Cary Arms & Spa
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Beach Road, Torquay TQ1 3LX England
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About
Chic, boutique 5 star inn privately owned and managed by the de Savary family in the unrivalled location of Babbacombe Bay. There are 10 contemporary, New-England style bedrooms and suites with outstanding sea-view, 6 newly launched Beach Huts and 2 Beach Suites plus 7 coastal cottages for rental. All have excellent sea views with outdoor decks, balconies or gardens. The atmosphere is luxuriously relaxing and friendly. Head Chef, Steve Poyner and his team serve the very best of creative, English heritage dishes focusing on local, seasonal ingredients in an informal and relaxed setting. Hearty breakfasts, long lunches and lazy suppers indoors or out on the sun-terraces. Sheltering in its own unsung part of the South Devon Coast, the English Riviera, the inn is accessible by water and has its own moorings. Enjoy the stunning spa with its hydrotherapy pool, experience showers, sauna, steam room and beauty treatment rooms. Dog and family friendly. The inn is perfect for those looking for a luxurious and private getaway. It will blow the cobwebs away!
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Location
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76Somewhat walkable
Grade: 76 out of 100
0Restaurantswithin 0 miles
0Attractionswithin 0 miles
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Beach Road, Torquay TQ1 3LX England
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The valet who parked my car had a welcoming attitude and the hotel itself, situated at the bottom of an improbably steep and narrow road was located at sea level with excellent views across the bay adjacent to the characteristically dark red cliffs of this area, one of which having had a rock fall as recently as 2010. The room was adequate, but was tired, with no aircon (a bonus for some?) The housekeeping was good but still my pillowcase had stains on it. The pump for the pool (Charged at extra cost per use...) was an unwelcome drone during the day. The extractor fan in the bathroom was broken. My newspaper ordered for the next morning turned out to be the previous days... The food... Well, that's my only real beef: The service was too casual and without some effort by ourselves, it was generally impersonal and less than efficient. The menu was limited and the ale pie I had the first night had crusty burnt steak as if it had been under a grill too long. My double gin came with too much ice and it turned out to be a single measure. The spa service was excellent. I once met Peter de Savary and I don't think he'd be happy with the overall value for guests. Must try harder!…
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Date of stay: September 2021
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Response from Rob Allen, General Manager at Cary Arms & Spa
Responded 5 days ago
Good afternoon, Thank you for your feedback. First of all i would like to apologise for the experience you had whilst staying with us. All of your feed back will be passed on to the relevant people to unsure this doesn't happen again in the future. May i ask you give me a call at you earliest convenience so we can go into a bit more detail of the issues and look to find a way of rectifying. Tel No 01803 327110. Best Wishes, Jack
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After a nice relaxing walk along from oddicombe ,myself and my partner thought it'd be nice to stop for a bite to eat and something to drink. Looked a lovely relaxing pub and looked forward to going in . On asking would it be ok to come in was told its by reservation only ! We were both shocked as we'd just walked along and was in Need of some refreshments. Well I'm glad some people can afford to be so picky with clientele in the current economic climate . With attitudes like that many establishments would go broke !
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Response from Rob Allen, General Manager at Cary Arms & Spa
Responded 5 days ago
Good Morning Paul, Thank you for your feedback. Unfortunately at the moment we are running a slightly reduced capacity. This is to make sure everyone that joins us feels safe and has sufficient space to allow distancing and at the time you arrived we were at our capacity number. I am sorry we couldn't fit you in this time but if you are around this way in the future please do give me a call and i will personally get you booked in and looked after. Tel No 01803 327110 Best Wishes, Jack
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Excellent stay! We stayed in smugglers cottage for my Dads surprise 60th birthday and we were very impressed. A beautiful location, friendly staff and an all round great stay. We couldn’t have wished for more! It was worth every Penny and the sun was shining which helped! My only criticism would be when we dined in the restaurant, our food came out at different times and as we were only a party of 6 people, it would have been nice for it to have all come out together.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: Very steep hill, do not drive down to reception if you are not a confident driver, park at the...
