This is an old tired hotel. Although the staff was pleasant to deal with, the hotel did not meet our expectations. The "chef" was out sick during our entire stay (3 days) so we could not eat at the hotel, or get breakfast there. Not that big of a deal since there are other options close by, but still disappointing. We were in a room where the shower drain was clogged, and seeing how short staffed they were, we just unclogged the shower drain ourselves (yes I had tools with me on holiday). Since we have stayed at this hotel in the past and enjoyed it, we figured we'd give it another go. But frankly I would suggest you look for other accommodation if you are staying in Banchory.