Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts to open two more golf properties

Just two years ago a new company was formed to revive famed golf hotels along the UK’s coasts and it is now set to open its fourth and fifth properties.

In 2021, Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners launched Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts with two first hotels in Scotland: Rusacks St Andrews and Marine North Berwick, in two of the world’s most premier golf destinations. The brand now carries the reputation of rejuvenating iconic properties adjacent to the most sought-after golf courses in the world, infusing hospitality into each. The brand recently announced plans to open two hotels under its banner this year: Slieve Donard, located in Newcastle, County Down in Northern Ireland – the collection’s first expansion outside of Scotland – and Dornoch Station in Dornoch, Scotland. Currently undergoing renovations, both properties will relaunch this year with updated guest rooms, public spaces and food and beverage concepts. Led by AJ Capital’s in-house design team, Marine & Lawn properties are inspired by each destination’s coastal positioning, rich golf history and legendary storytelling.

Rusacks St Andrews was the first Marine & Lawn property, launched in 2021 with 120 keys and a range of culinary outlets, including a traditional Scottish pub ‘One Under Bar’ and the rooftop bar and restaurant ’18’ overlooking the 1st and 18th holes of the Old Course at St Andrews and the Fife Coast, led by Derek Johnstone, one of Scotland’s most renowned chefs and inaugural winner of MasterChef: The Professionals. The hotel features unrivalled panoramic views of The Old Course, the world’s oldest golf course, celebrating 600 years of world-class golf history and was named a winner of the Scottish Golf Tourism awards earlier this year. In 2022, St Andrews hosted the 150th Open Championship celebrations last year, and the hotel commemorated this momentous occasion by offering guests ‘The 150 Package at Rusacks St Andrews’. The well-known Scottish golfer Tom Kidd won the competition and was presented with the Claret Jug on home turf. In 2024, the hotel will be at the centre of the AIG Women’s Open, hosting spectators from around the world.

Marine North Berwick joined Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts in 2021 as the brand’s second property, offering 84 guest rooms and overlooking the 16th hole of the historic West Links course of North Berwick Golf Club with scenic views of landmarks including the Firth of Forth and Bass Rock. The design throughout the hotel takes inspiration from the adjacent world-renowned golf course and notable figures, bringing the outside in. Staying true to the Marine & Lawn brand, North Berwick boasts a number of hospitality-driven culinary outlets, including The Lawn and The Bass Rock, both of which are headed up by Executive Chef, David Haetzman, who has worked in some of Scotland’s most popular eateries and resorts throughout his 30-year career and was previously chef patron of the award-winning family-owned Firebrick Brasserie in Lauder.

The brand’s third address, Marine Troon, opened in June 2022 on the Ayrshire Scottish Coast with a redesign inspired by its surrounding area and rich golf history. The hotel boasts unobstructed views of the 1st and 18th fairways of Royal Troon’s Old Course, which has played host to nine Open Championships, and will once again host The Open in 2024. Each room is home to a bespoke sketch by British design star Luke Edward Hall, of Arthur Havers, who won the Claret Jug in 1923 at Royal Troon. In terms of dining, the menus at The Rabbit restaurant and The Seal bar, which have been led by Marine & Lawn Rusacks St Andrews’ executive chef and Masterchef The Professionals winner, Derek Johnstone, champions hyper-seasonal, local ingredients together with Scottish seafood and game, showcasing the very best of classic British cooking.

“Marine & Lawn has exciting plans in store for 2023,” says Phillip Allen, president of Marine & Lawn. “As we grow our footprint with the additions of Slieve Donard and Dornoch Station this summer – local gems that fit perfectly with Marine & Lawn’s mission of providing world class hospitality in world class golf destinations – we are also activating our properties in fun and engaging ways for non-golfers, particularly during the cooler months. The Marine & Lawn destinations are pristine, not only for golf, but for local hikes, sea activities and incredible food & beverage; we are situated in diverse locations and think that both locals and visitors will be thrilled with the final product.”

Opening this summer is Slieve Donard, which will be the first Marine & Lawn property in Northern Ireland, and the fourth hotel in the collection. Positioned adjacent to the world-renowned Royal County Down Golf Club, renovations to the iconic 181-key property began in October 2022 and upon relaunching this summer, the reimagined Slieve Donard will offer updated guest rooms, renovated meeting and event and new food and beverage spaces. Rich in history, the hotel, built by the Belfast and County Down Railway in 1898, was bombed by the IRA in December 1973, and various icons have walked through its lobby, including Charlie Chaplin, Tiger Woods, Catherine Zeta Jones, King Leopold (of Belgium), Dame Judi Dench and many more.

Led by AJ Capital Partners’ in-house interior design studio, the decor will pay homage to the destination’s seaside beauty and rich Irish traditions, with an aim to preserve the Victorian elements and characteristics of the building. Across the railway-inspired lobby are also nods to nature, with a large variety of overhanging plants and artwork featuring local landscapes and scenery. The restaurant is housed in a separate building and will welcome locals and travellers alike. With pub-inspired interiors, it will offer an intimate and restful space with existing beams, a chequered painted floor and a fireplace. The Oak Room’s design will celebrate nature whilst Chaplin’s Bar will offer a cosy room with Victorian-inspired wall coverings and chandeliers. Chaplin’s Bar gets its name from when the comic once stayed – he visited the town to trace the Irish side of his first love Hetty’s family after she had passed away – it is said that he mourned her death at this very bar.

Phillip Allen

The Dornoch Hotel was acquired in November 2022 and, following a comprehensive renovation, will relaunch as Dornoch Station in the summer of 2023, marking the fifth hotel in the Marine & Lawn collection. Situated in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, Dornoch Station is just a short distance from the first tee of Royal Dornoch Golf Club, ranked third in the world by Golf Digest. Marine & Lawn will reposition the property as Dornoch Station Hotel, honouring the hotel’s original name dating back to 1902, the Station Hotel.

Upon its relaunch, the hotel will feature 89 spacious guest rooms and all new public spaces. The lobby houses original wood panelling as the design aims to restore and celebrate the initial design features. Inspiration derives from the Highlands, hunting cabins and lodges around Loch Ness. The bar will be a warm and comfortable spot of natural colours with green tiles celebrating the golf lawn. Royal Dornoch Golf Club tartan adorns the walls surrounding a snooker table. Guests can leave behind golf balls representing their home courses to create an experience of pilgrimage for keen players around the world. The ever-evolving collection lines the moulding of the space. Seaside themes can also be found across the hotel, with shell-shaped lights and wood-carved lighthouse-shaped tables in the bedrooms.

Exuding old-world charm, Dornoch is a small seaside destination in the historic county of Sutherland, accessible along Scotland’s popular North Coast 500 driving route. The town is famed for its impressive cathedral, founded in 1224. Guests can enjoy walking or swimming along the magnificent beaches and rugged coastline of the West Coast, where seals visit and occasionally dolphins and whales cruise by.

Marine & Lawn hotels are true gems in key golf destinations and are ideal getaways for golf enthusiasts from around the world – now boasting five properties. Slieve Donard and Dornoch Station will join existing Marine & Lawn properties offering a luxurious base for unforgettable travel, weaving the legends of centuries of golf history into design details throughout each hotel.

For more information, visit www.marineandlawn.com