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Fairmont St Andrews
The Fairmont St Andrews Bay is a 5-star[1] resort hotel situated 2 miles (3.2 km) outside the town of St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland. The hotel is managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and owned by Accor, a French hospitality company.[2] HistoryThe resort opened in June 2001 as St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa owned by US entrepreneur Don Panoz, as part of the Château Élan Hotels & Resorts consortium.[3] In 2006 the resort was bought by Apollo Real Estate Advisors[4] (renamed AREA Property Partners) and is now managed by FRHI Hotels & Resorts. This prompted a name change to Fairmont St Andrews Bay. In August 2014 it was announced Kennedy Wilson Real Estate PLC had purchased the property, with FRHI Hotel & Resorts continuing to manage the hotel and its operations.[citation needed] In 2008-9 the resort underwent a £17 million renovation,[5] with all 209 guest rooms and the Signature Spa refurbished. The public areas were also upgraded, including the lobby, corridors, atrium and Kittocks Bar. The Rock and Spindle bar had been opened the previous year, and the conference center had also been refurbished. At this time the two golf courses were also altered and the Devlin Course was renamed the Kittocks Course.[6] In 2017, Fairmont St Andrews Bay underwent another renovation. Managed by designers RPW, the redevelopment was influenced by the history and landscapes of St Andrews and involved a complete redesign of the hotel's atrium.[7] In March 2024,[8] allegations of sexual harassment were reported by hotel staff.[2] Several female staff members claimed that hotel management ignored their concerns for months, and that they were subjected to abuse from hotel guests. Hotel management stated that they took the complaints "very seriously".[8] Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain has publicly called on the hotel to address the allegations.[8] Facilities The resort has 211 bedrooms including 17 suites and 2 external manor homes. The conference centre has twelve meeting rooms, a ballroom, and a cinema. The 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) meeting space can cater for 12 to 600 people. The largest function room, the Robert Burns Ballroom, is 6,179 sq ft (574.0 m2).[9]  The Torrance Course is a par 72, 7,230 yard long championship course, originally designed by golfer Gene Sarazen and former European Ryder Cup Captain Sam Torrance.[10] In 2009 the course was redesigned to include eight new holes, in preparation for the 2009 Scottish Seniors Open and was also the Final Qualifying Venue for the 2010 Open Golf Championship.[11] In August 2010, the World Deaf Golf Championships[12] and the Scottish Seniors Open 2010 were held on the Torrance. The course features classic Scottish riveted bunkering throughout and is of a Scottish style Links design. In 2021 and 2022, the course hosted the Hero Open tournament.[13] The Kittocks Course is 7,192 yard long and is a par 72. Its original architects were Gene Sarazen and Bruce Devlin which is why it was formerly known as the Devlin Course 2012.[14] The name Kittocks is taken from the SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) area of land on the course which is inhabited by a family of deer.[15] A 9,000-square-foot (840 m2) health spa is situated on the ground floor of the hotel.[16] The Fife Coastal Path is a long-distance footpath that runs along the coast just below the golf courses at the Fairmont St Andrews Bay.[17]
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