Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Reflects recent average nightly prices reported by our partners, and may not include estimated taxes or fees. Price at checkout may differ.
Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
4.0
#1 of 2 hotels in Carnoustie
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
One of Scotland's premium destinations for guests seeking luxury golfing and leisure facilities, the Carnoustie Golf Hotel has 96 en suite bedrooms providing enviable views over the world-renowned Championship Golf Course or the sea. Overlooking the 1st and 18th tee, guests can enjoy a wide selection of finely prepared Scottish cuisine to excite their taste buds in either the Calders Bistro, Bar or on The Terrace, whilst enjoying the spectacular views. Carnoustie Golf Hotel is a unique golfing haven, offering some of the most stimulating golf in the world.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
Powered by AI
The Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa garners mixed feedback, with its location earning high marks for its proximity to golfing and coastal attractions. Guests commend the friendly staff and appreciate the hotel's pet-friendly approach and the array of amenities, including the spa and pool. However, the establishment's atmosphere and room decor receive divided opinions, as recent renovations please some, while others find areas to be outdated.
Cleanliness is generally praised, but calls for improved maintenance are noted, particularly in the leisure areas. Room quality and food pricing are points of contention when assessing the hotel's value.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Uninspiring
Rooms
Dated
Value
Inconsistent
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
Was this helpful?
Tripadvisor is not responsible for this summary or the opinions in it. For more information, please read the traveller reviews and learn more about how the site works.
Just returned from a 2 night stay at the hotel. Obviously as Covid 19 remains a threat the Hotel had taken precautions to ensure guests were kept as safe as possible therefore this review is written in acceptance of these unusual circumstances. Covid 19 did mean that a lot of the hotel facilities were either closed such as the leisure facilities or had restricted access such as outside terrace so it is hard to provide a full review of the hotel. Given the fact that this isn't unique to this hotel if you are considering spending time away from home for a few days then I reckon you will feel fairly safe at the hotel. At present they have one way systems in place, loads of sanitiser stations and staff and fellow guests that are respectful of your space. Slight difference from the norm was that in order to manage numbers in the restaurant you had to book a time slot for breakfast which does take away a bit of flexibility as popular slot times go fast and food choice is limited. Breakfast itself was table service, again this takes away a bit of flexibility in regards to food choice, felt much more like the old style B&B approach. Possibly the worse part of the breakfast experience is that you do feel rushed as they want a quick turnaround on tables for the next timeslot. We asked to place our hot food order fairly quickly after sitting down and it arrived before we had finished our cereal and received hot drinks, toast etc so good tip might be to delay hot food order slightly.
We upgraded our room to one with a balcony looking over the 18th green of the Old Course hoping that we could get the use of this for morning tea and eventing drinks. Unfortunately the weather gods weren't kind to us so we did get limited use however what I would say is we were very disappointed with the standard of balcony furniture and general Presentation of the balcony area.
The room itself was on par with other rooms we have stayed in however we were surprised that this standard of hotel showed several areas of wear and tear such as Mark's on paintwork, dirty marks on toilet door and torn carpet at balcony door. We thought the Covid 19 downtime would have been good for a small maintenance team to freshen up hotel rooms, especiallythose the hotel advertise as an upgrade. Again due to Covid 19 the room wasn't cleaned but we did have fresh towels left in a bag outside our door.
As normal at the end of a holiday/break we always ask ourselves would we come back and the answer was yes.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gordon MacKintosh, General Manager at Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
Responded 30 Jul 2020
Thank you very much for your comprehensive review. Hope we can welcome you back another time, hopefully in less difficult circumstances.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My husband and I were gifted a voucher for Christmas for a one night stay with breakfast. We had to pay £20 extra for a Saturday evening stay and then a further £20 for our room as the room the voucher was purchased for were sold out for that evening. We didn’t mind as we rarely get an evening to ourselves without the children. We were looking forward to a relaxing trip and using the spa facilities.
Before arriving we received multiple emails asking us to upgrade. We had already upgraded our room and the emails were starting to come across as desperate.
As soon as you walk through the first set of automatic doors the stench of cigarette smoke hits you. The smoking area needs moved away from the front door.
Check in was simple and the staff member was lovely.
