“Very welcoming hotel in an amazing place”
Reviewed 20 July 2012
We were with a small group from the north of England, our first visit to the Isles of Scilly but the holiday company we travelled with, and the Bell Rock Hotel, had been highly recommended by friends.
The welcome we received was excellent, and throughout our stay everyone in the hotel was so friendly (as indeed were the Scillonians themselves). As others have commented already, we were impressed with the large number of returning guests, not just returning once or twice, but over and over again. We felt that the hotel staff genuinely wanted to look after us,and enjoyed what they were doing not just "going through the motions and doing a job". Of course, living in such a fantastic location as St Mary's must have a bearing on your attitude to life and work!
Cooked breakfast was freshly prepared to order, it always arrived just at the right time! Dinner was always of a very high standard, none of this "picture food" stuff which leaves you hungry afterwards. Also a good choice of main courses which usually included a traditional (eg roast beef), a fish dish, perhaps a curry, always a vegetarian, and the accompanying vegetables were plentiful and cooked just right. Good range of deserts, but if you ask for the ice-cream, make sure you have plenty of room!
Our bedroom was a decent size, beds comfortable, all the amenities you would expect. A slight problem with the shower was resolved straight away without any fuss. Because of the location of the hotel on the main street (dont let that put you off, it's not the M25!) which is in between the two beaches, very few of the rooms will have sea views, but you are only a 30-second walk from the sea front with views of the harbour and other islands. The lounge and bar area are very comfortable, no intrusive music and a good selection of books to browse. The rooms have DVD players and there was a selection of DVDs to borrow, but quite why you would want to spend time watching a dvd in your room in a location such as this in the summer is a mystery to me! No doubt in the winter it might be a different story.
Although it is on the main street, there is little or no traffic noise - probably because there is little or no traffic in St Mary's anyway. Most visitors seem to get about on electric golf buggy-type contraptions which make far less noise than the sparrows, of which there are thousands. Beware if eating your cream tea outside, as they will eat out of your hand and certainly from your plate.
Without a doubt we will be returning. Where has this place been all our lives??
