Red Lion Hotel

Usually in March or April we have gone to the Caribbean, but last year the securty is now providing so much hassle that we just decided that enough was enough. About 35 years ago we went for a day to Clovelly and decided that we must return one day, we did , albeit 35 years later. We had noted some reviews of the Red Lion, whose location was perfect, to be less than flattering, but the response that we had from the hotel was excellent and as a result made a booking for 4 nights. We have just returned and I can honestly say that it is the perfect getaway retreat. If you want a heated indoor pool and a disco just go elswhere, but if you want a quiet clean friendly English hotel, with simple but beatifully presented food in a superb location , then go to the Red Lion. You will not be dissapointed

Fantastic location, which sets the price. Rooms are average. Clean but nothing special. We have had extreme good experiences with the staff. As we were starting a week southwest coast walking holiday from this location, we needed to organise parking for our car, bus/train combinations back to Clovelly etc. They have done all these for us. The food at the location was alright. The pub was very crowded during the day hours and the staff was slightly overstrained, but in the evening they delivered an excellent service.

We stayed at the Red Lion in Clovelly on a sunday night in November, so it was nice and quiet. The weather was good and our room looked straight out over the bay and quay. The room was comfortable, clean and well decorated. The food was good and I would discribe it as worthy of an AA rossette, but the service although friendly was lacking, I got The impression that this unique, picturesque fishing village, being busy for most of the year did not need to make an effort to get customers, so good service was not required! We really enjoyed the hotel and the amazing location. I can imagine how busy clovelly gets in the summer tho, and would not dream of going there peak season. I dont think that it is value for money even with the great setting!

