Palace Hotel

My partner and I have just got back from a great 4 days at the Palace Hotel. The location of the hotel is excellent - just outside Torquay but close to Babbicombe and several rocky beaches. The cliff top railway at Oddicombe is a must! Beautiful walks and scenery all around - ideal for exploring. The facilities at the hotel are very good. The pools and grounds are very well kept and we both thought the food, in particular the evening meal, was superb. The only downside is that the decor of the hotel is looking a bit tired - particularly the cocktail bar - but that would not stop me from recommending the hotel.

I stayed in one of the executive suites overlooking the gardens, which i must say had the most beautiful view, one which i will remember forever. The suite was lovely, fresh fruit delivered daily from the housemaid and house keeping was excellent. Both me and my partner was disappointed with the food. Myself being intolerant to food, was impressed with the advertised 'cater for all dietary requirements' but came to find, this was not the case. After speaking directly to the restaurant manager with my orders' i had to send them back. My partner became very ill from the meals and we both decided our third and final night to just order dinner plates and cutlery to eat our ham salad from sainsbury's, which we both confess was our best meal and best night. The staff were very helpful. I did find that on the first day we were interupted an awful lot for the staff to finish there duties ie. housemaid, flower watering etc... We realised this was a hotel to use the do not disturb notices, as the door was opened by the staff without time for you to react. As we were near the lifts we did not sleep to well due to the loud noises all night. We both agreed there would and could be nothing to put a down on the holiday due to our recent engagement and it didnt. In other circumstances though i would probably question the star rating.

I stayed at The Palace Hotel again for two nights in mid-March. I found everything exactly as reported in my first review, except that there are now wireless internet routers in each of two lounges on the ground floor. Since my suite was on the first floor directly above one of the lounges, I had a clear signal in both rooms. However the service was very slow; I measured the download speed at around 100 kb/s on several occasions. I also discovered the flip side of the lack of A/C mentioned in my first review. Heating is provided solely by radiators, and I found it impossible to control the temperature within a reasonable range except by opening and closing windows from time to time.

My girlfriend and I recently stayed at the Palace for three nights in the first week of October following a personal recommendation from my brother (which contrasted greatly with some of the earlier reviews on this site). We were looking forward to a relaxing stay, in nice quiet surroundings but close enough to all the action of Torquay when we wanted it. Both my partner and I agreed that the hotel ticked all the right boxes and made a fantastic base from which to explore the much-publicised English Riviera. The room we booked was an ‘Executive’ overlooking the expansive gardens that also included a golf course. The views were superb and the gardeners have done a fantastic job in creating something almost sub-tropical! The French doors in our room opened out onto a patio, meaning we could take all this in whenever we wished. By night, it took on another dimension, lit up by lights and on a warm ‘Autumn’ evening was absolutely perfect for an after dinner stroll. The food was a good combination of modern British cooking with some classical, European touches. Highlights for us were the Brixham lemon sole, a sirloin steak that just melted in the mouth and nearly all the deserts. Background music was supplied by an unobtrusive piano player and together with some very good wine recommendations set the scene for several very enjoyable evenings. The bed was comfy, the room clean and spacious and the setting was truly relaxing. Just beyond the hotel lies the sea at Anstey’s Cove and several nice beaches. All in all I would definitely go back and would have no hesitation in recommending it to others. We also found the time to visit Cockington – a lovely chocolate box village, the superb Kent’s Cavern (fascinating underground caves) and to take a ride on the Paignton to Dartmouth Steam railway. The following week it was back to work as normal with a bump!!

When we looked at hotels in Torquay we selected the Palace as being a reasonable bet. Our findings are as follows ....... Reception on arrival - Very good, efficient Room (simple double) - clean, refurbished recently and comfortable Bathroom - A little small, but very clean and adequate Bar - refurbished and o/k Restaurant for evening meal - very efficient, excellent staff, food was best value for money i have had in a long time. Restaurant for breakfast - again very good quality and a good start to the day. Hotel sum up - old yes, but a great place to stay (now). Grounds - a pleasure to walk round Would we stay again - yes we will !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Had a fantastic time at the Palace , food was excellent , staff where very helpful! had a beautiful room overlooking the garden , weather was lovely , it was perfect thankyou , will definatly come again.

After travelling 8hours this hotel was a total let down.The room we were given was a total disgrace . The bed was near about to collaspe, the paper was peeling off the walls and the bathroom was a broom cupboard. The main public areas were ok and some rooms had been upgraded but we only received one of these after much complaining.The whole hotel needs updating and until this is done i feel that they should reduced there prices or close these rooms off until they have been upgraded.

What a shame that such a beautifull grand hotel with fantastic grounds should have such shabby rooms and facilities. The rooms in this hotel are awful, they belong in a 1970s bed and breakfast. We saw a few rooms as we were part of a large group of people attending a conference weekend and most people had the same oppinion. We did see a room that had been renovated and my advice would be - change your decorators! The indoor pool area is very shabby and the pool itself was dirty and uninviting, although we did have a short swim but felt the need for a good shower afterwards. The "championship Golf course" is a bonus but I am afraid that it is more of a pitch and putt. The staff on reception could do with a lesson in manners and pleasantries but we could not fault the dining room staff. They worked very hard and were very efficient and the food was excellent. I don't think that I would recommend this Hotel, as it isn't cheap and as I said earlier the rooms were terrible.

My husband and I have just returned from a 3 night break at 'The Palace' where the quality of food and service in the restaurant is, as ever, very good, as is the ambiance of the public rooms. However the bedrooms are in dire need of updating. On arrival we were given rooms on the 3rd floor which were very basic but as we found out, lacked functioning heating. We were very swiftly (without fuss) allocated rooms that had a working heat supply and a garden view which came as a bonus and without the usual extra charge per person. The bathrooms (and the general plumbing) need a serious overhaul. The twin beds are single size and are most uncomfortable. The bedding consists of a sheet and 2 old fashioned bright orange blankets covered with a bed throw; no extra pillows or blankets are provided in the room. With room update and more comfortable beds we would return next year.

I was unfortunate enough to fall down the steps which lead from the terrace to the lawn. The steps were covered in gravel which were very slippery. I fell and broke my leg and the service I received from the hotel was appalling. They did nothing to help me and if I hadn't have been in so much pain I would have created merry hell. Although everything else about the hotel was lovely, I do expect in an emergency the management of a hotel such as this to kick into action.