The Marine Hotel

Location staff and food

Double bed slightly smaller then most double beds

The hotel is in a lovely location directly opposite the harbour, and the taxi ride from Aberdeen Airport took around 30 minutes. It's also well placed for visiting Dunnottar Castle, which is around a 30-minute walk away, and Stonehaven town centre, which is an easy 10–15-minute walk by the waterside. The staff were incredibly helpful and responsive, too! I was flying in for a friend's wedding on the same day I was due to check in, so I contacted the hotel to ask whether an early check-in would be possible. They were very accommodating and did their best to arrange what they could for me, despite it being peak summer holiday season. The room itself was incredibly spacious, especially for someone travelling alone. It had a comfortable double bed, TV, desk with a cool hidden vanity compartment, full-length mirror, wardrobe with hangers, and a clean bathroom with both a bath and shower. There were plenty of plug sockets, free Wi-Fi with decent speeds, and complimentary tea, coffee and shortbread biscuits. …and the view from my window? Beautiful! It was lovely at all times of the day. I highly recommend booking a room with a harbour view! In terms of food, the hotel is directly above the Marine Hotel restaurant, so it was easy to head downstairs for a great lunch or dinner. Breakfast is also available in the small dining room on the first floor but unfortunately, I didn't get to try it due to my itinerary, so I can't comment on the menu or quality. However, if it's anything like the food in the restaurant, I suspect it's pretty good!

In terms of accessibility, there are a few important things to be aware of before booking a stay at the Marine Hotel. First, if you have mobility requirements, struggle with narrow stairs, or are travelling with heavy luggage or a pushchair, please bear in mind that both the dining/check-in area and the guest rooms can only be accessed via several flights of stairs and the hotel doesn't have a lift/elevator. I also found it difficult to find reception, as there wasn't an obvious front desk or signage indoors to direct guests upstairs. The restaurant wasn't open when I arrived, so the ground-floor doors were closed but thankfully, some lovely kitchen staff members spotted me and showed me to the small dining area on the first floor, where I could check in. My room also used a traditional key rather than a key card, with a separate card needed to activate the light control panel. I struggled to figure out how to turn on the lights because the panel looked like a standard hotel keycard slot, and I'd only been given the one room key. There weren't any instructions in the room guide either, so I had to call the hotel for help. Thankfully, the staff member I spoke to came up almost immediately and kindly talked me through how everything worked, which I really appreciated! The last two points are more minor and didn't personally affect my stay, but I thought they were worth mentioning for anyone planning a visit... There didn't seem to be a mini-fridge in the room I stayed in, so if you need somewhere to store milk, baby food, medication etc., it may be worth following up with the hotel before booking. The road outside the hotel is also fairly small, so it's best suited to quick drop-offs and pick-ups. If you're driving down or need parking, I'm not sure how easy it is to find a suitable space nearby, so it might be good to also ask about this when you book.

I was warmly greeted & a taxi was organized for my plans to see the Huskies the next day’ I was shown to my room’ the sea views over Cowie harbour was great with the sunrise between the harbour walls’ the room is modern & tastefully decorated’ breakfast is a lovely continental selection & the coffee was delicious.

Stunning sea view. Harbour location. Fluffy towels. Mini shortbreads.

No cooked breakfast. Flies on food laid out for continental breakfast was very off putting. Room wasn’t clean (inside the wardrobe was dusty, shower had orange scum) Bed had exposed staples. Mattress was very soft.