North Berwick Apartments

We’ve visited several times over the years, but this weekend probably marks our last. James in concierge was superb, as was the overall reception team. However, the restaurant “refurb” is not good, the US style booths are out of place, and appear to have reduced capacity; they’ve certainly affected the ambiance. The dining experience was so noisy on Saturday night it was more akin to an inner city chain restaurant. Despite this obvious push for numbers Hotel guests struggled to get a reservation for dinner. We were given a booking after 9pm. I meandered to reception at 5.30pm thinking I’d have no problem for 7.45pm …oh well, rookies error! Anyway, the menu has morphed into a rather odd (&limited) selection of Italian plates, utterly incongruous to the overt Scottish fabric of the place. The rooms remain spacious & pleasant, but we struggled to understand the choice of wallpaper which has quite a claustrophobic effect!! Clearly it’s each to their own as others seem to appreciate it. The Marine is a beautiful hotel and (thankfully) the public areas remain a jewel in the crown, but bar & restaurant service was frustratingly poor. Seemed to be a combination of inexperienced staff & limited leadership. My impression is this hotel will eventually lose its loyal clientele & become a “one visit” tourist spot, which is a shame because it has all the attributes of being a trusted hotel in that part of Scotland.