Hamilton Grand: Exclusive Residences Behind The Old Course

Hamilton Grand

The lodging options in St. Andrews will be wonderfully enhanced this summer with the opening of a new inn behind the 18^th green of the Old Course, Hamilton Grand. By that time, Herb Kohler and his Hospitality Group will have transformed what had become a decrepit eyesore into a sumptuous retreat with 26 luxury apartments; a rooftop entertainment area; a first-floor parlor; and a basement pub and restaurant. While the flats in the historic, red sandstone building next to the clubhouse of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews are being sold to private owners, they will also be available to visitors through a rental pool. Those who purchase apartments will receive a membership in the Duke’s Course, which is located above the town and features an acclaimed heathland course. And both owners and renters at Hamilton Grand will have access to the spa and dining facilities of the Old Course Hotel, which Kohler acquired in 2004, as well as butler, housekeeping, parking and golf concierge services. It seems appropriate that this imposing, seven-story Victorian structure should once again be welcoming overnight guests. It first opened in 1895 as the Grand Hotel and became regarded as one of the finest inns in the British Isles, in part because it was the first in Scotland to boast a pneumatic elevator as well as hot and cold running water in every bathroom. But then came World War II, at which point the Air Ministry requisitioned the building and turned it into a training headquarters for the Royal Air Force. After the war, the University of St. Andrews acquired the old hotel and made it a student residence called Hamilton Hall, after the then Chancellor of the University, the Duke of Hamilton. It operated that way for 56 years, closing down in 2005. Four years later, Kohler bought the building and began its conversion into Hamilton Grand. I, for one, am very interested to see how it turns out. Perhaps on my next trip to the Auld Grey Toon.