Hotel reviews

A website can only tell you so much, and when I’m trying a new service or staying in a hotel that I haven’t stayed in before, I always try to look for reviews (trip advisor is good for this) so because we stayed in three very different hotels – none of which we had stayed in before – I promised myself I would ‘review’ them on my blog and I hope that someone finds that useful…

First hotel: the Poltair in Falmouth. The Poltair is impressive for a number of reasons, not least quality and value. They are dog friendly and for that reason we choose a family room for extra space. As it turned out, the dogs went on their own holiday and it was just me and my beloved. The room was very large, clean and with a stunning view over the sea (we also had a shared balcony). The room contained a double bed, a single bed and a sofa. It also had a fridge which was fantastically useful as we had champagne, beer and mineral water to chill and one day (after several days of eating just a bit too much) we bought some salad from M&S and had a picnic in our room! There was a TV, kettle and hair dryer as well. The bathroom was small but very clean and more than adequate. The only criticism was that the bed was quite soft and a little on the small side. The problem with beds is that you’ll never please everyone – some like soft, some like firm – but if it wasn’t for all the exercise and sea air making us conk out each evening, we might have found it a bit difficult to sleep.

The gardens are literally award-winning having won lots of prizes in the Britain in Bloom competitions over the years. They have free internet access and can even print stuff for you at a small cost. The foyer contains the obligatory but very useful tourist information and maps and when we checked in and checked out we were offered help with our luggage.

The breakfast was really good with a good choice: scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, kippers, full English, pancakes etc. I looked forward to breakfast each morning and had a full English every day just because the fried bread was the best I'd ever tasted (I justified it with the amount of walking we did!)

The Poltair claim that nothing is too much trouble and you can't help but believe that. Towels for swimming, herbal tea bags in your room… not a problem. The owner Malcolm was warm and welcoming and always happy to help.

The hotel is quiet and peaceful and yet only about a twelve-minute walk from the centre of Falmouth (and that’s my twelve-minutes so about six to eight-minutes for the rest of you!) There are gentle slopes down into town but very accessible and not particularly taxing (for those of you that don't know, I have limited mobility because of arthritis in both knees and crumbling kneecaps!). Incidentally the Poltair have a comprehensive access statement which can be viewed on their website.

Finally on our last day at the Poltair, we found a card in our room – it was a congratulations card from all the staff wishing us all the best for our wedding and the future. That says it all really! 4/5 www.poltair.co.uk

Second hotel: the Porthminster, St Ives. The Porthminster is a grand old luxury five star hotel and seems to balance this sense of age and grandeur with modern convenience and service.

The staff were fantastic. So much so that within two days of checking out we had sent a card to the General Manager to ask him to thank the staff for all they had done. Again, there is a real sense of wanting to make your stay special and so extra requests are not seen as an inconvenience but rather, dealt with in a friendly and efficient way.

We were in the bridal suite which was gorgeous with a massive bathroom (two-person Jacuzzi), sitting room, large bedroom with a ginormous bed, and two balconies. My mum’s room was more typical and quite small, but still a lovely view, very nice bathroom, flat screen TV and lovely furnishings - she was very happy and comfortable.

There are two pools, indoor and out (we used the outdoor pool which was heated and much more fun!), a games room, two bars, a gym, private sub-tropical gardens and direct access to the beach. The breakfast was notable for good presentation and lovely fresh fruit available every morning and again, the service was excellent. Really we couldn’t fault anything. (When we checked out the porter not only cleared our room for us – and remember, we didn’t just have the luggage we checked in with but a lot of wedding presents – he also packed the car.)

That said however, it is important to remember that our experience was special and different because we were getting married. A ‘regular’ holiday maker might take a slightly more critical approach but we were wearing marriage-tinted glasses and thought everything was perfect! 4.5/5 www.porthminster-hotel.co.uk

Third hotel: the Hen House, Lizard Peninsula. The Hen House (so-called because they do actually have hens!) is a luxury B&B with only two rooms. It is an oasis of peace and is tucked away in a small hamlet called Tregarne. I can’t remember what the name of the room we stayed in was but it was the biggest and was superbly decorated with a gorgeous bathroom. The bed was one of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in and everything was spotlessly clean.

There is a resident dog, Morgan, a huge and very handsome beast that happily allowed us to give him a cuddle each morning because we were missing Pluto and Bess so much.

The Hen House excels in being green and indeed, has won awards in sustainable tourism so if that is something that matters to you (it should matter to all of us but I shouldn’t preach…) then rest assured you’re in the best place.

The breakfast was amazing and was definitely the best of all the places we stayed. In fact I’m not embarrassed to admit that I have missed it a little… The way it was served was also lovely. The breakfast room looks out on to the garden teeming with birds and everything was so nicely presented. The owners Gary and Sandy are really friendly and conversation with them felt easy and natural – it also helps that they have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the local area: walks, restaurants, attractions, best routes to get from A-B, weather! They will happily lend you maps as well which is very useful.

Although we didn’t take the dogs, there is a fenced in meadow for dogs to exercise and run about like lunatics, a drying room for wet towels and even a place where you can wash your pooches on those occasions where your dog decides to keep its youthful good looks with an all over mud mask…

It is a very special place that we would really, really recommend, and ideally suited for a romantic getaway. (They also have a self-catering barn but I couldn’t be that close and not have one of their breakfasts!). Not only do we want to go back, we're also considering giving a weekend break to someone as a gift. 4.5/5 www.thehenhouse-cornwall.co.uk

(So much for blogging after the weekend!)