I’m finally back to blogging after a week’s unintentional break – courtesy of a very sore back over the last few days!
Last week saw us head to Aberdeen for a couple of nights on a spontaneous (we only decided to head away a couple of days in advance) break. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive from Inverness along the A96, and there’s plenty of stopping points to choose from along the way to break up your journey!
We booked our accommodation at Skene Suites Aberdeen, choosing the Whitehall Suites which were a 15 minute stroll from Union Street (the main shopping street in Aberdeen). We shopped around for the best rate, then utilised my TopCashback account to get a good cashback deal via Expedia.
(An aside; this isn’t a sponsored post for TopCashback -I’ve just found it great for making a little bit of money back off bigger purchases we’ve made, in about a year I’ve made just over £100 just by shopping via the TC site)
The Whitehall Suites are serviced apartments in a quiet residential area of Aberdeen. There is free (limited, although we didn’t have a problem finding a space as we stayed Thurs-Sat) parking on site for residents.
The main building is where the reception, breakfast room and bar are, and the suites are located in separate buildings just a minute’s walk across a pleasant courtyard. As we we were shown to our suite, the concierge pointed out that there are shared laundry facilities which could be used at any time. As we were only there for two nights there was no need for us to use it, but it would be handy for people staying longer term on business or for people with children/babies.
Other perks included the use of a communal lounge. This included an honesty bar which was unstaffed and guests just completed a form noting what drinks were had, then having the costs charged to the room! Each guest could also have a complimentary drink (1 drink, per guest per stay). I had never heard of that before and thought it was a nice touch. That said, we forgot about this perk and didn’t use it, so I can’t comment on the range or prices of drinks offered.
Onto our suite! We were allocated a suite on the 2nd floor of one of the apartment buildings. It was really spacious – with a double and a twin bedroom. (I’m not sure why we were allocated this, as it was just me and Mr B there) but at least it gives me an opportunity to share pictures of a bigger suite!
All of the rooms were spotlessly clean and furnished nicely. There was enough of a personal touch (pictures, useful tourist information about the area) in the rooms to give it a homely feel without it being too in your face. There was also a large TV with freeview channels. The kitchen was well equipped and if we had been staying longer, we would have used this for preparing meals. (I don’t even think we used it to make a cup of tea!). The apartments are serviced, but as we were staying for just two nights and using the suite as a base for sleeping, we didn’t really need the apartment to be cleaned.
Despite the suites having self-catering facilities, a continental breakfast is included in the nightly rate, with the option to purchase any cooked breakfast items. We were fully expecting that the free continental breakfast would be very basic, but we were surprised, with a large range of fruit, cereals, and pastries available. On the second morning we both ordered a breakfast roll with sausage and egg, which cost a respectable £3.50 each and was packed with a tasty couple of sausages and a large fried egg. I noted that a full Scottish breakfast cost around £8 and the description sounded like you would be very full afterwards! The service was really good – once we had been served our tea and coffee, toast and any hot items, we were left to enjoy them at our leisure.
We really enjoyed staying at the Whitehall Suites, and would stay again as it provided accommodation in a good quiet location close to the main hub of Aberdeen. We heard no other noise either from other guests or the streets nearby at night. The bed was comfortable and the rooms were a decent temperature, size and in a perfect state of cleanliness. We were impressed with the complimentary continental breakfast and the friendly nature of all the staff we encountered. We thought it was good value considered it is a small scale hotel chain with the added bonus of extra living space. Recommended for a short or long stay in Aberdeen.
(This is not a sponsored post. We paid £160 for two nights B&B accommodation and will receive 12% cashback from Top Cashback for this purchase)
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