Review - Dog Friendly Hotel Torquay
Posted August 28, 2007 by:Flora
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I listed quite a few dog friendly hotels with WiFi in England recently, this was not simply an act of devotion by me: we wanted to find a place to stay for ourselves. As an independent travel blogger I pay my own way, so I do not get these opportunities to review a hotel as a guest very often. The Hillcroft is a small ‘Boutique Hotel’ with six rooms and suites in Torquay, situated about eight minutes’ walk from the centre of Torquay. This is quite a hilly town and the Hillcroft sits above the town, as the name implies. The walk is not too taxing but I would not advise anyone who is infirm to attempt it.
The owners, Karen and Stuart, are extremely helpful and friendly, and they welcomed us with afternoon tea in the bar. They also helped us with our mass of luggage, something which is rarely offered now in all but the highest rated five star hotels. Rooms here range from £70 a night including breakfast, we stayed in the India suite which is one of the two rooms that are suitable for dogs. The floors are polished wood, so that dog hair can be cleared easily!
The decor and furnishings are stylish and minimalist, giving an airy modern feel. Apart from welcoming dogs, the Hillcroft aims to be gay friendly, diet-friendly, golf-friendly and walker-friendly. In short this is a laid back tolerant place to stay. Which is fortunate since our dog likes to tell the world when he is about to go for a walk every morning with some very loud barking. Our suite had a six foot wide fourposter bed, an ensuite shower room, living room and a luxurious bathroom with sunken bath surrounded by dozens of candles to create a romantic atmosphere.
Breakfasts are excellent, with good quality toast and unsalted butter, really fresh fruit salad with papaya and mango. Those are the things I choose so I notice when they are as good as this. There are several options for cooked breakfast: the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon are a house speciality, and highly recommended.
The hotel has a dedicated tranquil treatment room and guests can book treatments such as Reiki Healing, Reflexology, Hopi Ear Candle treatment and Holistic Massage. We both took the Holistic Massage, which was excellent. The masseur, Danny Hall, is also a trained sports therapist and most guests wish they could stay longer just to take some more treatments.
We stayed five nights at the Hillcroft, and we were pleased with every aspect of our stay there. The location is very good for exploring surrounding towns and villages from Teignmouth to Dartmouth. Tel +44 (0)1803 297247
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