The room has clearly just been painted as the smell of paint was apparent as soon as the door to the room was opened. Maybe airing out the room before putting guests in it would be better. Apart from that the room was clean and had everything we would need. Having an ice bucket is good but switching the ice machine off at 9pm was useless as when we returned from dinner it meant drinking warm bottled water.
The bed is comfortable and the room was quiet with a lovely view of the golf course.
We went out for dinner as the menu didn’t look great and seemed very over priced.
We ordered breakfast to arrive as room service between 9.20 and 9.40am. At exactly 9.20 there was a knock on the door. There was plenty food but the cooked breakfast was incorrect. We were missing mushrooms and had sausages on a plate that wasn’t supposed to have sausages. An offering of a vegetarian breakfast and maybe some beans on the card would have been good as I ended up with only mushrooms and a poached egg. The food that was provided tasted lovely and the eggs were cooked perfectly.
Although our room was clean there was dust all over the tables in the corridor and a Christmas display still in a cabinet.
We decided to use the spa facilities this morning. Only some of the lockers worked. The sauna and steam room were out of order, the pool was freezing and the jacuzzi tub was not as hot as it should have been. Chlorine was manually added to the jacuzzi by a staff member whilst we were all about to get in to it. The pool area needs an upgrade. We only stayed for 15 minutes before it got far too cold and uncomfortable in the water. With the amount of emails we were sent asking us to upgrade it was disappointing to not be told about the sauna and steam room until we were in the spa and for the temperature to be way below what it should have been.
Our room was nice and the staff at reception were lovely but unless simple things are fixed we would not return. The hotel seems very tired in places and the pool area was very disappointing.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from gordon m, General Manager at Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
Responded 6 Feb 2020
Thank you very much for your comprehensive review. We note and appreciate each of your comments. * The ice machine switches off at 10pm to avoid noise disturbance to nearby rooms.We are very happy to provide ice to guests from the bar via room service or at the bar. * The Xmas display is promoting an early booking offer for 2020. * The emergency alarm system for the sauna & steam room had failed and we therefore could not allow guests to use these facilities for safety reasons until the alarm was repaired.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
Had a fab time at Carnoustie Hotel and Spa. Somewhere we have always wanted to stay and it fully lived up to expectations.
Despite the current circumstances and hospitality restrictions, every effort was made to ensure a lovely, safe and relaxing stay. Plenty of hand sensitisation stations around the hotel. Even the swimming pool was divided into smaller pods so that kids could enjoy some fun in the pool. There were also lane swimming slots available at other times.
Staff were really lovely and customer service excellent. Extensive breakfast choices and all food brought to table. This was actually far better as meant we all ate together rather than everyone being away from the table at different times. I would expect less food waste for the hotel too which is good. We had dinner one evening and it was delicious. Really liked the restaurant decor too.
You could still buy alcoholic drinks from the bar and either take them outside or to your room. So good to have these options, despite current circumstances! The weather wasn't great during our stay so we opted not to sit outside on this occasion. But the bar staff were really chilled out about providing glasses and ice etc. So we just had some drinks in our room.
We had a Family Room overlooking the entrance of the hotel. Although it did get quite hot at night, it was clean, spacious and well equipped. No additional housekeeping during stay, which was absolutely fine. But nothing was too much trouble for housekeeping staff if you needed anything topped up, more pillows, toiletries or clean towels etc.
It's a really lovely hotel with lovely staff and great food and service in a beautiful location. We had a great time, enjoyed being looked after, and definitely hope to return in the future. Thanks for a great stay.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gordon MacKintosh, General Manager at Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
Responded 23 Oct 2020
Thank you very much for your comprehensive review
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Well I thought this was going to be a very nice hotel but from the moment we walked in to the hotel it wasn't a good feeling, very tired and old looking not what the pictures make it out to be - in need of an update, not what I would call a 4 star hotel.
I booked a Superior room which was far from Superior, the smell was musky in the room and the bed was made but to a poor standard with 3 old pillows which looked like they had just been thrown on the bed, the actual bedding didn't even match or fit on the actual mattress. Curtains were actually hanging off the rails, which I tried to fix myself. No mini bar or even a fridge and just tired and old looking. Definitely not anything superior by any means to the point my partner wanted to leave immediately and didn't even use the spa facilities in the end because of the actual cleanliness of the Hotel and specifically our room.
