Trump Turnberry

We visited 4th April, 2 families totaling 4 adults and 3 children aged 11-15. The hotel is absolutely stunning and the views are amazing even on a miserable day. We sat down but no one approached so we found a member of staff and asked if we were ok to have some drinks in the bar. The waitress came over to take our order but we hadn’t seen a menu so we asked for a few minutes. The kids were hungry so we asked to see the food menu and then ordered 2 kid's meals. It went downhill from there. The kids starters came out followed swiftly by the mains so they were literally served both at the same time. One of the mains was incorrect so we asked for the right meal and it was over an hour later after asking twice that it was finally brought to the table. The whole time all of the dirty plates remained in front of us. After another lengthy wait we had to ask for the kid's desserts, the waitresses asked what they wanted despite having taken their dessert order at the same time as the starter and main. It looked like we were in for the long haul I ordered a further glass of wine which took over 20 minutes and I had 2 ask 3 times. We enjoyed our visit but it wasn’t busy and the service was awful, there are some serious staff training issues.

Went for afternoon tea - disappointed. Although pre-booked & confirmed staff seemed surprised to see us. Shown to a tiny table which was so small we had to put condiments/used plates etc on floor. Reception staff had a problem taking/ retrieving coats. Tea came without scones - had to ask for them. Managers floated about. £50 per person. Had much better service in lesser star hotels. Hotel and views lovely. Food fresh.

It's a 5 star location but details let it down. Golf courses are excellent. Room was very good. Breakfast was a disappointment. Some might find the food and drink prices poor value for money (when the 10% service charge is aways included)

We recently stayed at Trump Turnberry to play the good King Robert the Bruce and excellent Ailsa course. Given the high reputation of the hotel, winning many awards for the resort, I was incredibly disappointed with the whole experience. Where to start..... Rooms: We were given a lodge which worked well for a group of 4. The lodge itself is spacious with an excellent central area. However, the shower was a dribble. When you've just finished 18 holes in 40mph winds and hail the one thing you crave is a strong good shower. If I had stood under a leaking pipe I would have had more water pressure. The distinct lack of shower gel for 2 people staying was also highly annoying. It came in a tube that resembled one of the toothpaste tubes you receive from an airline when wanting to brush your teeth after an overnight flight. Barely enough for 2 washes. There was also a light in the cupboard that comes on when opened, which is helpful until you realise that it cannot shut properly and therefore is effectively the equivalent of someone shining an iPhone light into your face for a night, rendering sleep minimal. Dining: This was the area of real disappointment. The one positive you could say is that whether it was the Duel in the Sun (DITS) or the 1906 restaurant, there was a consistency to how awful it was. Both restaurants looked like they were an experiment in how not to manage one. Seemingly plenty of staff in the DITS but not many with an idea of what role to fulfil. Despite 2 golf courses with tee sheets full, there seemed surprise that people would want a drink or lunch before or after their round. One person serving behind the bar for over 100 people. This was a feature on both days of our stay. I know a Guinness when served correctly should settle for over a minute, but twenty minutes seemed excessive. The sandwiches were pleasant enough, and the chicken burger ok, but at £18 and £28 each they really should be better than they were and served a little quicker than 45 minutes wait. Perhaps the chap behind the bar pouring was also expected to make the food too. The breakfast the next morning was abysmal. So bad. that I declined to eat the anaemic looking sausage and bacon for fear of food poisoning. The plates were not clean, which one of the staff then corrected by removing them, which meant those who were brave enough to try and eat the cardboard looking blue bacon and the fat lathered sausages had to wait quite some time before doing so. All of that though was merely a continuation of a theme that the 1906 restaurant did well to mimic. We arrived for our table for four in the formal restaurant. Had to look inside to see if anyone could actually greet us and a waiter did come over. The lady who was meant to be at the front desk looked a bit flustered when I said we had booked a table for 6 but needed to amend to 4 despite there being over 50% of the restaurant empty at 8.30pm. Given she was as useless as a coat rack at her job, she seemed surprised that we would want our coats taken in a formal restaurant as opposed to slumping on the back of the chairs as if this was a Wetherspoons. Being a steakhouse, owned by an American firm, I felt that this would be retrieved by the food. After waiting 20 minutes for our apertifs to arrive (yes only one person working on the hotel bar which serves the bar and restaurant) we were already receiving our starters. The lobster and prawn cocktail was pleasant enough, but at £26 it really should be. After being asked if we had ordered wine already (yes, to the same waiter who asked us) we were presented with a decent bottle. The wine list is actually very reasonable with a good selection in the £60-100 for those who want to enjoy more than one without breaking the bank. The steaks however, did not match up. The rare was medium, the medium rare was nearer well done. It was as though the chef had aversion to blood such was the dryness of them. My friend who ordered the rare had asked for it to be served without mushrooms, which it was not, and when he sent it back on the basis it was inedible, the next one (still medium rare and not rare) the mushroom was still there. He ate half of the next one, the rarer half, but did not stomach the whole thing. The rest of us chose to eat ours overcooked, for fear of going hungry, and it was a good alternative gym workout to get the steak knife through the charred remains of the poor animal who would be insulted to be cooked so badly. Perhaps they were working for an animal rights charity and wanted to turn us off of meat forever? A good attempt was made if that was the case. The manager, or as close to one as you could assume given that he was the only one who looked older than 25, did at least remove the steak from the bill, and the 20% (!) automated service charge given the service we had received was mutually agreed to have been poor. Spa: To be fair, the spa was actually quite pleasant and a relative high point on the hotel. The fact the swimwear dryer was not working in the men's room was a slight irritant, but at least the water pressure was better there. I would strongly suggest using that rather than the room to shower. Overall, this was a far cry from what we expected. The hotel itself looks great from the outside, and the views are spectacular, but if I was playing the golf course I would not stay at the hotel. Gleneagles, for comparison, is a genuine 5* experience that knocks the Argyle socks off of Turnberry. I was genuinely embarrassed that an American would stay here and receive this level of quality or service. It does not compare well to other 5* resorts or indeed at other Trump courses I have played previously (Doonbeg/Doral) in terms of food quality and service.

This is my husband and I third time staying at this hotel. The staff are so welcoming and friendly, also very knowledgeable of the history and the area of this beautiful place Turnberry. The beach coastal walk from here is breathtaking. The area is kept so well by the highly trained staff. We both booked in For a 80 min massage, mines was with the therapist called Brandy. This was honestly the best massage I have ever had. My husband came out of his treatment and said the exact same thing. So please award your staff with excellence. Jim and Dave your reception attendants are also a Fav of ours. We can not wait to return to your beautiful hotel. Every room and area is kept immaculate. I love also that nearly ever staff member is Scottish or British. Also the piper piping every night before our dinner was just a treat, what a wonderful tradition to keep up every day. A big Thank you to the Trump family for your investment in our area and our Scottish people, Scotland thanks you. Love Mandy & John Paterson 13.4 & 14.4 was our stay Room 120 Xx