Located in postcard-pretty Salcombe, in South Devon (in England!), the Salcombe Harbour Hotel has recently opened and brought a lot of style and a breath of fresh air to the hotel scene in this quintessentially English seaside town. For those of you who know the region well, it is located on the ground of the Marine Hotel.
I know this part of the world well as the rest of the O’Reilly family leaves in the area, and I was very keen to try this hotel on a recent trip to Devon.
Pre-Arrival
– Was there any pre-arrival communication by the hotel with myself via email or social media?
My stay was organised by email a couple of weeks before I arrived. One needs to live dangerously every now and then and we decided to head south to see the family with only a couple of weeks’ notice, which is pretty extreme for us.
– Did I try to engage the hotel via Twitter? Did the hotel interact with me and made me feel welcome/special?
Nothing happened on the social media front.
– Has the hotel tried to gather any personal information (e.g. preferences) prior to my stay?
Not really, but again not necessary. This hotel had something very special – and just bear with me for a bit until you find out.
Arrival
– The wow factor! What was the hotel decor style?
As soon as we walked in, we loved the hotel. I loved the nautical and very ‘New England’ style, which went perfectly with the location.
– How quick and efficient was the hotel check-in?
We had a fab check in with Jo, who was also the duty manager, who was fantastic.
– Was I addressed by name once reservation has been located? (it is all about the small details, some others are outstanding with this, and I love it, like I do when I board an airplane)
Absolutely.
– Did I get an upgrade from my confirmed pre-booked room type?
We weren’t sure which room we had been allocated and were delighted with our ‘Estuary Room with Balcony’.
– Did I feel genuinely welcomed by the hotel staff?
Yes indeed. Everyone was lovely.
– Luggage – how many people did I have to tip before the luggage made it safely to my room? This is cultural, I know
We only had a small carry on and were able to take it to the room.
– Wi-fi – was I told anything about it? Was there a charge?
Wifi is free to all registered guests.
Room Experience
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An ‘ahhhhhhh’ moment indeed! Such a pretty room.
– First impressions – décor, size and wow factor
Our room was lovely and spacious and do not get me started on the view!
– Welcome amenity
We had (as will any guest) the best amenity in the world: GIN! This little treat (or sherry) is possibly one of the best ideas ever. Free or charge and refilled every two days, you can have as many gins as you want. The tonic is, of course, charged (and interestingly we only had a bottle. I suggested to the hotel to have a tonic mini bar, with lots of brand choices to go along with the Plymouth. At around 6pm every day, housekeeping comes round with ice and lemon. Genius or what?
– The bed
We slept really well – the bed was comfortable and the bed linens also very nice.
– Closet/Wardrobe – proper hangers or those annoying ones where you need a PhD to get them out one by one? This is a personal pet peeve of mine. I can’t stand them.
All good in this department.
– Iphone Charger/Dock
There is an iPhone 4 dock, which we did not use.
– Bathrobes and slippers
All there, but we didn’t use.
– Coffee and Tea
Yes, with a Nespresso maker, plenty of pods and also tea making facilities (we did not use).
– Free bottled water
Yes, to be found near the gin.
– Magazine selection – had some nice surprises and doesn’t happen often enough!
It was very local and quite interesting.
– Power sockets in useful places – we have more and more devices and we know where we want them! By the bed, by the working area.
We didn’t have a problem charging our devices.
Bathroom
– First impressions – décor, size and wow factor
The bathroom was good and very well fitted.
– Bath, shower and taps – I am looking for Duravits and Hansgrohes (or other fab brands) around the world. How fab was the shower? And a little pet peeve.. was I able to operate the shower without asking Mr. O for help?
We had a bath with a great shower head, although I would have preferred a walk-in shower. The fittings of the bathroom were all Duravit and Hansgrohe, ha!
– Towels – yes, please! How many and how soft and lovely?
Absolutely fine.
– Toiletries – own brand, super brand, baby ones or proper ones? I shall find out!
The hotel used products from The White Company – the first time I had seen them at a hotel.
– Amenity kit – I don’t want more sewing kits thank you very much, but I will need a shower cap.
We had everything we needed, neatly displayed as seen above.
– Hairdryer – is it a human one, or just something stuck to a wall that only makes noise?
There was one, but we didn’t use.
Bar & Restaurant
Dinner and breakfast takes place at The Jetty, which is open to non-hotel guests. I loved the decor and, of course, the views. The restaurant was quite busy when we visited – but service was very personable and friendly. We had great seafood and of course, local British cheese for dessert.
Needless to say, the bar came with great views – and great gin & tonics too!
General thoughts
– How good and reliable was the wi-fi?
It was a bit patchy and so was phone reception due to the location.
– Did the hotel interact with me via Twitter during my stay?
No, they didn’t.
– Location
Possibly one of the best locations in Salcombe, within minutes of the town shopping area and, amazing estuary views.
– Cost – rooms starting from…
Estuary rooms cost from £155 to £310, depending on the season.
– Would I recommend it to my best friend?
Absolutely.
– Would I stay again?
Oh, I will!
Have you visited this hotel? What were your thoughts?
xo
Mrs. O
Disclaimer: I was a guest of the Salcombe Harbour Hotel during this stay, but hopefully you will see that this has not influenced my thoughts about the property. For more information about the hotel, visit its official website.