We ate in the restaurant that evening as lock down restrictions were in place in the village so we had no other choice really. food was average and the staff were very pleasant but my girlfriend found 2 long black hairs in her food half way through and couldn't eat the rest. We told the waitress but she said I will make sure the chef has got his hairnet on and laughed.
Literally couldn't wait to get away from here and I thought this was going to be a nice get away for the night and a few spa treatments with my girlfriend but it couldn't be any different. I would never go back.
I am actually not one to complain but this was a bit of a shocker in my opinion.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â I wouldn't ever go back or recommend, might be somewhere for a golfer to sleep for the night...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gordon MacKintosh, General Manager at Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
Responded 30 Oct 2020
Sorry to learn we didn't match your expectations. Contact me direct of you want to give us another try.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed here for a night in January, night away from the kids and madding crowds of Glasgow. It met all our requirements, Spa facilities, dinner bed & breakfast in a picturesque location.
We got a Bespoke Perfectly Priced Break which included dinner bed and breakfast including 2 Glasses of wine which we had with our evening meal.
The spa facilities were decent. Our only complaint was that there were no cups for the water fountain, saving on plastic perhaps? We weren't aware you needed to bring your own cup.
The room was as described, we got a Golf view with a balcony which wasn't really usable in January but we enjoyed the view over the golf course.
The standard of food at the dinner blew us away, we didn't not expect such a good standard of food on a deal! And it came quickly!
The bar was really busy on the night we stayed, there was a group in celebrating something and no seating available, although we did get served fairly quickly. We did eventually get somewhere to sit but there was nothing really in the bar that made us want to stay very long, the ambience could've been better, perhaps a fire would help.
Breakfast was good. It does get busy and there was a waiting list after 09:30 so get in before then. The hotel does deal with those waiting very well though, providing them with tea/coffee and pastries while they wait. There is a continental breakfast buffet and a menu to order from for hot good. No complaints really about breakfast, I just that the sausages could be better (my view).
The staff were very good everywhere, the reception staff polite and informative (-cups) and the restaurant staff attentive.
In all a very enjoyable stay and will return!
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from gordon m, General Manager at Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
Responded 30 Jan 2020
Thanks for your comprehensive review, look forward to welcoming you back.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We recently had a break at the hotel, the covid recommendations were all in place. All the staff were very pleasant and efficient, nothing was too much trouble. On our first evening our meal was very good, unfortunately we couldn't say the same of our three subsequent evening meals. The rice in the risotto wasn't cooked and the smoked fish was hardly detectable. We read other reviews of people staying at the same time saying the meals were not up to scratch.
The room and bathroom were spotless, no soft furnishings in the room now. No cleaning of the rooms during our stay, but that was to be expected, however anything needed was supplied.
Attention to detail could really lift the hotel i.e. Replacing lights in the ceiling in the bar, replace light bulbs in the two lamps also in the bar, the whole bar is dismal. The windows need a good clean in both.in bar and the dining room, the location is superb, a pity the hotel doesn't reflect that. Perhaps the management could come out if their office and do a daily inspection and recommend to staff what needs doing.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gordon MacKintosh, General Manager at Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
Responded 25 Sept 2020
Thank you very much for your review and comments.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Check in was quick and easy and the receptionist pointed out the Calders Bistro where we were booked for two dinners and two breakfasts over the course of our stay. She did not point out that there was a corridor next to reception that lead to the spa and pool area though and we thought that the entrance to that area was outside the hotel. We had a £25 per night per person food credit included in the tariff towards food. We were not informed that if we did not spend this credit that we would still have to pay this amount at the end of our stay. So you had to use it or lose it.
We stayed in room 133 on a 2 day winter break. The room was warm and comfortable especially as it was snowing outside. We had a lovely partial sea view from our window over the car park. No fridge in the room though which was a little disappointing.
Dinner in Calders Bistro was lovely. Service was quick, efficient and friendly. The menu was varied. It might have depended on what you ordered but I opted for the duck and it looked very sparse on the plate with sauces scored across the plate to fill spaces and a 2cm high tower of mashed potato the size of a fifty pence piece. On our second night the plates were fuller but spaces filled with all kinds of green leaves. Nevertheless the food was tasty. We especially liked that they kept our bottle of red wine overnight so that we could drink it over two dinners.
