Hospitality Breaking NewsThis month sees the relaunch of Fairmont St Andrews following a multi-million-pound redevelopment of the five-star resort, part of AccorHotels. World-class facilities, set against the stunning backdrop of the Fife coastline and designed with timeless elegance and an authentic local experience in mind, are combined with Fairmont’s legendary service to create a place where memorable moments are made. The highly-anticipated renovations, managed by designers RPW, has been influenced by the history and landscapes of St Andrews, and involve a complete redesign of the hotel’s Atrium, incorporating a bespoke 60-metre long ceiling sculpture by award winning artist George Singer, a new restaurant and the Kittock’s Bar, as well as renovation of the hotel’s 211 bedrooms and suites, including the Kingdom of Fife presidential suite.
The 80ft high glass topped Atrium doubles as an event space, popular for receptions, exhibitions, gala dinners and now hosting the newly-launched Savoy Afternoon Tea. The focal point of this space is ‘Zephyr’, a light installation by London-based artist George Singer in collaboration with Onformative, a Berlin-based computer code writing company who built the app which Singer used to create the sculpture. An organic, swirling ceiling sculpture sweeping through the Atrium, imitating the movement of the North Sea, the piece has just won a coveted Darc Award. According to George Singer: “Zephyr is designed to reflect the crashing waves, the flocks of starlings, the long wind-blown grasses, the spring blossom, the shoals of fish, the rolling hills, the clouds and the sheer energy, beauty, and dynamism of the east coast of Scotland.”
Situated in the north wing of the resort, the Kingdom of Fife presidential suite’s generous square meterage presides over magnificent views of the surrounding links golf courses (the Torrance and the Kittocks), the coastline and St Andrews skyline. The focus of the suite’s one-million-pound redesign has been heavily influenced by the history and landscape of St Andrews and the rest of Fife; a traditional yet sophisticated mix of textures and materials that link the interior to the imposing landscape that surrounds it. To complement this, new artwork was commissioned for the suite and developed with Peter Millard and Partners. The feature piece above the fireplace is a mixed media work that takes elements of local history and maps to make an eye-catching, relevant and memorable statement in the suite. Fabrics and furnishings by revered Scottish companies such as Andrew Muirhead, Bute Fabrics and Timorous Beasties also appear throughout the suite.
The new-look Kittock’s Den draws on nautical elements from the nearby River Tay estuaries and surrounding fishing villages to create a soothing atmosphere for drinking and dining. Following the grand staircase down through the Atrium into towards Squire restaurant, dramatic lighting and refined materials with a colour scheme of pine and sage greens and hints of golds create a sense of quality throughout the space. Soft velvet wall drapes and bespoke screens reflecting the ripples in the sand dunes soften the architecture of the space and give a sense of intimacy.
The revealing of new interiors follows the appointment of Gerard Chouet as head pastry chef, formerly of two Michelin-star restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, and Hotel Tresanton. Gerard will be overseeing the new Savoy Afternoon Tea.
The resort also has a well-appointed spa complex which offers a range of treatments including locally-themed massages, facial and relaxation therapies and exclusive Ishga Skincare, Caudalie and Aromatherapy Associates treatments in 10 chic treatment rooms.
John Keating, general manager at Fairmont St Andrews commented: “This renovation has been a huge undertaking across the hotel; I’m extremely proud and excited to see the public areas looking so resplendent, they’ve already made a huge difference in opening space and the feel has been well received.”
Elizabeth Lane, director of projects at RPW, said: “It is a wonderful opportunity to be part of the renewal of this hotel property which simply has a breath-taking location which we have made a focal point in the renovation. We are extremely happy to be working with Kennedy Wilson and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts on this project.”