One of the excellent things about living in Edinburgh is not only that it is a UNESCO world heritage site but also that within half an hour you can be in the Scottish countryside, a million miles away from all the hustle and bustle of city life.
As part of our Autumn/Winter short breaks collection on TLE we have been away finding the best places to experience a weekend break from the TLE headquarters of Edinburgh. Chrystal is just back from Stobo Castle and I was in one of my favourite spots in Scotland – Fife at the indulgent 5 Star St Andrews Fairmont Hotel.
What to Expect
St Andrews for me doesn’t need any introduction, I spent many years visiting the town as a child. Home to golf and the University of St Andrews and more recently where prince William studied, its cobbled streets, traditional family run shops, cosy coffee shops and brassieres mean it’s a chocolate box town to the ‘tee’ (get the joke).
Primarily a retreat for golfers and with 11 courses in St Andrews town alone you are spoilt for choice, but it is also a great spot for non golfers to come and relax which TLE found out all about on our recent stay at the Fairmont St Andrews Bay Hotel.
Hotel Details
Located outside of St Andrews town 1.6 miles to the east, positioned perfectly beside the sea and with a view of St Andrews in the horizon lies the St Andrews Bay Fairmont Hotel.
Large in size with 209 guest rooms, a gorgeous spa, gigantic central atrium, two restaurants, club house, bars and not one, but two championship golf courses all set in 520 acres or grounds, it has mixed the best of American indulgence with lots of Scottish touches throughout.
Ambiance & Check In
When you walk in through the main reception doors you are immediately greeted by a roaring fire and large oversized sofas in the lobby and a rather dapper gentleman looking down at you. To the right is the concierge and check-in.
The check-in team are friendly and efficient, the usual credit card details are taken, breakfast times explained and room key cards handed over, done and dusted in seconds. We were disappointed to hear that the spa and pool had been closed that day due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’. We did get a chance to use it the following morning before breakfast.
Useful to know that the hotel offers a shuttle bus service to and from the hotel to the town in addition they can also pick you up from Leuchars train station and various other locations. The shuttle runs throughout the day, ideal for getting into St Andrews as parking in this small town can pose a stressful challenge (believe me on this one).
The Rooms
Rooms come in four types in addition to various suite types and manor houses. The hotel forms a U shape so the sea view rooms are to the left.
We had a Deluxe Sea View Room on our stay, and as the name suggested it has what could only be described as a picture postcard view out to the North sea, which won’t disappoint.
Rooms are indulgently Scottish with touches of tartan and rich fabrics, immediatley warm and inviting. Talking about warm there is no shortage of heat in your room so you will be snug as a bug. Following the American standard on rooms – rooms come with king size or two doubles.
The Bathroom
Bathrooms are large and have a separate tub and walk in shower. Amenities are by Rose 31 which are a brand I haven’t tried before but got the thumbs up from me! The bathroom has more of a practical feel to it, than indulgen, I am tall and the bath is quite small, but I wasn’t in the hotel to spend hours in the bathroom so didn’t mind too much.
Some of the practical things
Nespresso machine in the room, need I say more. A well stocked mini bar has virtually everything you might want for a party in your room and ice machines in the communal areas mean your drink will never be hot. Rooms also come prepared with US/UK sockets and of course WIFI is free!
For business folk there is a work desk, which will service all your business needs.
Plenty of wardrobe and cupboard space is available – the usual laptop safe is also included.
One small thing that could do with being altered are having more accessible plugs next to your bed, I have a plethora of phones and laptops and I like have them all wired in next to me when I sleep.
Some of the finishing touches
There were a selection of welcome chocolates in the room on arrival, and back to the amenities I did really love the smell of the bath gel and moisturiser.
Other Parts of the Hotel
The hotel does have an American feel to the architecture and not really surprising its birthplace was San Francisco so think big on size.
Spa, Gym and Pool
A pre breakfast dip in the pool gave us a good flavor of the spa area. If you want a message or treatment during your
stay the hotel has a full package of offers available and treatment products include Ishga, Aromatherapy Associate and OPI.
The pool area is practical; a 16 metre pool allows you complete your morning lengths and a Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room let you unwind. Probably worth picking your time to visit wisely as it can get quite busy.
There is also a gym with the latest gym equipment.
Golf
Golf is the reason many people come to St Andrews to participate in and the Fairmont have two courses to satisfy your golfing desires. The Torrance Course is Par 72 and 7230 yards and originally designed by Sam Torrance. The Kittocks Course is Par 71 and 7192 yards and designed by Bruce Devlin with assistance from Gene Sarazen
Food and Drink
The hotel also incorporates various dining experiences including La Cucina an Italian restaurant, their bar Kittocks Den serves light snacks and casual dining and watch live sport in their signature bar the Rock & Spindle.
Out with the main hotel building the St Andrews Bar and Grill serves traditional food by day and Scottish steak and seafood by night all topped off with a cliff top view looking out across St Andrew Bay.
We didn’t eat in the hotel in the evening – we ended up heading out for drinks and dinner in the town.
Breakfast
Under normal conditions I am quite a light eater at breakfast time, a coffee and cereal is sufficient, but one mention of a hotel buffet and the rules are ripped up.
Located in ‘the Squire’ adjacent to the atrium is the breakfast buffet. The hotel’s website calls the buffet extravagant and I would have to agree with them as virtually everything you can imagine to eat is there.
I had a full hot breakfast, Bircher muesli, and then an omelet. Tea, coffee and toast is brought to your table. If you have a sweet tooth then you can opt for fresh waffles with syrup and get the calories up with various chocolate toppings.
Fresh fruits are also available, as well as cheeses and hams and salamis, it got top marks as far as buffets go .
Final Thoughts
The Fairmont is big and brash in style – it feels like someone has taken a hotel out of America and placed it in Scotland, but I quite like that, it’s unlike other hotels you will find in the country.
I love St Andrews and I have never really heard anyone fault it, so it’s an ideal break location – pairing it up with the 5 star experience of Fairmont St Andrews (one of St Andrews best luxury hotels) and you have a winning formula on your hands.
Finances and Details
Address: A917, St Andrews KY16 8PN
Phone: 01334 837000
Web: www.fairmont.com/st-andrews-scotland/
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