Whitsand Bay Lodge

The lodge was huge, though the oven didn’t work and that threw us off a bit. We had a great week, booked through Airbnb. The place is a little out of the way and there aren’t any shops within walking distance, but it’s manageable. There’s a pub and restaurant and a swimming pool on site, with a steep cliff path just across the road. It’s actually built on an old fort!

The room itself had quite a few good points. The bed was extremely comfortable, there was plenty of tea and coffee, and the room was clean, warm with thermostatically controlled heaters, and a good size. It had an open wardrobe and dressing area, an easy to use walk-in shower, plenty of hot water, toiletries and towels. The bedroom views were amazing, and all the other staff I met were brilliant. Getting the room was a struggle from the start. I emailed asking for one room for one person that night, but the receptionist replied that she didn’t know what I wanted, then apparently went home. When I arrived to ask about a room, the manageress was very frosty and seemed offended that I’d walked in through the open door, even though they were closed. She said they were fully booked, which wasn’t true. Most of the rooms were actually empty and available. Maybe she felt sorry for me, because she reluctantly let me back inside and, after checking, found me a room, or a dozen, as it turned out. I was told the price was £80. I said no way, and it was reduced to £60, which I paid. Later I found the rooms advertised for £50. The first room had no working lights. The second had a strong ammonia type smell, which I first thought was strong washing powder. I didn’t complain after all the trouble getting a room, but the smell woke me in the night. I traced it to drainage coming up through the plug holes. Closing the bathroom door and opening the outside door for a while helped enough for me to get back to sleep. In the morning, opening the bathroom door brought the strong smell back. Surely previous guests must have reported it? The online description says breakfast is included in the room rate, but it isn’t. The cafe doesn’t open in the mornings at all.

The food was great, and so was the Amy Winehouse tribute act. Everyone we spoke to was brilliant, and I can’t fault it. We stayed at the Radar Station. A storm came through the night we arrived, but in the morning we woke to amazing views and a hot tub ready to sit in.

We like to get away for a night as wardens and try somewhere different. We booked at 11:30pm on Sunday for the next day, and got an email asking when we’d arrive. I asked what the earliest check-in could be, and the next morning they gave us a lovely reply saying we could come at 2 instead of 3. The receptionist was very nice and helpful when we arrived, and showed us where to go. The bedroom made a lovely first impression. The bed was comfortable, and towels, hand towels, shampoo and shower gel were laid out on it. The tea making things were ready too, and the bathroom was clean and lovely. The view was nice, with the ocean and distant lights visible at night. We booked a swim and the staff were fantastic. We’d forgotten towels, and they kindly gave us a couple for free. The pool was okay, not freezing, though it didn’t seem heated. It looked close to the end of the season and could have done with a clean, but that didn’t put me off and we enjoyed ourselves. Just a couple of small comments. The outside furniture has seen better days, with one broken piece and a mismatched set. The kettle was a good normal size but a little awkward to fill, so we used a cup from the sink. The wardrobe area looked dated. None of that spoiled our visit, and we’d absolutely come back. Thanks to everyone for being great.