Bovey Castle
Devon, England
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About the Hotel
Built as a baronial home and sporting estate in the 1920s, Bovey Castle transports you back to a luscious Golden Eraâ€"with a touch of Agatha Christie, a dash of the Orient-Express and a wealth of exquisite service. This tranquil haven is tucked into Dartmoor National Park in southwest England. To stay here is to be pampered, whether youâ€(TM)re indulging at the fabulous Clarins Spa or lingering in the Bovey Wine Cellars and Cigar Bar.
Location
Bovey Castle
North Bovey
Dartmoor National Park
Devon, England
TQ13 8 RE
Nearest Airport: EXT
Features and Amenities
- On-Site Amenities
- Pool
- Spa on Property
- Spa Services
- Activities
- Fishing
- Family
- Children's Programs
- Nearby
- Shopping
- Interests
- Chateaus & Castles
- Golf
- Hotels
- Kids' Favorite - Perfect for Kids
- Spa
Reviews for Bovey Castle
Great stay and amazing activities!
We stayed at the luxury cabins next to Bovey castle with our three kids, me, my wife and her parents. The Castle itself is really impressive and the castle grounds are well kept and beautiful. The cabins too are nice, with a relaxing country-side vibe and are well stocked with things you need. The pool is fairly big and nice, and the restaurant (we went to the Great Western Grill twice) was also good. The lamb and the lobster were especially great. What really made our stay amazing, and secured Bovey a solid 5 star rating, was the activities. More than just that, the activities team. We were lucky enough to have Dani (their new activities manager) give us a deer park tour and later help us with archery, and she was just amazing. She was great with the kids, and even gave us a good twenty extra minutes of archery when one of my daughters had to run back to the cabin on an emergency toilet situation. When she came back she was almost in tears because she thought she had missed the whole second part of the archery, but because of Dani, she left with a huge grin. The falconer is also beyond great, and being up close and holding such amazing birds was something we won’t forget soon. All in all I can’t recommend Bovey enough, and don’t miss the activities! The golf course looked good too, but since I was there with my family, there wasn’t any time for that. Maybe next time.
andersbj81 - Asker, Norway
The customer service lets it down
We booked a last minute afternoon tea for a family of 4. On arrival we were directed by the Receptionist to one side of the building, only for us to be guided back to another area by someone else who was incredibly curt with us. On arrival to the correct area there appeared to be a mix up with our table, as another family of 4 were sat there. This was totally fine, but there were essentially 3 members of staff having a disagreement about how to handle the situation while we were stood there like spare parts. Once sat down a lovely male member of staff got us settled and took our drinks order. The food itself was lovely, but we had to ask for extra water, teaspoons for our teas and coffees, and extra jam. Each time we had to wait and wait for a staff member to be seen. We found it odd that there wasn’t anyone periodically walking the room and discreetly topping up waters etc. Each time we asked for anything we simply didn’t get a friendly response, in fact the only member of staff who made us feel welcome was the one who eventually seated us, but unfortunately we didn’t see him again once our food had been served. On the whole it’s a beautiful setting, the food was tasty but the service was a complete let-down, so much so that we won’t ever be returning. Oh, and our car (and others) was blocked in with traffic cones when we left - with no explanation as to why!
Anna H
We stayed here in July for a couple of nights to celebrate our 10th anniversary and had a wonderful experience! The hotel is beautiful - gorgeous old building in a stunning setting, surrounded by the rolling hills and valleys of Dartmoor. On arrival we were greeted by one of the porters who helped us with our bags and car. Check-in was very quick and straightforward. We had booked a Valley Room and it did not disappoint! The room located on the top floor and was very spacious, with great views over the valley at the back of the hotel. We had dinner at the hotel both nights - both at the Brasserie as well as the Great Western. Both meals were outstanding. Great service and very good food. The bar was a lovely space to enjoy a cocktail before and after dinner. Tyler and Swayam in the bar looked after us very well and I thoroughly enjoyed their Negroni! We will certainly be back!
Mark M - Epsom, United Kingdom
Incredible building with beyond terrible service.
A common theme of recent reviews that i hope the management will address as this property has the ability to be incredible. The main building is complemented by some incredible lodges that are well appointed and incredibly tranquil. We were lucky to have a lodge during a blue sky summer day and it really was fantastic. They are expensive, very for what they are, but we certainly enjoyed the space. The failures unfortunately began as soon as we stepped foot into the Great Western Grill. To go into the detail will take an hour to type, but in summary, 30 mins to order wine, lack of staff training (which we could well accept), incorrect dishes served, 2 of 8 dishes inedible, drinks not replenished and in general a 1* experience with a 5*fine dining price tag. This happens, however with over 50 years luxury hospitality experience in our party of 4, the greatest disappointment was the blasé, ignorant and in the end, utterly condescending attitude of the Restaurant Manager and then the Duty Manager when we offered the feedback. What could have been addressed swiftly with humility, to a very calm brief feedback, turned into a pro-longed ego trip that left a bitter taste, far worse then the over cooked John Dorey. Having been left in the Library like school children, the DM was delighted to return to tell us she had been shouting with the Restaurant Manager in order to get our pot of tea knocked off the bill as a gesture of good will, only for us to inform her we hadn't even had any tea to the table - a fine example of the dire service challenges within the management. We eventually walked out and got a drink in the bar, where eventually we were told the situation would be dealt with in the morning by the hotel GM, however to nobody's surprise, there was no response from the GM, he was unavailable to discuss, and as a team of industry professionals, we left, having had another totally average meal at the Brasserie, with a vow to never to return to a property that we had all travelled literally thousand of miles to experience. Credit to the Spanish waiter in the Brasserie, the bar staff and the archery instructor, who were stand out amongst this incredibly poor team, simply by delivering an engaging service. A huge miss here, in a situation that could have been resolved in minutes.
got2bfunky - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Excellent from start to finish
We had a fabulous afternoon tea here at Bovey Castle. With a walk around the grounds first, taking in the stunning scenery. Into the library for the afternoon tea, and what a treat. The service was exceptional, very attentive without being overpowering, but nothing was too much trouble. The food was amazing, and the best tea I have ever tasted. Finally, after we had finished, we get chatting to Cherrie, the General Manager. What a wonderfully hospitable person she is. Nothing was too much trouble for her and she showed us around the hotel with a real sense of pride. She is an absolute credit to the hotel and a great ambassador. We WILL return.
Duncan W
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