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Imagine waking up in a luxury hotel and walking to the first tee of one of the world's most famous links.
No, you're not dreaming. This experience will be reality for more golf travelers starting this fall at Dornoch Station in Scotland and Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland - two newly renovated hotels under the new golf-focused brand of Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts. Links golf resorts are a rarity in the United Kingdom, but these new properties will deliver that type of luxury service and amenities for lucky guests.
Dornoch Station, the old Dornoch Hotel near Royal Dornoch, a consensus top 15 course in the world, will reopen Aug. 28 after a year-long renovation, while the revamped Slieve Donard near Royal County Down, the top international course in the world according to Golf Digest, will debut a few days later, on Sept. 1. Their makeovers will be game-changers for two of golf's premier links destinations. Both improvement projects have injected modern amenities and decor, while preserving the historic charm of both hotels.
Launched in 2021, Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts, an Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital brand, is making a significant splash in the golf world with key Scottish properties including Rusacks St Andrews near the Old Course, Marine Troon adjacent to Royal Troon (host of the 2024 Open Championship) and Marine North Berwick near the beloved West Links, plus another hotel under redevelopment in Portrush, Northern Ireland.
A sneak peek of the newly renovated Dornoch Station
The Scottish Highlands are seeing significant investment in lodging choices for golfers. The rebranded Cabot Highlands is building stay-and-play cottages in Inverness, and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in the re-imagined Royal Marine Hotel Brora next to the charming Brora Golf Club links in fall 2022. The renovated 89-room Dornoch Station, which dates to 1902, will make the decision where to stay for golf groups that much harder.
Dornoch Station is ideally located in the heart of the birthplace of Donald Ross. A new golf putting green and fire pits serve as outdoors gathering spots. The Ross Bar is decorated in the game’s ultimate color (green!) and a Royal Dornoch tartan hanging near the snooker table. The coolest part is guests can leave behind logo balls representing their home course, a design tradition I first discovered at Killeen House Hotel in southwest Ireland. Seaside themes are represented by shell-shaped lighting and lighthouse-shaped tables in the bedrooms, many with views of the Dornoch Firth. The new Golden Goose restaurant offers a seasonal, all-day menu; afternoon tea and a Sunday Roast. Rates will start at £155 (about $197 with current exchange rates) and up per night.
A sneak peek of the newly renovated Slieve Donard
After 125 years comes the next chapter for Slieve Donard. The 180-room property, built by the Belfast and County Down Railway in 1898, occupies a special landscape in the shadow of the mountains of Mourne and adjacent to the sea. Its iconic spire serves as the aiming point on the blind tee shot of par-4 ninth hole of Royal County Down.
Like the Marine & Lawn brand itself, the hotel embodies the relationship between land and sea. Victorian-inspired wall coverings and eye-catching chandeliers add historical elegance to the décor. Rates will start at £165 (about $210) and up per night.
The four restaurants/bars will cater to different tastes. J.J. Farrall’s, named after the original architect, will serve dinner, afternoon tea and Sunday lunch as an open fire roars. The Lighthouse Lounge will be more casual with Mediterranean menus inspired by dishes from Italy and Greece. Carlingford oysters, platters of meats and cheese, pastries and sandwiches will be the main attractions at the Wolf Bar. The Percy French will feature pub classics, traditional Irish fare, bar snacks and a wide-ranging selection of wines, cocktails and beers.
The spa, which spreads out across two floors; a hair salon and the wellness and fitness facilities, including an indoor pool, steam room, rock sauna and gym, will probably attract more business and leisure travelers than golfers. They'll get their exercise walking the famed 'RCD'. No luxury hotel sits closer to the first tee of such an inspiring course than the Slieve Donard. Golfers simply slip out the back door of the hotel and through the gate of the club to find golf paradise.
Both of my visits to Royal County Down rank among my best golf memories. In 2007, I covered the Walker Cup, watching a star-studded American team (Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Billy Horschel, Webb Simpson, Colt Knost, etc.) fend off the Europeans led by homegrown star Rory McIlroy. A decade later, I returned in 2017 for a special 36-hole day, staying at the Slieve Donard and playing a pair of spirited matches. Maybe these photos from that day will inspire more golfers to do the same.
Have you stayed at these hotels in the past or played Royal Dornoch or Royal County Down? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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