Last updated April 2026. I was invited to stay at the Fairmont St Andrews. The hotel has been continuously refreshed since then — check the Fairmont website for current menus and rates.
The Fairmont St Andrews is a five-star hotel on the clifftop just outside St Andrews. Two golf courses, a spa, six restaurants and views across the Firth of Tay. I checked in for a girls’ weekend and came home convinced the Sunday brunch is the best in Scotland.
This is my honest review of the hotel, the rooms, the spa, the dining, the brunch, and what’s worth doing around St Andrews if you’re staying a weekend.
How to use this guide
- About the Fairmont St Andrews
- Rooms and facilities
- The Fairmont spa
- Dining at the Fairmont
- The International Sunday Brunch
- What to do around St Andrews
- How to book
About the Fairmont St Andrews
Perched above St Andrews Bay with views across to the town and the Firth of Tay, the Fairmont St Andrews opened in 2001 and was fully refurbished in 2017 with a warm, mid-century American style.
The hotel is built around a huge atrium, with the Zephyr lighting installation suspended overhead. Designed by artist George Singer, it’s meant to reflect the crashing waves and long grasses of St Andrews Bay outside the windows. It’s genuinely beautiful and sets the tone for the whole hotel.
Check-in is friendly and relaxed. There are leather sofas in front of huge fires, a cocktail bar, plenty of spots to curl up, and a supercar usually parked at the front door.
Our Deluxe Sea View Room
The Fairmont has 209 bedrooms including 17 suites. Our Deluxe Sea View Room was on the third floor of the north wing with views over the golf courses and the North Sea.
Two comfortable double beds, a large bathroom, and room for luggage and still having space to move around. Little extras included a slab of Fairmont chocolate, a dram of whisky, an honesty bar and a Nespresso machine. It was a good size for a girls’ weekend.
The Fairmont spa
The spa is downstairs in the atrium, connected by lift so you can head down in your dressing gown and slippers (which we did).
There’s a large pool, a jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and gym, plus poolside beds for lounging. We spent an early evening there relaxing and gossiping before dinner. The spa also has ten treatment rooms using Caudalie products.
Dining at the Fairmont
The Fairmont has six dining options:
- The Squire — the main restaurant in the atrium, where the Sunday brunch happens
- La Cucina — relaxed Italian
- St Andrews Bar and Grill — the championship golf course clubhouse, specialising in steaks and seafood
- Kittocks Den — the cocktail bar with an excellent Scottish whisky collection
- Rock & Spindle — the hotel pub
- Afternoon tea — served in the atrium lounge
Dinner at the St Andrews Bar and Grill
We headed down to the St Andrews Bar and Grill on the complimentary bus. It’s the hotel’s championship golf course clubhouse down by the waterfront — fancier than that sounds.
The kitchen uses a Josper grill (a hybrid oven/grill) which gives steaks a really good smoky taste. We had huge West Coast langoustines and Pittenweem langoustine ravioli to start, then a perfectly cooked tenderloin on the bone and a flat iron steak with chimichurri and béarnaise sauces on the side for dipping the thick-cut chips. Steaks were well rested and cooked perfectly.
After dinner we retired to Kittocks Den for whiskies. The bar rustled up an off-menu Bunnahabhain 12 on request, which was a nice touch.
The International Sunday Brunch at the Fairmont
The International Sunday Brunch takes place in the Squire restaurant on the first Sunday of each month. I skipped the regular breakfast in favour of the brunch — and I’d do it again tomorrow.
This is probably Scotland’s best brunch and unlike any buffet I’ve experienced.
Start with freshly made salads from around the world (the burrata and Greek vine leaves were excellent), cured meats and pâté. Move on to Chinese duck pancakes or freshly made ramen noodles. Then the fish course — beetroot-cured smoked salmon, huge prawns, caviar and freshly shucked oysters. And that’s just the starters.
Mains include a two-roast carvery with Yorkshire puddings and a big selection of hot entrees. The Black Isle beef massaman curry was one of the best curries I’ve eaten. For dessert (and you will manage it) there are decadent cakes, hot fruit pies, sweet pastries, macaroons, truffles, an ice cream bar and a chocolate fountain.
The brunch runs monthly on the first Sunday. Check the Fairmont website for current dates and booking.
What to do around St Andrews
The Fairmont has a complimentary shuttle to St Andrews on the hour, so there’s no excuse not to explore. St Andrews is one of Scotland’s best small towns, with a compact centre, two huge beaches, and history everywhere you look.
Explore St Andrews
The town centre has independent shops, good cafes and decent restaurants. Head down to West Sands (the Chariots of Fire beach), visit the St Andrews Aquarium, and walk among the University Colleges via the Town and Gown Walk.
St Andrews Castle and Cathedral are both worth a visit. The cathedral was once Scotland’s largest building — you can climb St Rule’s Tower for the view. A joint ticket for both is available from Historic Environment Scotland.
Play golf
St Andrews is the home of golf. The famous St Andrews Links, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie courses are all within a few miles.
The Fairmont has two courses of its own — the links-style Torrance Course designed by Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, and the coastal Kittocks Course. Non-residents can book tee times directly through the hotel.
Walk the Fife Coastal Path
The 117-mile Fife Coastal Path passes right by the hotel and you can walk into St Andrews along it. Heading east takes you to the Cambo Estate and Kingsbarns, with its walled garden, woodland walks, beach frontage and golf course. Next to the estate is the Kingsbarns Whisky Distillery.
Head to the East Neuk
The villages of the East Neuk of Fife are some of Scotland’s prettiest. From Crail to Elie, fishing villages hug the coast. Visit Pittenweem for artist studios, St Monans for its unusual wiggly harbour, or grab fish and chips in Anstruther.
Read more: my guide to the East Neuk of Fife and my complete guide to Fife.
How to book the Fairmont St Andrews
The Fairmont St Andrews is around 10 minutes by car from the centre of St Andrews, and around an hour from Edinburgh. Book through the Fairmont website for hotel packages, or Booking.com for flexible rates.
Kate — Love from Scotland x
