Bodmin Jail Hotel

The kindness of the staff meant a lot to us, especially Dennie, Becky, Elliot, Sadie, Shakira, Jamie and Summer. We celebrated our wedding and my 63rd birthday there, with a wedding breakfast that was outstanding and well worth the money. The food was fabulous, the rooms fantastic, and the hotel itself is a treat to behold. I’m from Bodmin and have known the Gaol for years. I used to play there as a kid, worked there as a cloakroom boy in my teens, and visited regularly with my parents. We’ll be back!

The room was clean, comfortable and nicely presented, and the hotel itself made a strong impression. The receptionist was polite, welcoming and professional throughout our three night family stay. But we were very disappointed when we couldn’t get a dinner reservation on one of the evenings because the restaurant was full. We later learned that many bookings were from people who weren’t staying at the hotel. As guests paying to stay for several nights, we expected some priority or flexibility so our family could eat there at least once. Instead, we felt undervalued, and the dining issue had a real effect on our experience. The hotel is unique and the staff were courteous, but based on this stay we wouldn’t choose to return.

“If you’d booked direct with us, we’d help you sort this out.” This was meant to be a birthday weekend, and we planned to eat at the restaurant, but we’ve cancelled and won’t be arriving at Bodmin Jail Hotel. I’ve never reviewed a stay before it happened, but the way this was handled left us with little choice. We booked for March 2026 through a third party partner of Expedia and immediately saw the booking listed one guest instead of two. We called the hotel straight away and were told to contact the partner company. They only communicate by email and have ignored all our messages. We emailed the hotel in desperation and called again the next day. Reservations said they’d help and only needed a manager to confirm the additional guest fee, so we thought the simple problem would be sorted. Instead, the next day brought a cold email saying nothing could be done. There was no apology or empathy, and no attempt to find another solution. We called again after that, explaining that we’d either need the issue fixed or cancel. They still didn’t seem interested in helping. It’s incredibly disappointing that the hotel seemed willing to lose the whole booking instead of showing flexibility over a very small request. DO BETTER!

The Bodmin Jail Tour the next day was well worth doing, and the whole stay felt more like an experience than just a hotel visit. The hotel is spectacular, with the former jail atmosphere maintained throughout, and wonderful views from reception. Our third floor room was beautiful, atmospheric, comfortable and very clean. A lovely bed and cracking shower, my two must haves. The girl at check in was informative and professional. We had a wonderful overnight stay in April 2026, and I’d highly recommend going!