Bovey Castle, Devon – Review

Situated in the heart of Dartmoor National Park, arguably one of the UKs most scenic destinations, Bovey Castle is an extremely rare countryside treasure. Originally built by the WH Smith family as a weekend hunting lodge, the house now forms part of the exclusive Delancey Hotel chain and welcomes travelers seeking a unique luxury experience in the country.

Having heard so much about Bovey we recently organised a visit to see for ourselves what all the buzz was about. From the moment you drive through the impressive wrought iron gates and up the mile long drive you can`t help but feel you`re going back in time to 1900. In fact as you arrive at the front door you are greeted by staff in traditional country `plus fours`, which adds to the charm and character of the place.

As you`d imagine, the hotel with its oak paneled walls and chandeliers has an English stately home feel to it, although there is a slight twist here… the perfect culmination of classic meets contemporary – it`s clearly had a lot of attention from some talented interior designers who have completely understood what the house is about and then complimented it at every turn.

Bovey Castle is the sort of place you would visit for a whole weekend… or maybe slightly longer. With so much grounds and activities to participate in you simply won`t get bored. There`s the lush 18-hole golf course surrounding the property, shooting, cider making, horse riding, fishing, shooting and not forgetting the relatively new spa.

There are 2 restaurants and 2 bars to choose from and a terrace to take afternoon tea on with far reaching views of Dartmoor.

The bedrooms are spacious, well stocked with all the normal trimmings (i.e. coffee, tea, potions and lotions) and each has a LCD TV. You have 8 room sizes to choose from and prices start from a very reasonable £149 for a single and go right up to £549 for the Grand State suite, which you have to see to believe!

To sum up, Bovey Castle won`t fail to impress a loved one if you are planning a surprise weekend away, an escape with the entire family, weddings are popular here as well as business meetings (Named Best Luxury UK Hotel at the American Express Business Destinations Travel Awards 2010).

Definitely one of our favorite venues to date and we really hope to get back there anytime soon.