Talland Bay Hotel & Restaurant

When we arrived at this hotel we thought we had come to the wrong hotel!|The position of the hotel is stunning with beautiful views overlooking the sea. However, on entering the hotel the ‘quirky ‘ decor gives the appearance of clutter and does not give a feel of luxury particularly in the lounge and bar.|The bedroom had superb views of the sea, a comfortable bed and bathroom with separate bath and shower. Unfortunately on first using the toilet the seat and lid came off in my husband’s hand. The manager came to fix it promptly but later in the evening the lid fell off! A maintenance man successfully managed to repair the toilet the next day. The bedroom furniture was in shabby chic style, a large artificial palm dominated one corner of the room, a big fur throw was on the bed ( which I removed immediately). The mini bar contained fresh milk but had not been replenished from previous guest and contained less than half a bottle |Tea leaves as well as tea bags were available and home baked biscuits.|We stayed on DBB basis. The breakfasts were good, both buffet and cooked breakfast. Sadly the evening meals in the restaurant were disappointing and did not live up to the AA 2 rosette they had been awarded. Table D’Hote menu had limited choice e.g. one fish one meat and one vegetarian main course, the desserts were also limited with two choices plus ice cream or cheese. On one evening we chose fish from A La Carte menu but felt it was overpriced and not good value. A further disappointment was that they ran out of Sauvignon Blanc wine on the first evening and was told that a new delivery would not be until the following Tuesday!|This is a very dog friendly hotel, whilst this did not affect us directly it was hard to ignore.|Whilst I have raised some negative comments I must commend the staff for their friendly hospitality and attentive service.

We have stayed at this hotel on many occasions for mini breaks of 4/5 days and we always have a lovely time - this visit was of course no exception. Some would say it is a bit quirky but we like that and particularly enjoy the homely feel the hotel has, which is made possible by all of the staff who provide a friendly, caring experience and overall great customer service. They are a credit to Jack and the management team. The evening dining experience is always good value and the excellent breakfast choice sets you up for the day. We always prefer to stay in the same room if possible, which is maintained at the high standard we have come to expect when we arrive. Anyway, another great visit and we will be back!

The Talland Hotel is sited in an excellent position with views over the sea. Its best asset is its staff, who were both friendly and professional. However, having spent four days at the Hotel, we were disappointed that its did not measure-up to its mainly good reviews and could not be regarded as a luxury hotel (a phase used on-line and in the hotel literature). We were astounded to find that the premises were themed as ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and more akin to a poor attempt at a venue for a child’s birthday party: Wood panelling painted silver, painted black manikin with lampshade head, silver wall panel of a woman’s rear, banisters painted multiple colours, black and white chequered walls, pixies, fairies, model of an elderly man and large mock-ups of painted budgerigars in the garden . Etc. As the interior furnishings were mixed in with conventional decorations, the whole atmosphere was of one confusion and could only be described as tacky. Our room was dated, with distressed furniture, plastic, flowers and palm an off-white duvet, without the relief of a throw, a flimsy piece of net draped over the bedhead tied back with artificial orange leaves. Whilst the bathroom was well appointed, there were no blinds at the two windows. The breakfast buffet was impressive – we did not eat cooked breakfasts. Dinner did not reflect a two red rosette restaurant and despite its high pricing, dishes were underwhelming in presentation and taste. A lamb shoulder dish (£32) consisted of a small stack of overworked vegetables with small pieces of stringy lamb within it. Bland in taste, with not a sign of a fresh vegetable. The roasted sea bass (£39.50) was a small piece of fish with a limp skin, topping a similar stack of vegetables to the lamb dish. The roasted crown prince squash (£19.20) was bland, ill thought out and yet again not accompanied any green vegetable. The whole dish could only be described as ‘beige’. I could go on but will say that the best meal I had was the Sunday roast, which was appetising and served with fresh, vibrant vegetables. (Interestingly, this was the only day that the head chef was off duty). Whilst the hotel has a dog friendly dining area, it was somewhat off-putting to see a guest feeding her dog at her table with hotel cutlery whilst a member of staff looked on smiling – really!! On leaving the hotel, I paid the bill and gave my feed back to the receptionist who was very professional in the way she received them and wrote the points I raised. The General Manager did ring me and discussed my feedback. He was polite and listened to what I had to say but as a lot of effort had been put into theming the hotel, presumably under his watch, I was not convinced that many if any changes would be made. His comment was revealing when he said the theming was to’ invoke childhood memories’. This hotel is a lovely building with one of the best coastal positions going. With a proper classical makeover and updating and a refocusing of the food menu this could become a high-end venue commanding the highest of tariffs. In our opinion at £1880 for a four-night break, on half board terms, it overpromises and under delivers.

The room was lovely and clean with a wonderful new bathroom. The bedroom looked a little tired with old paintwork etc. I think we were above the kitchen.|All staff were amazing, especially the northern lady we had serve us for breakfast.|The food was a little unusual but ok. The cooked breakfast was amazing. Would of been nice to have more of a continental selection.|The very best part of staying at this hotel was the scenery. A little tip would be to bring some walking boots.|I will definitely be staying again and would recommend to my friends and family.

Perfect location, very friendly staff that couldn't do enough for you. We stayed for 3 nights and enjoyed every minute. The walk to Polperro was lovely, there's a cafe just down from the hotel which is great too, the bay itself is wonderful. The food was top quality. Overall very pleased I chose this hotel for our short break.

An amazing hotel, nothing is too much trouble! All the staff are welcoming and friendly, rooms are beautifully decorated, very clean and the bed was really comfortable. Breakfast entertainment from Teresa was brilliant, you made our mornings! Dinner and the Afternoon Tea was delicious and so filling. We couldn’t fault our visit and can’t wait to visit you all again.

We stayed at the Groundskeeper's Cottage for 1 night last weekend. Absolutely loved it again! Everything from our beautiful room to the wonderful friendly staff & amazing food was just perfect again! If Carlsberg did hotels, Talland Bay would be it! Something very magical about & it's hands down our favourite place to stay in the south west. You feel like you're a million miles from anywhere. Would 100% recommend to anyone who wants to escape from the world. We didn't want to leave again. Thank you!!

Beautifully located and idiosyncratically decorated hotel. Decor was a mix of Alice in Wonderland meets Art Deco! Staff were friendly and helpful. That's the good bits done. The issue was pricing in the bar and restaurant, we were charged £7.50 for a can of lager and £18 for prawn cocktail starter seemed excessive. Other than these two examples, pricing seemed high in general across the business.

Be sure to check their cancellation policy before putting down a deposit.

We are staying here at the suggestion of a friend. We are very pleased with the accommodation (room 9 was great) as well as the food. Dining room for evening meals was great and also the breakfasts. We have walked along the cliffs in to Pollperro. There were some steep parts but very enjoyable. We came back on the bus. The staff are very friendly and we can't find a single fault with this hotel. Highly recommend it.