Bovey Castle

Beautiful property and grounds although some parts (NOT golf greens) were not accessible to hotel residents e.g. small bridges over the river.

1.) Some areas not accessible to hotel residents only golfers - see above. 2.) 12.5% service charge - even on drinks/ tea/coffee. 3.) £10 daily general service charge - no obvious reason for this extra charge.

Beautiful castle in the Dartmoor countryside - dog friendly as well! Nice grounds and surrounded by a beautiful golf course. Parking onsite, 3 charging points available, 2 Tesla , 1 Tesla (for non Teslas). There are loads of activities to do every day which are really great and worth booking. The room was really nice, comfortable and clean. Same goes for the bathroom. Food was great throughout, we went to both the Great Western restaurant which is the fine dining option and the brassiere which is more casual. We also had the high tea which was great. There's a pool area with steam and regular sauna which are alright. We also went to the actual spa for some massages. Recommend! Overall a great, relaxing stay. The staff and service was excellent throughout. We will come back!

Pool area could do with some renovation / TLC

The afternoon tea was fantastic and we also enjoyed our meal in Smith’s Brasserie. Beautiful terrace and views over golf course and moors beyond. Lovely walks direct from hotel. Lots to do. Room very nice with huge bathroom.

We booked a room category that quoted “lovely views of courtyard or forest” but disappointingly we faced out on to an adjacent wall and a roof - no view of courtyard. They did offer to move us but by then we had unpacked. Manager didn’t bother to communicate directly. Lots of staff, some from agencies, and many good but didn’t feel well run for the quality of hotel.

Bovey castl;e is in a beautiful location. The staff were universally helpful and friendly. We did a number of activities whilst there (archery, air rifles, gin/cider making, birds of prey) and all the instructors were great (knowledgable and informal). Rob in the Golfs hop was also super helpful in getting us out on the course for a few holes. The equipment was also good quality for all the activities.. We stayed in a 3 bed lodge which was very well equipped and cosy. Overall really pleased with our 5 night stay for 3 generations of the family. The staff seem happy and friendly and this gives the hotel a relaxed and socialble atmosphere.

Wifi, when connected was great but would only work on the ground floor of the lodge. Staff tried restting a couple of times but to no avail. No big issue though.

All staff was friendly and good at what they do. We did the clay shoot in the morning. The gentleman running it was filled with knowledge on topic and such a brilliant teacher. We’ll worth the money. Smiths food restaurant was good value for money. When you arrive you’re made to feel nice. Swimming pool is great to.

For 5 star I expected not to see a few things with the room. Shower leaked badly and shower sealant peaking off. Few paint touch ups needed in room 36 bathroom. Also blanket cover was ripped. Dusty mirror top. In bathroom.

I liked the porters. I lovedvthe seasonal decor, the spa and the very wonderful falconry man with Frankie the hawk.

The reception staff could sometimes be a little gruff or dismissive. Compared to the porters, it seems at odds. I felt perhaps that I wasn't the usual clientèle and therefore I may have been treated differently. I lost my room key, was told at reception none were handed in (she did not look) and then the porters who was by the door said, 'yes, your key is here. It was handed in'... I felt strangely inferior at the way I was spoken to by the reception woman. She neither apologised nor looked at me as the porters handed me my key.

we enjoyed all our meals, all done to high standard beautiful grounds and building, lovely to sit by the big fireplaces and relax after winter walks, very cozy and whole place kept really warm nice big swimming pool the walks around the hotel are great, . love the moors , they had good selection of activities, if we had more time would have tried them.

we booked 2 rooms, one room was very small like an attic room , not really 5 star and bathroom small and dated, with leaky shower , stained grout around the frame. but our sons room was much nicer, good size and spotless bathroom, unlike ours! variable standard in quality of rooms, so be careful to check when booking

The building and grounds never fail to impress. Absolutely stunning, Every meal we had was delicious and the gents in the bar were friendly and welcoming and made brilliant cocktails. Nazeem was also very friendly and helpful on arrival and departure, for example engaging in conversation and offering to de ice our windscreen.

For a five star hotel it definitely feels like the swimming pool needs an upgrade to feel more luxurious. It’s very basic at the moment and hasn’t improved much since our first visit about 5 years ago. In previous visits the reception staff seemed a lot more welcoming, attentive and nothing was too much trouble, however this time the staff at reception were little cold and not very friendly. Making no conversation or eye contact.

Very well staffed, who were well trained and attentive. Building a grounds were immaculate, restaurant was exceptional, good quality food. Plenty of rooms to chill out, fantastic panoramic views.

Cellular coverage is zero! Not the fault of the hotel but typical of the very poor network coverage in the UK which we find is getting worse with the closure of 3G. Guest can get round this problem by enabling Wi-Fi calling on their phones whilst in the hotel, however if you are outside, in the grounds and O2 you will be cut off from the outside world as we were.

The room was lovely the Castle room was big and had plenty of room to relax. All the complementary items were of a good standard. The dinner we had at Smiths was tasty and good portion sizes. I used the pool and steam room which was nice and my partner had a facial which was also good. Beautiful grounds and terrace and the falconry display was absolutely brilliant. All in all this place exceeded our expectations and the fact we could take our dog makes it a 10/10 for us.

The only thing that would have been nice in the pool area or outside in my opinion was a hot tub, they have bubbles in the main pool but this is not as warm or relaxing as a proper hot tub.