Burgh Island Hotel

A striking hotel with 1930s architecture and furniture. All very glamorous. A fun couple of days but with a few disappointments. Our room (Gertie) was freezing🥶. We put newspaper in the patio door frames to try to stop some of the draft, and asked reception if we could borrow a portable heater and some blankets. They had no heaters, and kept one blanket...in the whole hotel. The heavy velvet curtains in our bedroom were actually blowing into the room the draft was so bad, and we had to put our bath robes on the bed to try to keep warm. Not what you'd expect to have to do in a 'luxury' hotel. Hopefully it was just our (end/corner) room that is so cold, but it's obviously the reason I've 'rated' the room so poorly. We had to keep our coats on, and it spoilt our time here. The (3 piece) group that played in the ballroom were good, but we (like many others) were hoping for a band, and to have a dance. Sadly, the music wasn't anything you could dance to😔. After dinner the ballroom soon emptied😔....and I think virtually all of us were back in our rooms by 10.45pm! Drink prices, as you'd expect, were very high, and have a 20% service charge added at check-out. However, it's a beautiful and historical building, the food throughout our stay was fabulous, and most of the staff were lovely.

We had a lovely two nights stay in this period hotel. The room had comfortable king size bed and period furniture and the bathroom had a large bath tub with lashings of hot water and underfloor heating. The room Gertrude Lawrence had a balcony & gorgeous view. We had a marvellous time dressing up for the evening meal which included canapés in the lobby and a band playing during the meal with the opportunity to dance. The breakfast was delicious. The hotel is set on an island which is small enough to explore in 30mins or you can cross on foot the causeway or if the tide is in on the sea tractor (great fun) to explore the coastal path . We went in November when it was cold so. I recommend jumpers or fleeces for inside the hotel room and some public areas.

As admirers of the Art Deco Era the experience was everything we had hoped for . . . and we will be returning

We spent three days in the wonderful Beach House which was very well appointed. Sadly the food service was well short of the professional level which one might expect from an expensive hotel: fish was overcooked, as were breakfast eggs. An order for fish without the chilli in the sauce arrived with chilli flakes all over it . The burger offered to us in the Pilchard was probably the worst I have ever had . Breakfast seating was chaotic at times and we were left waiting in the bar for over 20 minutes because a member of staff had forgotten that they had asked us to wait

Having always dreamed of visiting Burgh island, both for its Art Deco & Agatha Christie connections I was not disappointed. Only issue, minor to me but major to the friend I travelled with was please bear in mind most of the rooms have a bath only & no separate shower facilities. If you need this I understand only available in 2 of the suites & Poirot room which has no real bathroom. You can see every single room & its location in the hotel on their amazing website so please look if this is going to be an issue to you. I got to swim in the Mermaid pool in November which was amazing. Rooms immaculately clean & staff couldn’t be more helpful. I loved every second of it & would return in a heartbeat.

There is no other hotel we return to so eagerly and so often; the welcome and atmosphere are unrivalled. The surroundings are, of course, unique but the staff commitment to deliver that classic, stylish, retro and personal feel is superb. Ballroom fine dining and dancing remains the jewel in the crown for us; absolutely joyous.