Mercure Ayr Hotel

The hotel's 118 bedrooms are furnished in a modern, comfortable style, with front-facing rooms offering views across the Firth of Clyde towards Arran and the Kintyre peninsula. Rooms are twin or double, making them well suited to golf groups, and the layout is practical rather than boutique, focused on giving you a decent night's sleep and a hot shower after a long day on the links.

Each room includes tea and coffee facilities and en-suite bathrooms. The twin-bedded rooms are particularly popular with societies and groups, and the hotel's dedicated golf locker facilities mean you can store clubs securely without cluttering your room or the car park. Ayrshire weather does what it wants, so the locker setup is more useful than it sounds, especially when you're playing multiple courses over several days.

The Feel Good Health Club is worth using. The indoor pool is ideal for a morning swim or an evening wind-down, and the gym, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna give you options beyond the 19th hole. If you're the sort who likes to squeeze in 36, the pool and steam room will be calling your name.

Dining is handled by the on-site Brasserie, which serves breakfast and evening meals with a straightforward menu of brasserie-style favourites. The menu covers a few nights without repetition, and the bar is a comfortable spot for a drink and a debrief after your round. If you want to explore further, Ayr's town centre is a short walk away, with a good selection of pubs, restaurants and takeaways, plus shops and cafes if you need to pick up supplies or kill time before an afternoon tee time.

The location is one of the hotel's strongest points. You're close enough to the action in Ayr to enjoy the nightlife and dining options, but far enough from the noise to get a proper night's sleep. For golfers, the proximity to Royal Troon (ten minutes), Prestwick Old Course (five minutes) and Turnberry (roughly 35 to 45 minutes) makes this an efficient base for a golf tour in Ayrshire, particularly if you're planning to play multiple courses without moving hotels. Glasgow Prestwick Airport is ten minutes by car, Ayr station is walkable, and on-site parking means you can come and go as you please.