Penmere Manor Hotel

We appreciate being given a full refund, but money can’t give back the time we lost, especially when balancing work and children. We booked Penmere Hotel for a special occasion, and it was a deeply disappointing stay. The staff were the one real bright spot: friendly, professional and approachable, and they handled things well. My criticism is about maintenance and investment, not the staff. The website shows a clean, fresh property, which didn’t match what we experienced. The room was clean and the bed comfortable, but the hotel is very dated. There was no socket by the bed, the cups were tiny, and outside our patio doors a broken gutter dripped constantly over cigarette butts and a patio full of weeds and dirt. There was also a strong damp smell on the walk from the garden rooms to reception and the bar. Breakfast was mediocre, with ingredients below what I’d expect from a hotel. Noise was the biggest problem. The soundproofing is very poor. From our first room we could hear every movement upstairs, plus the toilet flushing and cistern refilling. It kept us awake past 2am and woke us again at 6am. Staff kindly moved us at midnight, but we could still hear loud plumbing from the room next door. Moving rooms at that hour doesn’t solve a structural problem. We also tried the leisure facilities. The wood above the sauna coals was blackened and brittle, and the lower door frame looked rotten, so it didn’t feel well maintained. We raised our concerns privately first out of respect, but future guests should know about the condition and noise before booking.

We ended up staying at the hotel for a night because a storm had knocked out power at home. The room was really comfortable, although the heating seemed to be off. I’m not sure if that was connected, but they gave us two heaters. Breakfast was fine, and we enjoyed the pool. It was great value, honestly, and the staff were very nice throughout.

We’ve just had a very enjoyable two-night stay at Penmere Manor Hotel. The room was comfortable and quiet, even with two functions taking place while we were there. The family-run feel is a real credit to the hotel, and we thought it was excellent value. Staff at reception and in the restaurant were great, the food was delicious, and we made good use of the pool. It isn’t the most modern place, but it’s very well run. We’d gladly recommend it and will definitely return.

The staff were really pleasant and helpful, and the pool was very nice. The sauna was perfectly adequate too. Our room was lovely and spacious, and the location was nice. The gym equipment is limited and a bit past its best, though it wasn’t busy, so we never had to wait. One thing that could be better is having tea and coffee available without asking at breakfast. And when I did ask, I got instant coffee. I admit I’m fussy about coffee.