Breakfasts were again very enjoyable with a good choice available from both the continental and cooked options. Again the service was quick and friendly and the lady pointed out that we could help ourselves from the buffet area while waiting on our cooked breakfast order. However she did not point out that there were toasters in the next room and we only discovered the toasters as we were leaving because of the smell of burnt toast. We used the toaster on our second day but it only seemed to do slightly toasted or burnt toast.
We enjoyed the pool and jacuzzi, both of which were heated like a hot bath. Especially liked that there were several sets of steps with metal rails for entry and exit from the pool. I have an arm injury and could choose either a left or right hand rail to get in and out of the pool.
This was a lovely hotel offering long walks along the shore. Nevertheless my recommendation would be to book it on a B&B basis and to book Calders Bistro independently and pay meals as you go. We did not spend our full food credit amount so we had to pay for food we did not have. We did ask on arrival if we could pay any extras as we go but the answer was no as the credit was part of the package we had booked. We were not told on arrival that if we did not use the full credit amount on food that we would still have to pay the full amount of the credit. Also be aware that the credit is for food in Calders Bistro. The credit is for one night at a time and the credits cannot be carried forward or added together over two night breaks.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2022
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â We enjoyed the views from a very quiet room 133 on the fist floor.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gordon MacKintosh, General Manager at Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
Responded 7 Apr 2022
Thank you for your comprehensive review.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stayed for a couple of nights in early December on a deal which included breakfast and also dinner on one night. The reception area was very welcoming with christmas tree and decorations. Hotel was busy despite the weather not being suitable for golfers, We have no complaints. Room was good and all hotel clean and well maintained. We did have breakfast both mornings and the hot breakfasts were cooked to order and were excellent, with a wide choice. We did have dinner on one of our nights and it was excellent. The service in the dining room was first class.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2019
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gordon MacKintosh, General Manager at Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
Responded 27 Feb 2020
Thank you very much indeed for your review, much appreciated.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The hotel is situated at the coast and the town is within easy walking distance. The railway station is a two minute walk away so you can explore further up or down the coast without using the car. All covid measures were in place and did not detract from our very pleasant stay. We stayed in a room facing the golf course with splendid views beyond. The room was clean and comfortable and although not serviced during our three night stay, anything we needed, we only needed to ask for ( clean towels etc). There was plenty of tea and coffee. The lounge is light and has big picture windows so you can watch the golfers if you are so inclined. Social distancing was observed in the dining room and we had to book our breakfast times .Hand sanitisers were placed all over the hotel. The only down side was the the food at dinner. Very disappointing.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gordon MacKintosh, General Manager at Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
Responded 11 Sept 2020
Thank you very much for posting your review.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
we booked directly on the hotels website and got a better deal than Itison. The hotel is quite impressive from the start, with a more traditional feel which I'm sure the tourists love. From the start you feel very safe with plenty of hand sanitizer and clean overall. Our room was spacious with sea views and again clean and disposable cups etc for your use only. There's an ice bucket in the room and the bar will fill it with ice, if you fancy taking a bottle of bubbly with you! Only a few minutes walk to the beach and a big terrace if you like to watch the golfers. We ate in the hotel and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The tables are very well spaced out and the waiters wear masks, hand sanitizer as you walk in and a one way system in place. We found all the staff very friendly and welcoming, nothing was too much trouble. Thanks again, we will be back soon 😀
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2020
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Gordon MacKintosh, General Manager at Carnoustie Golf Hotel and Spa
Responded 20 Aug 2020
Thank you for your review, pleased you enjoyed your stay with us.
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bath, United Kingdom78 contributions56 helpful votes
The breakfasts are superb, particularly their own muesli! Not eaten other meals. The jacuzzi was out when we visited in October., presumably the hotel can update on whether it’s all fixed.
There are more places to choose from in the Carnoustie area.
PRICE RANGE
₹8,732 - ₹13,770 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
carnoustie hotel course
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandAngusCarnoustie
NUMBER OF ROOMS
96
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
