Fairmont St. Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa

Frommer's Review

At last Eastern Scotland has a premier, government-rated five-star hotel. It's perched on a cliff overlooking the North Sea and the River Tay. The hotel and its two championship golf courses sit on 210 hectares (520 acres). The sprawling resort complex, opened by Donald and Nancy Panoz, who run the Château Élan resort and winery in north Georgia, also offers a magnificent spa and a fitness club that counts Prince William among its members.

Bedrooms are the finest in the area, each spacious and equipped with such extras as high-speed Internet links. Style and functionality in the bedrooms combine for grand comfort, ranging from the luxurious bathtubs with separate showers to the soft duvet covers. The best accommodations are the so-called Manor homes next to the 4th fairway of the Torrance Course, each with four large bedrooms and five bathrooms plus a farmhouse-style kitchen. Some of the finest chefs in the U.K. were hired to create an award-winning cuisine whose scope ranges from Mongolian barbecues to Scottish products such as salmon, Ayrshire pork, and Perthshire lamb.

Golf is still the main attraction, however, including the 7,049-yard, par-71 Devlin, designed by Australian pro Bruce Devlin, and the 7,037-yard, par-72 Torrance, designed by Rider Cup captain Sam Torrance. With its treacherous cliff-side green, the most thrilling hole is the 14th.

Facilities:4 restaurants; 3 bars; heated indoor pool; 2 golf courses; health club; spa; Jacuzzi; sauna; children's program on weekends; business center; room service; massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; steam room; nonsmoking rooms; rooms for those w/limited mobility.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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