The Crown Hotel

Great service, great breakfast. Handy for Lynton and the rocks. Called the hotel early as we would be arriving early. Wasn't a problem and the even let us check in early as room ready. Staff pleasant and service was great at breakfast the following day.

We have been going here for nearly 30 years. We have even stayed here before now, so wanted to dine. The food was (as we have always found it lovely). However the lady that served us (stated she had only taken over the place in the last couple of years). Was rather brash. I think maybe it would be good to have some hospitality training. We cancelled our other booking for the Sunday and went elsewhere.

We only experienced the restaurant and sadly it must have been an off night. We had booked a table and eventually we got through the crowded bar to our table, ordered our food. Waited for nearly an hour and then was told that the fish was a bit off and the chef would start cooking again. Fellow customers were served cold “cooked” chicken. Front of house hadn’t offered us any bread or a starter as compensation so we lost confidence in the kitchen and left the restaurant. We had cinema seats booked and were extremely hungry so we dashed off down the road to The Vanilla Pod and had a fabulous meal pre-cinema.

Some background – we stayed at a different hotel this time last year but had many of our evening meals at the Crown. The staff were terrific; the menu varied with Daily Specials. Encouraged by that, we booked to stay B & B this year. Unfortunately, in the intervening period the hotel had changed hands. They had no record of our booking but fortunately had a vacancy and rightly stood by our booked rate of £85 per night B & B. Staff were just as delightful, but the menu was now identical every night except Sunday, very boring when you are staying for eight nights. Everything was much more expensive. The room rate was up by 40% and menu prices similarly increased, ruining our budget completely. As a result of both changes, we tended to eat elsewhere. No problem with breakfast, which was universally excellent. Our room (6) was large. But there was only one chair and no occasional table on which to put coffee cups, etc. They corrected this by adding a dining room chair and an old bedside table from another room. When we raised the issue we were told by Carloline “It’s not our way, it’s not the Valley of Rocks” – a nearby hotel that is anything but a paragon of hospitality currently. The room was very dark with a pitifully small ceiling light. It was cold, and at our request they provided a small radiator. Storage was limited with no chest of drawers and the bedside cabinets were a bad joke, so difficult to open we asked whether the drawers were just for show. We were told that they were new, just needed a strong pull. How management did not reject them on delivery as totally useless is beyond me. The TV was a mere 20” and located so far away from the only place from which you could see it – the bed – that it was almost impossible to see or hear despite 100% volume. There was an excellent bath and shower with piping hot water and very high-quality towels. Also, a heated towel rail but that only worked if the hotel heating system was on, and that was rarely. So wet towels had to be changed daily, the heated rail failing its primary function. Finally, they advertise free parking but there are fewer spaces than they have guests, and we twice had to dump the car and find a member of staff willing to move their own vehicle to accommodate us. In fairness, they were always willing to do this. We have a Blue Badge, but the Disabled space was occupied by two picnic benches and barred by large planters. So, we were ultimately disappointed with our stay. On the positive side, the staff were still brilliant but that did not make up for shortcomings elsewhere.

Great reception from staff. However, it soon proved to be a false front. The room was small, but being an old hotel, it seemed ok. The bathroom was no more than 3 feet by 6 feet. Opening to shower was no more than 12 inches. You needed to be a contortionist to get in the shower. Restaurant meal wasn't too bad, they didn't serve what was ordered. Noise from the bar continued until I complained at 10.30 The next morning, the manager said I should never have been put into that room. This is a faulty towers hotel and should be avoided.

Called in for drinks and food 16/17 May, the food was excellent and very reasonably priced, the real ale was superb, but the highlight of day/eve was the bar staff Tom & Sandra, it was like being in a scene resembling Fawlty towers. Excellent.