On course for a fantastic break
St Andrews spa hotel is well above par when it comes to luxury, dining . . . and pampering
Our visit to St Andrews was a brilliant idea.
YOU
don’t have to be a golfer to know a little about the world famous
Old Course in St Andrews. If you can’t book a place on their extensive waiting list, you’re entered into a ballot then, just 48 hours before, told if you have a place on the course and when.
It was no surprise then, that when I opened the curtains of my suite in the Old Course Hotel to blustery, biting rain and wind, I was met with a handful of golfers and their caddies wrapped up and playing the course, not letting the rain ruin their opportunity.
Many of the golfers make the Old Course, St Andrew’s most luxurious coastline resort, their home for the weekend. And while I’ve never swung a club in my life, I too was enjoying a lovely couple of nights at the fivestar hotel, determined to spend most of my time out of the Scottish springtime weather enjoying the beautiful, newly refurbished spa and leisure facilities. Kohler Waters Spa at the Old Course Hotel has reopened following an £8m refurbishment, and is the famous brand’s only spa outside of America.
New additions to the space will please sporty guests – a 20m lap pool, new gym area, fitness space and exercise studio which offers instructor-led classes and novel virtual sessions.
As well as a redesign of the treatment rooms, there are two wet treatment rooms with Kohler baths.
I arrived for my own treatments after a delicious lunch in the new spa café – the passionfruit posset is still the stuff of my daydreams – and took to the thermal suite before being led to one of the beautifully appointed treatment spaces, complete with heated beds and duvets, for a Kohler Waters Signature massage and facial.
I left feeling totally reinvigorated.
There’s much more to enjoy than just the spa at this resort – indulge in lunch or dinner at one of the seven on-site restaurants and pubs.
Dine a little finer in the Road Hole Restaurant, where sommeliers pair delicious local seafood and meat with gorgeous wines. For something equally as delicious but more casual, the Sands is informal and comfortable.
What stands out at the Old Course Hotel is the level of service. You can be assured that the staff here will do everything they can to make your stay enjoyable.
It’s the little touches that make this resort worthy of its luxury name and price tag. If you do want to leave the resort, venture down to West