I stayed at ‘stunning’ Scottish seaside luxury hotel - my verdict

Seaton House, formerly The Scores Hotel, which opened in early 2025 in St Andrews is situated near the first tee of the iconic Old Course with stunning views over West Sands Beach. As well as its views, it’s also home to Ondine, the Edinburgh seafood institution which closed its doors in the capital in late 2024.

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While St Andrews is a popular day-trip destination for Scottish residents - with its golf, independent shops, restaurants and famous beach - it has become a go-to for tourists from all over the UK and the world; and it’s due to the high calibre of hotel and dining facilities on offer in the small town. Seaton House only adds to this, with Ondine the jewel in the hotel’s crown.

I visited Seaton House in July for a summer staycation; right in the middle of the prolonged heatwave. I found St Andrews to be a cool 16 degrees and cloudy - ideal for anyone looking to escape the extreme heat of down south.

With 42 luxury bedrooms including six suites and three junior suites, Seaton House is a tranquil haven upon arrival, where guests can check in within a lounge area and are offered a welcome drink which includes their signature whisky cocktail.

The rooms, much like the rest of the hotel decor, are an understated palette of creams with wooden panelling, hints of tweed and plaid and enviable parquet flooring. My suite had a spacious bedroom with desk area and armchairs, separate living room, marble-clad bathroom with walk-in shower and the piece de resistance; a roof terrace with views across the sprawling West Sands. It was here, while enjoying a morning coffee, that I was once again reminded of how relaxing the seascape is.

I was here to relax, but I was also really looking forward to dinner at Ondine. Having spoken to chef Roy Brett a couple of times on our award-winning Scran podcast, including about opening here in Seaton House, I was keen to try their summer menu of local and Scottish seafood.

Of relocating to Seaton House from Edinburgh, Roy said on Scran, that it was always the plan to open in this St Andrews outpost and he hadn’t “jumped ship from leaving Edinburgh”. He said: “It was always part of the plan (to open in St Andrews in Seaton House) but it just so happened that the restaurant in Edinburgh had to close and then we opened up here.”

Before dinner I visited Bow Butts, a cosy, wood panelled bar with velvet and leather button down tub chairs which is home to hundreds of scotch whiskies and a succinct cocktail menu featuring many local spirits. Like a modern-day member’s club, it is where many guests ended up later that night to watch the semi finals of the World Cup so while it looks smart, there’s also a relaxed atmosphere that’s often missing from other hotel bars - and I didn’t feel any strangeness from being a solo traveller.

This was the same in Ondine, the bright and airy restaurant with its views over to West Sands. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and helped me choose what to order, including a smaller portion of the famous oysters to kick off the night.

These are a must for any oyster lover and come raw with a firecracker dressing that adds a warming hit of spice and crispy, served with a wonderful spicy and rich buffalo hot sauce. The oysters are so large that the crispy ones are almost like eating scampi. The chefs also sent over the intriguing crispy stuffed olives. These turned out to be Gordal olives stuffed with a salmon mousse and fried in breadcrumbs. There was something whisky-like about these briny, smoky morsels. I'll never say no to a Gordal olive and these were off the scale.

My starter of Newhaven smoked salmon was a simple - and very photogenic - dish of four thick strips of vibrant coral salmon served with sweet slivers of pickled cucumber, a rich Swedish dressing and two slices of rye bread.

For the main I chose a special of the day - Orkney XL scallops served in their half shells with bacon jam and chives. These huge, perfectly cooked scallops were sat atop the sticky, sweet jam and peppered with chives. The side of moreish creamed spinach with cheese and nutmeg and crispy fries were ideal for mopping up the jam.

I was almost too full for dessert but went for lemon madeleines which were part of an ice cream dish. Sweet and light with a hint of zest, they were the perfect end to the meal.

The next day, after my relaxing coffee on the terrace and a breakfast of fruit and porridge in the Board Room all day dining restaurant, I ventured - in a Seaton House branded Dry Robe - to the Wild Scottish Sauna, located on the edge of West Sands. This small sauna is run by Jayne McGhie and Jamie Craig-Gentles who have partnered with the hotel to offer guests that wellness experience that’s become so popular. The hour-long sauna was punctuated by trips to dook in the water before warming up again. And Jayne’s homemade sauna remedy oil - with jojoba, lavender, clary sage, geranium and ylang ylang - plus the fragranced water that can be poured on the stones just added to the relaxation of the morning.

I left Seaton House more zen than when I arrived and with a desire to return with my partner and friends, who I know would love Ondine. It’s hard to believe that it hasn’t always been here; its perfect, and restful, seaside home.

A Signature room at Seaton House is from £350 and a suite with garden terrace and sea view is from £750 . The Wild Scottish Sauna experience is from £16.