Fairmont St Andrews Scotland

The best parts were my massage and some of the spa, but even the wet sauna looked as if its tiles and grout hadn’t been properly cleaned in years. I’d arranged a Valentine’s stay for my partner and couldn’t find a single sign of the occasion around the hotel. We reached the hotel at 3:45, but our room wasn’t ready until 4:50, leaving us rushed before the 5:00 spa booking. The room itself was gorgeous, though we’d been told we had the second-best room, so that was expected. Dinner at the Italian restaurant was disappointing, more like takeaway quality. We asked to move to an available balcony table and were told yes, then five minutes later told it was booked. Nobody was sitting there. The staff seemed uninterested. We waited 10-15 minutes for our wine, and the waiter handed me a taste without asking who wanted to try it. My female partner normally checks it, so that was awkward. He also took the cork away before showing it to us, so I had to ask for it. The bar was a disaster, with 15-20 minute waits for drinks. When I went up myself, I was told to wait at the table, and when staff finally came over, the welcome felt unhappy. We’d hoped to play pool and try the golf simulator, though I’m not really a golf person and was excited to give it a go. But it was closed after 10:30 on Saturday. We went back to the bar, waited again, then decided to call it a night. At breakfast there were long queues. We got a table and a menu, but after ten minutes I had to call someone over so we could order. I’ve had better breakfast at Holiday Inn. When we left, our car was brought round, then just before we drove off a staff member put someone else’s bags in it. My partner had to point it out and ask them to remove them. And nobody even asked how the stay had been when I paid the bill. Other guests nearby seemed to have had a similar experience. The hotel has a lot of potential, but it needs a new menu and chef, and the staff’s constant “sorry for your wait” needs to stop. Calling this a disappointment is an understatement. Shame.