New five-star hotels in Northern Ireland and Scotland add iconic golf destinations to global portfolio.
Valor Hospitality Partners, a leading global hospitality management, development and acquisition company, has heralded the openings of two new luxury UK hotels as major landmarks for the award-winning business.
Seaton House, located just yards from the 18th green at the iconic Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland, and Dunluce Lodge in Northern Ireland, which overlooks the fourth fairway at Royal Portrush Golf Club, have both opened their doors to guests.
The hotels, both of which provide bespoke hospitality experiences, are operated by Valor Hospitality Partners, in partnership with US-based owners, Links Collection.
The openings of Dunluce Lodge and Seaton House are the culmination of years of dedication and hard work from the team to create the very best hotels that are perfectly suited to their local landscapes.
Seaton House introduces a new option in St Andrews, the ‘Home of Golf’, for the discerning traveller, while Dunluce Lodge becomes the Causeway Coast’s newest luxury hotel, as Valor brings its vast global luxury hospitality experience to bear in both areas.
Valor Hospitality operates nearly 100 hospitality projects across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. These encompass luxury independent hotels and major global brands, including the McLemore Golf Resort in Georgia, USA, an award-winning destination offering world-class golf, stunning mountain views, five uniquely curated dining options and exceptional accommodation.
With 42 guest rooms, including six stunning suites and three junior suites, Seaton House offers a range of dining options, curated by Chef Patron Roy Brett, across its Bow Butts bar and two restaurants, The Board Room and Ondine Oyster & Grill.
Named Scottish Restaurant of the Year three times, the famous Ondine Oyster & Grill brand is expanding its footprint to include Seaton House while Roy has also joined Valor and the SAVOR team as Head of Culinary UK and Europe.
As part of SAVOR, Valor’s premium food and beverage division, Roy will lead on creating authentic kitchen and bar innovations that embrace the company’s global experience whilst using only local provenance which showcase Scotland’s finest produce, cultures, tastes and styles.
Situated centrally in historic St Andrews, Seaton House is just a few minutes’ walk from attractions such as the West Sands beach, famed for the majestic opening scenes of the 1981 film, Chariots of Fire and the ruins of the town’s cathedral, once the largest building in Europe. The stunning Kingdom of Fife coastline is the perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life. St Andrews, home to the third oldest university in the world, is also within easy reach of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee Airport and Kingsmuir Airfield.
Dunluce Lodge boasts 35 luxury suites, including eight in The Stookan, its private home for larger groups, together with an intimate world-class restaurant offering à la carte dining and tasting menus, also served in its wine vault with expert wine pairings and exquisite whiskey tastings. Guests can also avail of an intimate spa and private dining spaces throughout the Lodge. With the opening, the Lodge now offers one of the most stunning and bespoke romantic retreats in Northern Ireland.
With an onsite putting green and complimentary private transfers to the nearby helipad and to the clubhouses at Royal Portrush and Portstewart Golf Club, Dunluce Lodge is also a golfer’s paradise, with unencumbered views of the fourth fairway and green whilst looking out over the rugged coastline and ocean.
The vision for the hotel was born when Jonathan Harper and Robert Covington Jr, Managing Partners of Dunluce Lodge owners, Links Collection, visited Portrush in 2019 as spectators at The 148th Open and became captivated by the beauty of the landscape.
Dunluce Lodge, open in time for Portrush to host The 153rd Open this summer, is located just outside the famous coastal town on the unmissable Causeway Coast, which has been previously named as Lonely Planet’s world number one region to visit. Home to the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and backdrop for some of the planet’s biggest silver screen productions such as Game of Thrones, the Causeway Coast is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline anywhere in the world.