Have just returned from a 5 night stay at Rose In Vale and thought I had to write a review as I had almost been put off going after reading previous reviews but our experience was very positive.
The hotel is very pretty and in a lovely setting. It is in tiny village reached by a country lane and the only local facilities seemed to be a country pub so we found ourselves driving to the local coastal towns each day. This however suited us as we wanted a very quiet, relaxing time and you do feel you have got away from it all at the hotel.
It was winter so we did not make use of the pretty gardens, swimming pool, hot tub etc instead we sat on comfy sofas in front of the log fires in the lounge.
Every staff member we came into contact with was extremely friendly and helpful and although the hotel is very small we did not have any trouble contacting someone if we needed to.
The decor did not look at all tired as some of the other reviews had noted but from speaking to other guests who were return visitors it has been redecorated with carpets, floors and furniture replaced recently.
Our bedroom did have creaky floorboards but it is a very old house. I was worried it might bother people underneath us but when I checked it was just a storage area so it was fine. It was clean and fresh with big wooden wardrobes, dressing table and bed and 2 flatscreen TV’s which saved any arguements when the football was on!
We did have one problem with the room during our stay which was a leaky hot water tap in the bath but when we mentioned it to the manager he checked it out and could not fix it straight away so he switched us to an upgraded room for the rest of our stay.
We ended up in the Rose Suite which matches and probably exceeds any hotel room I have ever stayed in - and I have stayed in many four and five star hotels in different parts of the world. The bed was a huge kingsize four poster with a very comfy mattress and the bathroom had a double jacuzzi bath and double shower which all looked very clean and new.
The food was one of the big highlights - we enjoyed every meal and found there was plenty of choice and it was well cooked, well presented and good sized portions. Again I was told the food had improved since they replaced the chef. For such a small hotel I was very impressed with the choice at breakfast where you help yourself to juice, cereals, fresh fruit and ordered hot drinks, toast and could also choose from a very large menu including full english, continental, fish based breakfasts or alternatives like waffles, pancakes etc which was cooked fresh to order.
To sum up I would say the hotel has quite a homely and sophisticated feel. Nothing seemed too much trouble for the staff but it is only a small hotel so there is not a 24hour service but we did not ever need this. Similarly if you are looking for a lively location with lots of entertainment this would not be right for you. However if you are after a quiet, relaxing break it is perfect and virtually everyone else we met were return guests so they must be doing something right!
We would certainly be happy to return - it is not cheap but I did consider it value for money.