Housel Bay Hotel

Our stay at the hotel was for the 3days over Christmas,,the staff were welcoming and friendly on arrival, our room was clean but a little on the small side. The majority of the meals we had were of a high standard especially those that were served in the Fallowfields restaurant. Christmas Day evening meal was very limited as they seemed very short of staff and was served in The Terrace which was very basic.

This Review We found it impossible to record an accurate review rating for The Housel Bay Hotel and restaurant as the business consists of 2 completely different types of restaurant with different menus and names (see review below) and a hotel and the only way to accurately rate them is as individual entities. Namely: - The Fallowfield restaurant - 5 stars The Terrace restaurant - 3.5 stars The Hotel and associated facilities - 2 Stars Overview We were looking forward to our first ever Christmas away from home and, based on the hotel website, were expecting a memorable experience. The website made it clear that dogs would only be allowed in “Family Rooms” which all had bunk beds so we were expecting a spacious environment for our 9-night stay. The road down to the hotel from the village is quite rough so a slow approach was needed however that allowed us to take in the spectacular view. The hotel sits right on the Southwest Coastal Path which can be accessed through gates from the hotel gardens. It provides some exceptional scenery if you are willing to venture along it. The Lizard lighthouse sits prominently on the hill to the right and we did see seals on the rocks below later during our stay. It is worth noting that the lighthouse beams track across the hotel every 3 to 4 seconds and the foghorn sounds repeatedly when visibility is poor - day and night. It was audible from our bedroom and earplugs are available from reception if required. The staff explained that the hotel lift was old and they limited the maximum number allowed in at any one time to two people, without suitcases or one person with one suitcase so getting installed into our room on the second floor was a lengthy process. Whilst we adhered to the limits, we still found ourselves being trapped in the lift on a few occasions and had to be rescued. We were advised that a refurbishment programme was to take place in early 2025 that would include fixing the lift amongst other things. For a building of this age and being exposed to the coastal elements there must always be maintenance issues to address The hotel had a free Wi-Fi network that worked well for us and we thought that a bowl of fresh clementines sitting on the reception desk, for guests to help themselves to, was a nice touch. The overall appearance of the interior of the hotel was very good and felt quite homely. Food The food was one of the memorable aspects of our stay. It is sourced locally and there is a list of suppliers provided. There are 2 restaurants here. One, Fallowfield’s, the signature restaurant for fine dining and the other, The Terrace, with great views onto the coastline below, for their standard menu. Breakfast is also served in The Terrace. Fallowfield’s offers 2 versions of a taster menu with paired wine options available. It is exceptionally good!! Joseph, the head chef, and his team produced some superb taste experiences and Alex, the sommelier, delivered great service with superb attention to

A truly beautiful location & lovely food but …… our room was cold - the radiator not working properly and the very drafty panoramic window really needed curtains. The newly refitted en-suite was very small. The weather was wild during our 2 day stay - which we love - but our bedroom really was not the cosy retreat we had expected.

Love this hotel. We’ve been the last 3 years for my husbands birthday and had an amazing time every time. Staff are lovely and keen to make your stay delightful. Polly (I think?) on reception is amazing as was Lucy on breakfast. Great location for exploring west Cornwall.

We've stayed at the Housel Bay many times, and our recent visit was the third this year. The food was perhaps even better than usual, particularly in Fallowfields. Thanks Joseph! However. This hotel has always been a bit of a santuary for us, because it is the only one of the main hotels on the Lizard that doesn't advertise itself as dog friendly. That seems to be changing. Dogs have been permitted in the bar for some time, but that tended to mean that dogs were only present in the evenings when locals were in. However, dogs are now allowed into (some of) the bedrooms, which means people now bring dogs into the dining room at breakfast. d f course, many are well behaved, and sit quietly under the table, but that isn't always the case. On this occasion there was a large hairy, somewhat smelly dog in the dining room, and another stretched out on the sofa in the lounge. I appreciate that 40% of households have dogs, but 60% do not, and at least some of that 60% don't actually want to be around dogs, particularly indoors (smell, hair, barking, drooling, and of course some people are allergic to or phobic about dogs). I do wonder how much tolerance there would be if people brought pet cats (or pets rats or ferrets!) into public indoor spaces. I am expecting hate mail...

Another warm welcome from the team; an excellent tasting menu meal and a couple of warm & cosy nights overlooking the bay, watching seals and passing ships. Looking forward to our next visit already, whatever the coastal weather can throw at us!