Marine North Berwick Hotel

The hotel’s historic charm, wonderful staff and magnificent view made a lovely end to our Scotland trip. We spent our last two nights here, and it was a perfect finish. Make time for the walk into town via the golf course.

We were so disappointed with our stay at Marine North Berwick that we left after one night of a two-night booking. For a place marketed as a five-star luxury hotel, the experience fell short from beginning to end. The spa was one of the main reasons we booked, but it was effectively unavailable. We were given conflicting explanations about staffing and availability, which didn’t feel transparent. The advertised “two restaurants” turned out to mean one restaurant and a bar. Our first room only had boiling water at the tap, with no cold water, so we had to move rooms. We’d booked the pet-friendly package, but the promised bed and bowl weren’t in the room until we asked. There was also an unexpected £35 per night pet charge that hadn’t been clearly disclosed when we booked. Cleanliness was another problem. There were visible cobwebs in reception, and a spider hanging over our dinner table. When we complained about dirty restaurant seating, management said it was only deep-cleaned once a year. Dinner was overpriced, our order was wrong, and the food was poor. The duty managers were dismissive when we brought up our concerns, saying the cleanliness problems “couldn’t be helped.” After we contacted Booking.com, the hotel refunded our stay. It’s a beautiful building, but the maintenance, hygiene and service were nowhere near the five-star standard advertised. We won’t be returning.

We had an overnight spa break at this lovely established country hotel, starting with afternoon tea. The decor was beautiful and the rooms were appointed wonderfully. In the spa, there’s an aromatic steam room, a sauna and an outdoor heated pool. Sitting under the heated waterfall in the rain was such a lovely experience. Sarah at reception kindly upgraded our room as a surprise. We were on the top floor, with a view over the course and sea. Dinner was superb: we both started with Shetland mussels, then had osso buco and monkfish, all excellently prepared. Breakfast overlooking the sea the next morning was a treat too. Everyone was courteous and kind, especially Erin, who served our afternoon tea and breakfast and was exceptionally helpful and polite. Thoroughly recommended for a wonderful getaway in the charming little town of North Berwick.

We had a fabulous break. The room was large, very clean and well equipped, with a huge bed. There’s an early 20th century look to it, but it also has all the modern extras you’d expect in a hotel room. The wallpaper was an acquired taste! Housekeeping did a lovely job each morning, and check-in was quick and painless, with our luggage brought up to the room. Breakfast was fab, with the big selection I love. The spa and pools were nice and clean, and I had a wonderful massage. It was a great place to switch off for a while. Afternoon tea was a little pricey, but there was plenty to choose from on the plates, and the tea list was extensive and quirky. We took some great walks along the links and beach, in the morning and at sunset. It seemed different each time. We ate at the restaurant and the Bass Rock Bar. Service was very good, the food was good, and we didn’t wait long, though neither meal felt like good value to me. Maybe that was just me. All in all, it’s a special place and I’d recommend it. One thing, if a service charge is already added, there’s really no need to ask whether we want to leave a gratuity on the food or drinks bill.