Travel: Weekend pass

TURNBERRY RESORTTurnberry, Ayrshire (01655 331000, www.luxurycollection.com)

THIS is the 103-year-old grand dame of Scottish luxury hotels that has had a 21st-century makeover to take it back to the future. When a Dubai-based company bought the Ayrshire icon last year, nothing less than drastic action was required to give Turnberry the boost it needed to get back on the global radar. Both hotel and its main golf course were closed for several months prior to the 2009 Open Championship. Veteran Tom Watson memorably did his bit for worldwide publicity for the reopening, but has the 30 million lavished on redesigning the public areas and many of the suites and bedrooms been worth it?

First impressions are yes. Designer Mary Fox Linton has worked her magic. On entering the hotel now, the formerly gloomy entrance has been transformed, and light floods in over an area opened up to accommodate the new Grand Tea Lounge. Taking advantage of the astonishing views out to the Atlantic and the distinctive granite mound of Ailsa Craig is what the original Edwardian designers intended, and the wow factor once again begins the moment you walk in and continues in the new Ailsa Bar, rightly nominated in the recent Scottish Style Awards.

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How do I get there? From the central belt, head down the M77 and on to the A77 to Stranraer. Turn off at Alloway for the coastal route if you have time, for jaw-dropping views across to Arran. The gleaming white palace of the hotel is also best approached from the north.

What's the food like? During the day, the Grand Tea Bar is the place for light snacks and a glass of champagne, or there is more substantive fare a short stroll away at the clubhouse. If you can save yourself, traditional afternoon tea is a performance – the elegantly attired staff brew up in a samovar and serve the treats and choice of 30 teas with panache. A great experience for 22.

In the evenings, the action turns to the classical surroundings of the 1906 restaurant – named after thedate of the hotel's inception – where chef Ralph Porciani has created a menu he describes as retro-themed with a twist, offering a range of classical French Escoffier dishes. Pick of the starters was clams bon femme, a delicious combination of surf and razor clams with peas, white wine, lemon juice and tarragon.

The highlight, however, was the perfectly prepared and cooked chateaubriand for two, thick slices of pink beef carved at the table. Service was of the highest order and attentive without being overbearing. Although 1906 did lack a little atmosphere, it was mainly because of the lack of diners on a wet Monday evening.

Room service Our suite – they are all named after Open winners – made the best of the trademark Turnberry views and was a relaxing retreat with all the amenities you would expect in a five-star hotel. The adjoining bedrooms, which have also had the Fox Linton treatment, are nests of comfort with bright, well-designed bathrooms that feature free-standing tubs and monsoon showers.

Out and about Golf is, of course, the addiction that draws most guests to Turnberry, and now it's back on the Open rota it is even more of a destination than it was. But there is so much else to do here – there's the adjoining spa, for instance, with its range of pampering and soothing treatments. The best fun, however, is to be had at Turnberry's outdoor activity centre. We tried quad-biking and, after being suitably kitted out in helmets, body armour, protective suits and wellies, were soon racing our easily mastered machines up earth mounds, through muddy pools and giant pipes and across open fields. The wetter the better.

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Little extras As a caffeine addict, the Nespresso machines in the suite gave me a permanent buzz while the ladies were better pleased with the Arran toiletries on offer. The Hall of Fame, en route to the new business centre, is also great fun, giving guests a true sense of the history that has made this heavenly stretch of the Ayrshire coast so popular over the years. Pictures of Abba, Rod Stewart and Bill Clinton tripping merrily through the grounds are strangely comforting.

The bottom line Turnberry, a Luxury Collection Resort, is offering up to 40 per cent off stays in 2010 for bookings made by 28 February. Prices start from 86 per person for bed and breakfast, Linger for Longer three-night B&B stays cost from 226 per person, and a seven-night Luxury Holiday starts at 490.

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