an upmarket restaurant. The friendly wine sommelier tried hard to talk us out of our wine choice. The waitress who plonked our mains down, seemed to burn her fingers on the very hot sides dishes, mumbled something about the food before quickly disappearing. Probably to run her fingers under a cold tap. The pork cheek starter was small, but we'll presented and tasty. However, the £42 fillet was average at best, and a bit tasteless if we're honest as were the 4 or 5 chips which seemed unseasoned. The elderflower slice desert was a slice of heaven and was truly spectacular. Well worth a visit on its own. Kudos to the pastry chef. All in all, a £240 bill for a meal for two should have been a much better experience and left quite disappointed That said, one waitress (Hannah) was extremely helpful and became the only thing that stopped us complaining to the manager on the night. The very Grand Fife Hotel has a Stella reputation, so perhaps we just went on a bad evening, but for us, the overall service quality, the food and the high price means we won't be racing back anytime soon.
August 2023 by steffie2010
We arrived desperate for anything , 8 degrees at 10pm unable to find any accommodation. The Fife saved us. They treated us like the stressed weary travelers that we were. Faultless in every way . We wished we had the time to stay much much longer.
August 2023 by SameerAdhikari
We selected Fife Arms at Braemer for getting the quintessential Scottish experience and booked ourselves the Victoria Suite ?. The hotel totally lived upto our imagination and expectations in terms of the lovely room and great ambience. It is truly beautiful and in the evening sitting by the fire and having cocktails was lovely. One day dinner was at the flying stag and the second evening we had at Berties which was again unique and very nice experience?. The breakfast was decent although first day the eggs took ages to come and then the crossiants were finished. That should never happen at such a high end place. Another disappointing experience was when we requested for our room to be serviced while we were visiting the Balmoral Castle ? however on our arrival at 1500 hrs it was still untouched ?. The front desk was unable to convey messages apparently?. Even though the hotel was so lovely such small issues made me lose one star in the ratings. However I would strongly recommend all to experience the Fife Arms ?. Even at its high price it?s totally worth it ?. And the front desk dog Brodie is adorable
July 2023 by Dawn D
Went for Sunday lunch with our friends. The place is absolutely stunning, and the staff are lovely, can?t fault that. What I was disappointed in was the food was cold. Soup was not even warm but was nice. Main course was the same. This was the second time we came and the same happened last time. It?s as tho the food sits under lights and if plated up as and when. It?s a shame as it?s certainly lovely in every other aspect. ?
July 2023 by 800lucyr
Flying Stag- no atmosphere, staff not interested, stood at the deserted bar for several mins before I was even acknowledged, London prices for drinks. Bertie?s bar excellent, staff brilliant, pricey but you feel that you are not being ripped off. Sunday lunch in the Clunie Restaurant- arrived at table and had to get staff to clean the leather bench seat as there was dried food welded on, table had been cleaned with a wet cloth and not dried or polished, looked dirty. Food was ok but for the price, £18 for a slice of turnip and some veg- maybe your rich clientele happy to pay for that but I?m not. Service was good, slow but staff were accommodating. This is definitely not what I expect from this place, I?ve visited several times, not sure I would go back and surprised that others used to the 5 star experience do. Only redeeming thing was guy who gave us an impromptu tour of the art- sorry I didn?t catch his name. Very sad, another jewel of a place gone.
July 2023 by Kklass1
Visited the fife arms twice during my visit to Braemar . I celebrated my 40th birthday in the flying stag with family . The service was good and the food was lovely . I returned a second time to visit the hotel spa with my partner . Both girls in the spa did a fantastic job and they are a credit to the hotel . Jo took us on a wee tour round the hotel afterwards and we got to take in all of the stunning art work on display. I feel we really got a real feel of the character of the hotel . thank you and see you again :0)
July 2023 by Hill-run_bisom
Visited on Saturday for coffee at about 4pm. Went into Flying Stag where we were immediately informed they were not serving food due to a wedding which was no problem as we just wanted a drink. We were told to sit where we liked, which we did, then we?re totally ignored by the waiting staff. We didn?t know if it was table service or we had to order at the bar. Eventually went up to the bar where there were five members of staff standing chatting to each other and was again ignored for several minutes before one person decided to stop chatting and actually ask what we would like. The coffee was good as was the wine but unless you had a dog with you the staff completely ignored you. This was extremely disappointing as the bar was not busy and having staff standing around chatting to themselves and not keeping an eye out for customers is very poor service. There didn?t appear to be a manager there, presumably they were all dealing with the wedding, but would have expected the remaining staff to be better trained and have higher customer service standards.