Well, What can you say ....??? Having found the turn off , driven down the incredibly steep hill and emerged at the bottom of the harbour, you find the Red Lion Hotel. The siting of the hotel is picturesque and waves lap at the stoney shoreline near to your car .The guy running the landrover trips to the top of the hill even moved his transport to allow us better parking... We were then greeted warmly by friendly staff at reception and shown to our room.... OOh wonderful you think. We have a sea view, and an adequately furnished room...you open the window ( although it wont shut again properly... and the one next to it hasnt closed properly at all, allowing a howling draught to come in ) and the gentle sound of lapping waves fills the air... However, this is where the pleasure finishes.. We arrive down for dinner...where we are as good as totally ignored by the head waiter, and our table is not made up properly... Noone asks if we would like a PRE dinner drink ... Having got some service from the waitress, we eventually get to order some food and wine ...we also order a pre dinner drink, but not without having to ask where it is after waiting an eternity ..... The Emphasis on PRE is that it comes before the meal !... My lager arrived just after the measly portion of soup turned up , defeating the entire idea .... Main courses arrive eventually...My Steak accompanied by some kind of red mush, that may once have been onions, and my wifes fish, semi inedible with lots of batter, and accompanied by some strange oversized blackened objects, allegedly potato wedges. We were offered no accompanying sources, be that Tomato, or Mayonnaise , and I had to ask for a steak knife which normally comes as standard in any decent eaterie . Neither did anyone come to ask us if everything was ok, and regardless of the restaurant having other people in it , our '' Head waiter'' spent all his time talking to, and fawning over three men at the end of the room who looked like they didnt need another meal til next year . God help him that they were food critics ???. The Chocolate mousse I ordered for desert, was nothing like a standard mousse , and was a measly slice flopped on a plate , looking more like corned beef, and I dread to think what the alleged cream was that was covering it... Needless to say, it reminded me of something seen more often in a porn film and was quite off putting to look at ... For further punishment, the ambience is zero, with bright side lighting and reminded me of a 1970s Bernie Inn steak house . We sat on rounded wooden backed chairs, and the most awful choral music was being pumped out over the music system on a continual loop ....a couple brave enough to have eaten there a previous night said they had the same music come round 5 times in the duration of their meal . For some reason too, we were also denied a candle on our table, that seemed to be lit on the others . woe betide that this was supposed to be a romantic getaway for anyone ... On leaving the restaurant I use the word with some reservation, our beloved head waiter doesnt have a clue who we were and which room to charge .... he has a sulky , and We have to point out to him that the 3 course meal has already been included in our pre paid bill... Oh Joy of joys, we escape to the bar, and head outside to clear our heads... However yet more fun is to follow.... Breakfast the following morning... we arrive once more in said dining area... This time, we are greeted by a totally unlaid table, we have a blank table cloth and nothing else...No '' I will lay the table for you sir, madame etc and would you like to see the menu ''' ( there isnt one on the table ...or anything else for that matter ) ... We just sit there, whilst we wait for some attention, some cutlery, and a menu ...No such luck... Our Waiter has decided to forget about us again .... I eventually grab a menu from a vacated table,( Subtle hint...But to no avail ) and note with some aprehension, a whole lot of partially eaten brekfasts, and people still waiting for and receiving the wrong food... we wait some more our table still unlaid... My wife decides that self service would help, but can she find a bowl for the cereal, NO ! ... and once more her search in vain yielded no attention ! We eventually get some attention, meanwhile, said waiter puts a few bits of cutlery down, but fails to take any orders or offer any help... This guy is a clown, he has no manners, seems shirty, and eventually i ask him, HAVE YOU ANY IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE DINING TODAY ???? This seems to make no difference, and we are still waiting for him to offer the tea, or the menu choices... After we eventually have an order taken we sit and watch the others diners, shuffle about looking for orange juice, coffee, and exchanging tales of their dining experience so far...( None of it good, you wont be surprised to learn ) At some point later, My cooked brekfast arrives, Only to have to be sent back because I didnt order scrambled egg with it... ( Now, is it really too much trouble to actually write down what a particular table ordered to save further mayhem and confusion ) Meanwhile, other people are also receiving equally bad service... we are all swapping missing elements from our tables,cutlery, butter, sauce etc... and watching others send food back for various reasons... Our Waiter has now decided to talk to us, and offers something of a pathetic excuse saying the desk havent informed him whos having what or is in...and this has never happened before.... Surely on the basis of the previous nights fiasco he would have checked how many new guests he had, how many people were in for dinner , or coming in that day and laid tables accordingly ... The eating experience RUINED what could have been a very pleasant stay... The reception on checking out were not surprised at our dismay , as many other guests had also rightly complained we discover... They advised us to write directly to the owner.... I note froma previous review someone has done this already with zero response... Enjoy the Scenery, Enjoy the Quaint cobbled hill walk, BUT DONT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EVEN THINK OF EATING IN THIS PLACE... THE FOOD IS POOR AND THE SERVICE AND RUNNING OF THE PLACE A JOKE ! God help anyone else who doesnt read any of these reviews.... If you were staying more than one night, it would be a total holiday nightmare... We were glad to leave, and would not go back unless the staff, dining,chef, and management had all been replaced with people who know how to run a proper guest house and dinery ! No wonder people were asking for their money back...! ! !

We booked a night at this location thinking it would be a lovely treat on our trip. It was very disappointing in every way and the worst night of our vacation. The location is lovely, and our room overlooked the sea, but, it was very small, overcrowded and needed a bit of a facelift. Dinner was average at best, and the service could have been improved. We enjoyed far better meals and service in pubs during our trip. Not what we had expected at all. The worst part of our stay was the bed in our room. It was soft, lumpy, and had springs sticking into us. We never slept all night, and on check-out waited to speak at the desk. The couple in front of us were complaining about their dinner which came off their bill. I was assured if I filled out a form, I would hear from the management, but we paid full price for everything. I filled out the form at the hotel & have followed up with two e-mails. No reply. To make it even worse, when we returned home, I checked the hotel web site to get their e-mail address and found that they had a promotion during out stay that entitled the first five bookings to a free room if they booked dinner. If they didn't get that, they got a free bottle of wine. I booked in February and received nothing. I know that promotions are offered but even the offer of wine since we had booked so far in advance would have seemed the "right" thing to do. We have travelled several times to England, and have had great stays that cost a lot less and delivered more.