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Response from Rob Allen, General Manager at Cary Arms & Spa
Responded 5 days ago
Good morning Chloe, Thank you for your wonderful feed back. I am glad you enjoyed your stay with us and we were able to help your dad celebrate his 60th. I can only apologise for the timings on your food being served. I will have a chat with our head chef and find out why this occurred. I can assure you this isn't normally the case with larger party's. I do hope we get to welcome you all back in the future. Best wishes, Jack
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First visit. Lovely position overlooking bay with far reaching views. Staff very welcoming and nothing too much trouble. Richard knew his wines and was very attentive and helpful. The food in the restaurant was good and although a small menu this was boosted with a couple of daily changing specials. The Outside eating area could perhaps be enhanced with outside heating. The room was comfortable but a tad chilly. The entrance to the hotel was via a narrow winding steep hilly road which could have been helpful to know prior to stay. Courtesy bus takes you to top of hill, car park and back again as requested. Valet parking. Excellent. The hydro pool is small in the spa and the shower/changing rooms small and doors open directly into reception area not really affording a great deal of privacy. When having treatments they were less relaxing when children enjoying themselves in pool! Our biggest criticism was that at times it felt by being dog friendly the dogs outnumbered the guests!! Some owners allowing their dogs to sit on seats, sit at tables not exactly hygienic where people are eating. Would definitely recommend a stay here with a variety of accommodation to suit and an amazing situation with wonderful views. Overall a lovely relaxing time enhanced by an especially super team . A truly unique place.…
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Helpful
Response from Rob Allen, General Manager at Cary Arms & Spa
Responded 1 week ago
Good Afternoon, Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback on your stay. Its always lovely to hear when our guests have enjoyed their experience. We do have a maximum number of dogs per unit policy, it seems these were all maxed out on your stay! I completely agree with the hygiene standards with dogs at the table. Our team should be asking guests to have their pooches on the floor through services so we will make sure this is being adhered to. Thank you once again for your lovely comments and hopefully we will get to welcome you back again soon. All the best, Rob Allen General Manager
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I visited the restaurant on Monday 30th August (Bank Holiday), so had set realistic expectations as I suspected it would be busy, however there were a number of small niggles that overall added up to a slightly disappointing visit, despite the excellent food. First off, I was running late to my booked lunch, so phoned ahead to let them know, however couldn't get through. Fair enough, my own fault for being late. However when I arrived they couldn't find my booking, and I had to explain to the server that if she just scrolled up on her booking list, I'd be on there (which I was). I requested an outside table, however was shown to an inside table instead (no problem, I assumed the tables outside were all booked), but the table wasn't even set up for the number of people I'd booked for. When she came to take our food order, I got halfway through ordering when she abruptly stopped and asked if we'd ordered drinks (no not yet), so took those and left us halfway through our food order. 10 minutes later our drinks arrived and she resumed our food order... Bit bizarre, just do it all at once surely? The placemats on the table were a bit tired and sticky, so had not been cleaned properly. During my hour there, there were at least 3 walk ins who all managed to be seated outside, so I was really disappointed as I had pre booked my table and requested an outside table. If I had known I could have just strolled in and sat outside, I would have (sign outside clearly says to pre book). On a positive, the food was delicious and the location fantastic. The service is certainly not as good as its been in the past, and the venue itself is beautiful but tired. I appreciate the current times are challenging which is why I've still given 4 stars, however if it had been any other time I would have awarded 3 stars as the service was average for such a luxury hotel.…
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
Helpful
Response from Rob Allen, General Manager at Cary Arms & Spa
Responded 1 week ago
Good Afternoon, Thank you for your feedback on your dining experience. I would like to apologise for some of the elements that were not correct. It has been a challenging season for the industry and would like to sincerely thank you for recognising this within your review. I have passed on the feedback to our restaurant team and we will endeavour to address the points made moving forward. Hopefully we will be able to accommodate you again and offer the full Cary Arms experience without the niggles. All the best, Rob Allen General Manager
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LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandDevonEnglish RivieraTorquay
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Cary Arms & Spa
Which popular attractions are close to Cary Arms & Spa?
Nearby attractions include Babbacombe Theatre (0.2 miles), Babbacombe & Oddicombe - South West Coast Path (0.2 miles), and George Inn (0.3 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Cary Arms & Spa?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Cary Arms & Spa?
Top room amenities include a flat screen TV, a refrigerator, and a desk.
What food & drink options are available at Cary Arms & Spa?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Cary Arms & Spa?
Conveniently located restaurants include Hamiltons Club, The Buccaneer Inn, and Babbacombe Inn.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Cary Arms & Spa?
Yes, guests have access to a sauna and a pool with a view during their stay.
Are pets allowed at Cary Arms & Spa?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Cary Arms & Spa?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and French.
Are there any historical sites close to Cary Arms & Spa?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Torre Abbey (1.8 miles), Oldway Mansion (3.4 miles), and English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark (1.4 miles).
Does Cary Arms & Spa have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the harbor view available here.