Usually, when I visit St. Andrews, I'm staying with family, but there was no room at the family inn this time. Having booked the Ardgowan for others in the past, I thought it'd be worth trying in person - and wasn't disappointed.

A couple in our party are (better be careful here in case they read it!) a wee bit challenged in the mobility stakes, and the hotel kindly accommodated them in the room they'd used before on the first floor, with minimal distance to walk to their room. Our own room was on the same floor and perfectly adequate and comfortable. High marks for the shower, too!

Breakfast was generous and of a high quality. Took a while for the requested tea to arrive but since I'm a coffee drinker, I wasn't too perturbed - and the coffee was great!

Staff were very helpful, both before and during the stay. There are some roadworks outside the hotel at present which meant no parking - we got an email from the hotel before we set out to tell us about this, and to offer suggestions (5 sites, no less!) as to alternative parking arrangements. They were also more than happy to arrange taxis for us and recommend the nearest possible pick-up point for our less-mobile companions.

It's not the Fairmont or the Old Course Hotel - but you're not paying their prices. Very reasonable, very clean, very satisfactory - I'd definitely go back.

There are not many hotels in St Andrews. So I picked the cheapest one. There is always a risk with this, as it could mean it isn't very nice. This was not the case with Ardgowan.

The location was superb. It is in the town centre, on the same road as one of the main high streets. It is a mere 3 minutes walk from the Old Course. It is only 5 minutes from the University building I needed to go to.

The room was lovely. Plenty of room. Desk, chair, foot stool, LCD TV, comfortable double bed, wardrobe, kettle with tea, coffee and biscuits. The en-suite bathroom was clean, tidy and modern, with an excellent powerful and hot shower.

Breakfast was included and served in the restaurant/bar in the basement of the hotel. This consisted of a buffet with cereals, yoghurts and fruit juice, and hot food, tea and coffee ordered from the waiting staff. Hot food was a choice of a Full Scottish breakfast (excellent black pudding), smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, porridge and toast, and more.

The staff were all polite, helpful and kind, and even accommodated my late night arrival.

The only negative was having to pay for WiFi, but as it was a flat and extremely reasonable rate, and everything else was such excellent value, I was extremely happy to pay for it.

Jim, and the entire staff of the Ardgowan Hotel, went above and beyond to ensure we had the most fabulous stay possible. From the moment we stepped foot in the door until we checked out, we were always treated with immense warmth and kindness. From reserving a taxi to Kittocks for our first round of golf to receiving a packed lunch to accompany us to Haymarket station on our departure, we were always treated superbly and cannot thank the hotel staff enough. Jim shared in our excitement when we won the ballot to play the Old Course and was quick to ask how our round went when we returned. They were wonderful about storing our luggage for us as we transitioned to the next leg of our journey, and upon arrival, Jim even commented that he upgraded our room so I could enjoy having the option of a bath instead of a shower-only accommodation. I cannot recommend this quaint little hotel enough and would advise anyone looking for a warm, welcoming stay to please be sure to make your reservation at the Ardgowan.

We stayed 2 nights for a short break. Room was comfortable very quiet and a view across the water. The power shower was excellent. Plenty of tea and coffe in the room. Breakfast stopped at 9.15am which we thought was a bit early - 10am would be a better time to stop serving breakfast. Staff were very friendly and service was good.