Bovey Castle
Outdoorsy British beauty
Dartmoor parkland
The thoroughly British hotel that has everything covered for family holidays, baronial Bovey Castle near Dartmoor has waxed jackets and wellies at the ready for your moorland adventures en famille. The estate is vast, so there's plenty to do for Smiths of all ages with exhilarating outdoor activities, delicious dining in the award-winning restaurants and a place to pamper yourself in the luxurious Elan Spa.
Facilities
Quartos
60, plus 22 three-storey country lodges with kitchens.
Checkout
11am, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in is 4pm, although you're welcome to arrive earlier and use the facilities, have lunch and make yourself at home before your room is available.
Mais detalhes
Room rates are usually room only. Breakfast costs from £25 for an adult (£15 a child); if you've booked the lodge, breakfast hampers can be pre-ordered for delivery straight to your door.
Also
Within the main building, there are two accessible bedrooms, each with a level entry wet room for guests in wheelchairs or with limited mobility. There's a disabled toilet and an emergency alarm.
Acesso gratuito à Internet
Lavanderia
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At the Hotel
Spa, indoor pool, restaurants, bar, family activities, helipad, 275 acres, gardens, woods, outdoor activities, golf course, driving range, tennis courts, putting green, free WiFi. In rooms: flatscreen TV, mini-fridge, kettle, free bottled water, safe, Temple Spa bath products, bathrobes and slippers. Lodges have fully equipped kitchens, a DVD player and utility room with washer/drier.
Our Favourite Rooms
The Valley Rooms take the win for us, courtesy of their sweeping Dartmoor views. All rooms from the Castle category up can take one extra bed or cot, but the Grand and Junior State rooms are much roomier – some have separate living spaces and dining tables – and they all have space for two extra beds. One of the Grand State rooms has a decked balcony directly overlooking the countryside. For bigger families, there are the 22 three-storey self-catering lodges dotted around the grounds; they each have three ensuite bedrooms and sleep a maximum of six adults and two children (with two extra beds). They also have a utility room, outdoor areas, enviably kitted-out oak kitchens with microwaves and dishwashers and a lounge and dining area.
Poolside
There’s a heated indoor pool which features a whirlpool at one end; it’s adults-only from 7am–9am and again after 5pm (until close at 8pm), but firmly family-friendly for the rest of the day. The area contains a steam room, sauna, a scattering of chic deckchairs and is utterly spotless with fine poolside views over Dartmoor National Park
Spa
The Elan Spa uses Temple Spa products in its relaxing and rejuvenating spa treatments; choose from a range of classic massages, body wraps, age-defying facials, aromatherapy and reflexology treatments, pre- and post-natal massages, and Jessica mani-pedis. The spa's service and attention to detail are excellent, and there's a gym too (open 7am to 8pm).
Crianças
Very welcome. There are kid-friendly activities and designated family swim times (between 9am and 5pm). Cots, highchairs and stair gates can be provided and extra beds for under-14s are available for £20 per night.
Galeria
Food & Drink
Top Table
If you’ve got a babysitter, go for one of the tables by the Great Western Restaurant’s big windows for romantic, wistful views. If you haven’t, you can get some privacy at the front of the dining room, behind tactfully positioned planters.
Hotel Restaurant
There are two restaurants: one formal, one less so. Inspired by the glamorous railway company that first opened the hotel, the Great Western Grill is an elegant art deco space with chandeliers, chinoiserie, champagne – the whole shebang. Specialising in afternoon tea, a meal that’s never overlooked by Bovey, guests can linger over sandwiches, scones and homemade cakes by the crackling fire, or overlooking the delicious estate on the terrace. Plus, children can do tea too. Smith's Brasserie is a more casual place to pull up a bucket chair for generously filled sandwiches or Mediterranean themed dishes; desserts are equally satisfying.
Hotel Bar
The Oak Bar practically oozes cognac from the cracks of its wood panelling. It’s a sultry spot with high ceilings, huge views of the grounds, and an open fire. Behind the bar, there are 130 whiskeys, plenty of gins, malts and Armagnacs, Dartmoor ales and a long wine list. Children are allowed at any time, but it’s quite an adult setting.
Last Orders
Afternoon tea at the Great Western is 1pm–4pm; dinner is until 9.30pm Wednesday to Saturday. Lunch and dinner at Smith’s Brasserie is until 9.30pm daily.
Room Service
You can also phone down if you need milk to be warmed for your children. Room service runs from 7am-10pm and includes simple stalwarts such as soup, fishcakes, ploughman's and burgers. A limited selection of sandwiches and snacks is available overnight.
Planes
The nearest airport is Exeter International (www.exeter-airport.co.uk), a 45-minute drive away.
Trains
Exeter St Davids train station is a 40-minute drive away. You can reach Exeter St Davids in just over two hours from Paddington with First Great Western, or in three and a half hours from Waterloo with South West trains.
Automobiles
The hotel is easy to get to from the M5 - it’s about a 30-minute drive once you exit the motorway. If you’ve got a SatNav, the postcode may throw you off-course, so enter ‘Bovey Castle Golf Course’ instead. Your room rate includes valet parking. If you want to hire a car from Exeter, there are rental booths near the train station and at the airport.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
There’s no cosier place to be on a rainy English afternoon. Take your afternoon tea by the fire and borrow a board game – there are three gorgeous communal rooms to while away the time in. Or, if you’re fond of the elements, borrow wellies and a wax jacket and do whatever you’d do if the sun was shining. Besides the golf and spa, there are lots of adult activities the hotel can help to arrange, such as cider and sloe gin-making in the barn, clay pigeon shooting, archery, and 4x4 off-road driving experiences.
The Dartmoor setting is bliss, and Bovey Castle puts you in prime position to enjoy it, even if you’re not usually very outdoorsy. You don’t need to travel very far away for an epic family adventure, whether it’s history, wildlife, the seaside or ice-cream that floats your brood’s boat. Dartmoor National Park is just outside, too. If you don’t want to go it alone, Bovey’s activities coordinators can plan a tour to suit you, whether you want to set foot on some lesser-trodden spots, or you like the idea of a War Horse Moor Walk, taking in some breathtaking filming locations. Speed to the good stuff (and spare a certain Little Smith’s feet) by turning your walk into a safari in Bovey’s Land Rover Defender. There are spectacular views from the top of Hound Tor, a jumbled granite outcrop overlooking the moor. Impress (or spook) the kids by telling them where the tor gets its name: according to local legend, it’s made of a pack of hounds, turned to stone.
For a family day out at the seaside, Bigbury on Sea is your best bet – the water is shallow, the sand is soft and the area is dotted with rock pools to keep your budding marine biologists entertained. There are bodyboards to hire and lifeguards on duty. Make an adventure of Burgh Island – accessible on foot at low tide, or by ‘sea tractor’ at high tide.
If you’re not spotting enough animals at Bovey, there’s loads to see at Pennywell Farm, a 30-minute drive away, plus farm-themed rides, theatres and quad bikes. Watch out for the miniature pigs, which steal the show every time.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
