Burgh Island Hotel

It took twenty years to get there...

I have spent a week mulling over the experience of Burgh Island and I still haven t got my head around it.
I have wanted to go there for such a long time, and after saving up during lockdown was so excited to go.
We stayed at the Artist Studio, which is above the pub and away from the hotel. We thought it might be a romantic hideaway for our anniversary and as we are quite strict on social distancing we didn t feel the need to be in the midst of the hotel.
Before we got there I exchanged a few confusing emails with the hotel about our stay, which seem not to have been read by anyone working there while I was there.
The room is lovely but dated and not in a good, well thought out way. The plumbing for the bath leaked and soaked out luggage, and although I reported that twice it wasn t sorted and we wrapped towels around pipes to stop the place from puddling.
The hotel itself is divine. Tiny but beautiful and the staff in it were really lovely. glad was great, as was the cocktail waiter who cheered me right up after bad news from home. There wasn t mush to do but sit and drink cocktails... I m not complaining.
One simple thing that they had prior notice of but ignored... I booked on my card which was in my previous name. I explained three times that I should be known by my married name (it was our anniversary after all!). Despite me telling them (and emailing them) the menu for my husband had my ex-husbands name on it!
The tasting menu in the ballroom was exquisite. We had the wine flight which was always a course behind so we had some catching up to do. Husband had a lactose free menu (great news and not something we expected) but three times he was given the wrong dish. He gave up in the end and huffed about his pudding to me instead.

The hotel is a real experience and I m glad I went. The island, especially around the pub, was dirty. Takeaway containers wer not tidied up and the day trippers thought nothing of leaving rubbish and cigarette ends. The hotel grounds were spotless but the other areas less so.

I don t know if I would go back. I don t think it s worth the money but it is an experience and the connection to Agatha Christie and the wonderful Deco decor is intoxicating. All in I would say it s a stay of two half s... half fabulous, half disappointing.

Trading on past reputation

This is a hotel that sets high expectations but was a bit disappointing. We were expecting a luxury break and unfortunately it was very average. I am all for authenticity but there is no excuse for dirty carpets, tired and faded furniture in the bedrooms, unkempt gardens and patio and garden furniture that all needs replacing. The room we stayed in was dark and dingy and not somewhere you wanted to spend much time, although having a balcony was a real bonus. I can't imagine how depressing it would be if you couldn't get outside. on a more positive note the food was excellent in the Ballroom and it was nice to dress up but the star of the show was the Pilchard Inn where the food was excellent and extremely good value for money. The staff were great here too, so enthusiastic about what they were doing. Two days was more than enough and sadly having ordered breakfast in our room so we could get away early (they won't do breakfast before 8.00) it was delivered late and without any cutlery or butter for the toast so we had to go downstairs to get it ourselves. It just confirmed that this place is not operating at the level it should be for the money and it needs a good general manager to get it back on track - there was no evidence of any management presence during our stay although the staff were working hard to get things done.

No review title

We thought the hotel tired in every way.
Compared to other luxury hotels yours did not equal.
The idea of not having tv is also dated. We like to relax and have a choice.
The furniture in keeping with the decade was also cheap.
It s not easy to keep up a certain standard I understand that.
Staff were great.
Breakfast very average.
Dinner also average