We stayed in the following places this year. This was probably the hardest year’s planning due the need to find accommodation in places that fitted with the distances we wanted to do, how we wanted to cross the rivers (especially the Erme) etc. We found ourselves going over our budget per night cost on a couple of occasions, and consequently made use of the Travelodge in Plymouth for 2 nights. With this we managed to achieve a cost of below £30 per person per night. Logistically it worked, but I wouldn’t have done it this way if I could have avoided it.
Night 1 – Waterside B&B, Torcross
Having booked a twin and a single, with my turn for the single, it was good fortune to find the single upgraded to a double. Slept well, well stocked with tea/coffee etc, and decent biscuits. Ensuite bathroom a bit cramped (but as I expected a shared bathroom, I can’t really complain). My room looked over the sea and my dad’s and brother’s twin looked out over Slapton Ley.
Bed: Good
Bath: Ok
Breakfast: Too much, egg was crispy.
Welcome: Good
Value for money: not great at £40 each.
Overall: 5 out of 10 largely due to price. Subsequently upgraded to 6/10 after night 2. Probably worth the extra point for the sea view.
Night 2 – Waverley B&B, Salcombe
We arrived at 3:45 and there was no one there. We’d not been given a check-in time (but info in the rooms eventually told us it was 5pm) and waited for an hour in the sun for someone to come. Not as welcoming as the previous night, but landlady did give us the opportunity to get an earlier breakfast. Rather strange layout and the rooms were in the basement. Instead of our triple we were given a twin en suite and a double (again I had the double, which had a separate bathroom).
Bed: Good (mine), but Dad wasn’t that happy with his.
Bath: very good, but as under the stairs getting close to the toilet was difficult.
Breakfast: personally I thought it was ok, if unspectacular, but Rob and Dad weren’t keen.
Welcome: ok, but nothing special
Value for money: as it was £5 cheaper than the previous night I thought it was ok. But then £35 for a single occupancy double with separate bathroom is quite good in my view.
Overall: we had to agree to disagree on this as Dad gave it 3/10, but my view was that I’d stayed in a lot worse and it covered the key things well enough. – I’d have given it a 5/10.
Night 3: The Sloop, Bantham
We arrived before 3pm and we milled around for a while working out what to do. Just as I spotted the note that told us which our rooms are and that we could go up, someone came along and showed us them. I’ve got a room at the top of the building with a view of the river Avon. Rob has the big room with the sea view. En suite shower room a bit cramped and the bog roll holder is directly above the cistern which was awkward. Room is big enough though and it’s in a very quiet location, notwithstanding it being above the village’s only pub. With few alternatives, we’re eating here tonight also, so let’s hope that’s good. Breakfast isn’t served until 9am, but that’s actually ok as we can’t get a ferry to Bigbury until 10am anyway.
Bed: good, slept well
Bath: it did the job. Toilet is one of those saniflow ones and it kept starting up and grinding long after I’d submitted my offerings. I hope it doesn’t do that in the night.
Breakfast: I don’t see why we needed a waitress to serve us our bran flakes. But the full english was the best so far, especially the sausage and the granary bread.
Welcome: perfectly fine.
Value for money: at £49.50 each for a double ensuite, it’s expensive compared to what we usually pay and like to pay on these trips. It’s probably not unreasonable in the scheme of things though.
Overall: probably about a 6/10
Night 4: Little Orcheton Farm, nr Modbury
Arriving just before 3pm after a 3 mile slog along country lanes, we sat down for a cup of tea (which we had to make) and a slice of cake (provided). Rooms are pretty much what I tend to expect from farmhouse b&b accommodation – quite old fashioned style and aimed squarely at people who choose it for its location rather than its facilities. Once again I had the single whilst Rob and Dad shared the twin. The twin was en suite, whilst I had to go down the corridor. Of the 3 of us I probably mind this least and I suspect for Rob and Dad having an en suite outweighs a room to yourself. That suits me fine. None of the rooms have tvs though – again not uncommon in my experience. And the same goes for the lack of locks on the doors and hence no keys. Bathroom perfectly adequate. Window rattled all night long and woken by sodding cockerel far too early.
Bed: worst nights sleep so far.
Bath: fine
Breakfast: ok, fruit provided. Toast under my egg a bit floppy.
Welcome: fine
Value for money: at £30 each it was ok.
Overall: pretty much exactly what I expect, but don’t expect luxury.
Nights 5&6: Travelodge, Plymouth
What can I say, it’s a Travelodge, so I went there with suitably low expectations. Check-in using a machine was actually quite good though. We had a family room at £29 per night. This did mean 2 sharing the double though, but luckily it wasn’t me! I had to contend with the sofa bed. Room in need of refurbishment – broken lampshade, mould in bathroom and shower head leaked 50% of the water. Insufficient pillows and towels and almost an argument when we asked for more – apparently 4 ryvita-thickness pillows is adequate for a room sleeping 4. Didn’t sleep that well – too hot the first night as we shut the window to keep out the noise from the air-conditioning unit outside; the second night we opted for the noise so we didn’t overheat. Based on previous experience we didn’t have the breakfast and went to Wetherspoons instead.
Bed: tiredness was the main factor in me getting any sleep at all.
Bath: crap.
Breakfast: not applicable (thankfully)
Welcome: are you kidding ?
Value for money: at under £10 each per night it has to be considered good. At that price it helps if you compare it with camping.
Overall: crap, but that’s what I expected, and we only stayed there to get the costs down overall.