January 2023 by abbott2002
When you are paying £581 per night (still can't believe we actually paid that) then you are entitled to have really high expectations. The staff at Fife Arms were welcoming, but no more welcoming than at any other hotel. We were about an hour early checking in so understandably the room wasn't ready. We were told to just look around and come back later. Would have been lovely to be offered a coffee or a drink. We had to ask what was where so we knew which direction to go in. Whilst wandering and maybe looking a bit lost, a lovely member of staff who was dusting introduced herself put down her duster and enthusiastically took us on a little tour and opened up The Whiskey Bar so we could take a look. If you are a Whiskey lover then I imagine that this room would be a little piece of heaven for you. It looked really really special. Our room was ready on time, we had The Heather Room. Very tastefully decorated, bed a standard double, great tea and coffee facilities but these were located inside of a dark wardrobe in the corner with no lighting. I think the staff should try using the tea and coffee facilities at various times of day to realise how awkwardly placed and super dark it is. The quality of the coffee, drinks and snacks provided were very nice. The bathroom was nice, water was hot. Bathroom is not well ventilated so when you run a bath, the walls drip with condensation and become sticky. The only mirror where you can dry your hair is inside the wardrobe door - very awkward spot. It is worth noting that we had a very sound nights sleep in this room, it was dark and quiet and warm and comfortable. When we booked up, we felt pressurised to make a reservation for dinner and the latest time we were told we could choose was 8:15pm. We were offered The Clunie or Flying Stag Pub. We explained that we weren't really into fine dining and would probably enjoy a few beers and some pub grub so the guy in the phone said The Flying Stag would fulfil that. I asked for a later table but he said it was looking full and that there was a party of 11 in at 8:30 so we had to take 8:15. We arrived at 7:30 to have a drink at the bar first and were shocked to find the restaurant was only quarter full and the party of 11 were there already. The waiters were very attentive and chatty. We ordered sirloin steak and sausages with mustard mash. The sausages were lovely but the only part of the meal that was. The steak was terrible, like old shoe leather and served with frozen chips! The presentation of both meals was really mediocre. It cost us in excess of £80 and we only had one glass of wine and 3 beers. Seats were uncomfortable and the floor underneath our table was filthy and covered in food remnants. I cannot stress how much this place lets the hotel down. It was so bad. I think a Toby Carvery would have been a more enjoyable and better quality experience! Breakfast was served in The Clunie. The one waitress and maître d'were run off their feet and so service was poor. The ambiance and plushness of the room was exquisite. Choice of cold items such as cereal and fruit and yoghurt was good. We ordered one hot porridge and it was delicious. Tea and coffee took a good 15 minutes to arrive. When it did we had to ask for milk and sugar. Hot breakfast was OK, nothing special if I'm honest. Toast came but no butter. When we finished we waited for a good 10 minutes for our plates to be cleared but they weren't so in the end we up and left to check out. Check out is 11am. The hotel decor is lovely and aesthetically pleasing. It is beautiful building but we have been to lots of other places equally as nice. We were over the moon to check out. The feeling of being so royally ripped off didn't sit well. If we had paid say around £180 for a nights bed and breakfast then our expectations would have been less and probably met (apart from he Flying Stag). But our experience was no where near worth £581. Please please spend your hard earned money somewhere else like Gleneagles or Grantley Hall in Yorkshire which are both ab
January 2023 by LaurenJames9182
We arrived at the hotel late morning and was advised our room was not ready, which was fine so we went for a walk and had some lunch in the bar. However when it came to check-in time our room was still not ready and we had to wait an additional hour before our room was ready, which was frustrating as we had an early start and we were looking forward to a well deserved rest. Once we were shown to our room, we were completely blown away, the room had incredible views and the amenities were brilliant. The service is top notch and the food was incredible. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the Whisky bar and experience. We will absolutely be staying here again.
January 2023 by UTAustin
You won't stay in a hotel like the Fife Arms anywhere else. It's an eclectic mix of five-star property, hunting lodge, boutique foodie spot, and country home. If you like posting to "The 'Gram" or TikTok (for the younger folks) or Facebook (for the older folks) this spot will have tons of material for you. The hotel is located in the center of the Scottish Highlands or the middle of nowhere, depending on your point of view. It really is the only game in town, so expect to stick near the hotel for meals, etc. That said, the food is quite good so you won't need to roam far. Plan outdoor activities with the concierge; there's plenty to do. Bring some good books or borrow some of theirs. Every room seemed to be of high quality. I stayed in the smallest room on property because of a late booking. It was, to say the least, cozy, but still fine. The linens, bathrooms, etc., were appointed as you would expect for a luxury property. The staff is friendly. Afternoon tea is excellent. If you like the outdoors, stay a while. If you get bored easily, a shorter trip might suit you better.
December 2022 by William M
Fabulous xmas pub lunch - must explore more. Yes to stay is very pricey , min £500 off season as i understand. However the pub lunch was great value . Food was plentiful, tasty and with great service - venison burgers were just fantastic , lean and tasty . The Braemar brew is a triumph. All in great setting - we could have sat all day . We will be back to explore more
December 2022 by L5344JUpaulb
From the moment we checked in with Maria we were made to feel at home. It's a lovely hotel with brilliant staff. The concierge could not have been more helpful, meeting every need. The Clunie for both breakfast and dinner was excellent with the Flying Stag great for winding down. Braemar itself was lovely in the snow, a picturesque location with lots of walks and little shops. The art is incredible and quite something to take in.
December 2022 by karenhJ1375VI
Had a one night stay at the beautiful Fife Arms, could have stayed longer. We loved everything about this Highland hotel. We enjoyed drinks followed by a delicious supper in the Flying Stag and then enjoyed a cocktail in the lounge with the roaring fire in the background. The well equipped room was very comfortable with a large bed and a beautiful bathroom. Our dog was welcome at the hotel for a small charge, they even supplied a bed for the dog plus treats. We also had a lovely glass of champers in our room compliments of the hotel, just what we needed after our drive. After a very comfy nights sleep we had breakfast in the dining room, it was superb, so much choice and plenty staff to serve you. Overall we loved the Fife Arms the only thing we would change is to stay for two nights next time. We will return.