After reading the comments about the Red Lion we nearly didn't go, and expected the worst. However I can honestly say that I we had a great time, and in a location like that you can't really go wrong. We arrived late and were met by very friendly LOCAL people who clearly wanted you to enjoy yourself. They are not silver service and clearly have not been trained to the standard that some people would expect. In fact, the head waiter was really an electrician who was helping out in the restaraunt in the evening. His proper job however was as a sheppard on a local farm. The food was gorgeous, with mouth watering dishes to choose from, and the fillet steak melted in your mouth. The rooms were spotless and we had the sea about 30 yards from the bedroom window. You could hear the rocks being churned up by the wild sea, which lulled us off to sleep at night. The rooms were spotless with beams running through them, and not too small as seems to be suggested in other reports about the Red Lion. We took advantage of their 3 nights for 2, dinner B&B offer which was excellent value, and would recomend the place to anyone, who enjoys a unque, quirky and most defintely English country experience. If you want anonymous large city hotels with food cooked to a script and staff who pretend to be nice but only smile because they want a tip, then don't go to the Red LIon. Leave the place to be enjoyed by the rest of us.

The location is perfect, overlooking the idyllic harbour. I would even put up with the discomfort of the small rooms (you would expect it from an inn of this age) but the service and food are dreadful and the public rooms have been stripped of any character. In fact I would avoid Clovelly all together, it is a truly horrible place crowded with daytrippers and souvenirs. So different from the place I remember from my childhood. It really cries out to be run by either the National Trust or English Heritage.

We have recently returned from a 3 night stay at the Red Lion. We were in room 2 which was quite comfortable, overlooking the sea (should have asked for a harbour view) but very small & cramped. The location of the hotel is great, but we were disappointed in the overall experience. The rooms are in need of a refurb, particularly the restaurant, & there just are not enough staff. Those that are there are pleasant & friendly enough, but are "shared" with the other hotel in the village, the New Inn, run by the same management. We ate in the bar on our first night (Fri) & there was one young lad on duty who was expected to serve drinks, take food orders, clear tables, & cover reception, which was otherwise unmanned. Apart from the fact that it took ages to get served, the tables were covered with empty glasses, plates etc from the afternoon, making it a very uninviting place to eat. The food was mediocre at best. We ate in the restaurant on Saturday, & although the meal was nice, the choice was not very inspiring, the room needed a good clean (bits of food on the walls etc), & is in severe need of a makeover. Such a lovely position deserves better. On the Sunday night we ate in the sister hotel, the New Inn, which also had a limited menu, but at least we recognised the staff from the Red Lion!! It's probably a shame that both these establishments are run by the same people, as a bit of healthy competition would do them both good! Unfortunately we would not be able to recommend this hotel.

We stayed here recently for one night. The location is great right on the harbour and many of the rooms overlook the sea or the harbour. We had Room 2 which overlooked the sea and there is something very restful about falling asleep to sound of the waves. The rooms are a reasonable standard although a little dated. Everywhere was clean but there were signs of a refurb needed in certain areas (threadbare stair carpet). However, the bar was very good and everything you expect from a fisherman's pub. The restuarant was better than expected and it seemed as thought he chef had real passion for producing quality food. Portion control was a little out in that some courses were minimalistic and others over generous. Restaurant service was good but minor things, like a wine chiller, were overlooked. Breakfast must have been a different chef as it was slow and of indifferent quality. The one night for dinner bed and breakfast cost just under £200 and seemed expensive for what we got (dinner was just £50 of that). A few tighter controsl on the service quality would add that extra value which would justify the expense. We might stay there again if the opportunity arose and I think any tourist would love the location.

We stayed at the Red Lion just after Easter this year. The location of this hotel is amazing and we had a great view of the harbour from our room. The room was small but comfy. The staff were very cheerful and helpful. BUT.....we can't recommend the restaurant at all. The food was mediocre and overpriced for what it was. The restaurant was lacking in atmosphere and our evening meal was ruined by a group of loud men. Their conversation completely dominated the room and at first we thought, from their tone, that they were on a middle aged stag night. It later emerged from their conversation that they were actually the managers of the hotel! They then proceeded to have a very loud business meeting that we were forced to listen to. I couldn't believe that managers of a hotel would have so little consideration for their guests!