Trump Turnberry, a Luxury Collection Resort: Just like home

Continuation of our stay in Scotland with this visit to Trump Turmberry, on the eponymous golf course in the south of Scotland.

As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed:

#	Type	Review
1	Diary	Scotland, Kilt & Whisky
2	Hotel	ALoft Liverpool
3	Hotel	Trump Turnberry, a Luxury Collection Resort
4	Hotel	Residence Inn, Edinburg Quartermile
5	Hotel	ALoft Birmingham Eastside

Today’s itinerary

Booking

I booked this stay about 4 weeks before my arrival via the Marriott Bonvoy app, for just over £300 a night. The hotel is pet-friendly, as are all Trump hotels. Strangely enough, it’s both a Trump hotel and a Marriott Luxury Collection hotel. Before renovation, it was even a Westin.

Once the reservation was made, I applied for a Suite Night Award, which was ultimately not validated by the hotel because of our dog (suites are not Dog Friendly, of course).

Arrival

We arrived at the hotel in the late afternoon, driving from Liverpool. It was a long drive, and we made a few stops along the way.

The entrance to the *resort* is absolutely majestic

We are immediately taken care of by a doorman who unloads our rather heavy car onto a trolley.

The arrival rotunda can sometimes be quite *busy*

This entrance also faces a beautiful fountain

The hotel lobby is magnificent, as cosy as you’d expect from such a property.

FFF398E1-3711-437E-A510-FEF64AE7D2B5 — The view from the *lobby terrace*

88982AD1-A09D-47E4-A479-0A252F431FB9 — A terrace that must be very pleasant when temperatures are warmer (which is almost never).

In any case, at night, the view is magnificent!

The renovation of this historic building is magnificent

I proceed with the arrival formalities, which are carried out seated. My reservation is confirmed, and I’m offered an upgrade to a Deluxe room with a view. Very good!

View of the property from the golf course

I choose breakfast as an Ambassador benefit, and am given my room keys.

Room

Our room was located on the 1st floor of the property, accessible via a majestic staircase or a more discreet elevator.

A few steps from the staircase is the door to our Deluxe room.

Here’s one who took full advantage of the view during her stay!

And you can’t blame her for that, with scenery like this!

The door opens directly onto the sleeping area, with its huge, very comfortable king-size four-poster bed, the window with its beautiful view of the golf course and the sea, and the huge TV set.

Although the renovation is recent, it has preserved the hotel’s original style and spirit.

The superb view of the golf course and the sea

A few welcome items, including the *resort* map

A few *goodies* are available for purchase in the room

Opposite the bed is the double sliding door to the bathroom.

The bathroom is very spacious, almost as large as the bedroom.

The large bathtub in the no less large bathroom

The latter is very large, almost as big as the bedroom, and has a very large bath, a double washbasin, a large shower and a toilet separated by a door with sandblasted glass.

The toilet is well separated from the rest of the bathroom…

As was the adjacent shower, which, as you can see, was of particular interest to my dog.

Toiletries will be of excellent quality.

Finally, here is a video tour:

Hotel facilities

The hotel offers a wide range of facilities. Firstly, a world-renowned golf course and part of the Grand Slam. We’re not golfers, but taking a stroll around the course is very pleasant.

Let’s face it: this hotel is a golfer’s paradise.

The paths that run through it are very pleasant, and lead to a lighthouse which is part of the property.

And a small café and toilets are available

In winter and for non-golfers, there’s a spa offering treatments and a wet zone, which we took advantage of twice during our stay.

On the way to the spa, the *Business Center*, currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also around the spa, there are numerous meeting and reception rooms.

The path to the spa, located in a newer building, remains elegant despite the long distances involved.

This hallway is also the perfect place to display estate memorabilia, such as the ribbon-cutting scissors here.

We’ll also provide a 60-minute massage treatment, which will prove to be of the highest quality. Too bad it wasn’t possible to do it simultaneously.

Although comfortable, the spa’s changing rooms are clearly lacking in elegance.

Toilet facilities are sufficient in number

The changing area, however, is much more successful.

Showers are equipped with the same toiletries as in the bedrooms.

A mixed sauna allows couples to relax together

The spa area is really nice, and the Jacuzzi really hot.

The relaxation with a view is really nice

Relaxation areas allow you to wait for your treatment.

Next to the spa is the fitness room, which I won’t be using this time.

Food options

Given its location, the property is bound to offer a wide range of food and beverage options, so that guests can enjoy a variety of pleasures.

So we’ll be trying different options at almost every meal, but we didn’t had the pleasure of trying the Clubhouse restaurant, The Duel in the Sun.

1906 – Dinner service

1906 is the main and gourmet restaurant at Trump Turnberry. Due to the number of guests and to maintain social distance, the dining room was moved to one of the reception rooms on the first evening of our visit. And it’s inevitably less good.

The reception room adjoining the 1906 restaurant itself

I have to say, though, that the whole service won’t be as good… so I’d rather skip the first evening and focus on the second.

The 1906’s signature lobster bisque is excellent, I must say.

We had booked a table near the windows with a view of the sunset, and our request will be perfectly executed with probably the best table in the restaurant.

The superb view on our second evening in the restaurant

The concept is quite simple, with a single 3-course menu, but offering a good variety of choices for each course.

The menu of 1906 Download

I’ll choose the artichoke velouté, which turns out to be very delicate, then the sole meunière, one of the property’s signature dishes, and finish with a lemon meringue tart, which is a little too sweet for my taste.

Made-to-order preparation of the “seule meunière”, another house signature

And here’s the result once it’s been dissected

And as the sun slowly sets over the golf course

I’ll end on a sweet note with this lemon pavlova, lemon tart style.

On this second evening, the service is absolutely perfect, and the sommelier takes great care of us.

1906 – Breakfast service

For our three breakfasts, we’ll be seated in the large reception room, which also boasts a magnificent sea view.

The breakfast table set for us by the bay windows

The service will be fairly random, not so great on the first day either, but much better on subsequent days.

The buffet is very comprehensive, with an extensive range of cold meats, particularly salmon, which is smoked on site, as well as charcuterie and cheeses of excellent quality.

Even if the croissants could be of better quality

Morning cereals, for those who love them

Yoghurt and jam for fans of continental breakfasts

They’ve even thought of those who eat gluten-free.

And finally, cheese (good quality) and fruit.

The cold menu is complemented by a hot menu with unlimited ordering options.

I’ll go for the royal eggs, sauce on the side.

The excellent royal eggs ordered each morning

One morning, I’ll try Scottish-style eggs with slices of *haggis*.

… As well as the red fruit pancakes, a little too thick for my taste.

Refills of hot beverages are sometimes long in coming.

The Grand Tea Lounge and Bar – Dinner service

For our last evening, we decided to forgo a gourmet dinner so we could be with our dog. This is possible at the Grand Tea Lounge and Bar, the lobby bar that also serves a very decent lunch and dinner menu.

The table is set at the bar for us and our monster!

The excellent *Club Sandwich* we’ll be sharing with my wife at lunchtime

We’ll have lunch once with a beautifully made club sandwich, and dinner another time with a shrimp cocktail, an excellent steak and an original Oreo-shaped dessert. Nice and not too overpriced.