Burgh Island Hotel

It was great to be back.We stayed in the Malcolm Campbell suite which was great. The balcony is the one with the hotel sign, so makes for a great photo opportunity. Food and service in all restaurants was excellent. We noticed some changes since last year, but staff were great and weather was fantastic, allowing us to dance outside during dinner in the ballroom Saturday night

Being an Art Deco fan, staying at Burgh Island Hotel has been on my bucket list for years- my 2 sisters booked it to celebrate my special birthday.

The Hotel, location and views all exceeded expectations, but it’s the exceptional levels of service which help to create a feel of an imagined 1920’s house party which is extra special.

From meeting Steve, the lovely & funny driver, to arriving at the Hotel where Vlad welcomed us with a glass of champagne, it set the tone for our magical stay.

The Hotel is even better than I’d imagined, with lots of original Deco pieces making it a wonderful Art Deco experience; the staff are friendly and professional (particular thanks to housekeeping on the top floor) and there’s a sumptuous food and wine menu.

We swam in the Mermaid Pool despite it being freezing cold, just for the experience; we walked the Island and beautiful sandy beach and danced the Charleston to the superb live Jazz Band at the Dinner.

The only thing we would change is to go for longer!

Thank you to you all at Burgh Island Hotel for giving us this magical experience and wonderful memories!

PS: The one downside was on leaving the Island and realising that the booked Taxi hadn’t turned up……that’s when we knew we were back in the Modern world!

We had an amazing stay at the Burgh Island Hotel. It was everything we had hoped for, an art deco lovers dream, beautiful features and stunning surroundings including the gorgeous Mermaid pool. Friendly staff, and excellent food.

Visited the Burgh island hotel for afternoon tea , a special birthday & wedding Anniversary treat from my sister. We arrived at the hotel no one about to find out where to go.Eventually shown to our table & given the menu my sister ordered 3 glasses of champagne 20 minutes later we were still waiting, so had to attract someone’s attention! the food was bought to the table no explanation of what it consisted off, no one came over to the table once to see if everything was okay & did we need anything? e were leaving someone came over & boxed the left over cakes these were put in a box the box tipped & put in a bag so when we got back they were completely smashed & inedible. The Hotel looks impressive, and from an era gone by, sadly let down by the service & food served would not visit again

My wife has wanted to stay here for a very long time. It more than exceeded her high expectations. Everything was so well organised from the detailed pre arrival email, to being collected at parking. All the staff were friendly, helpful and welcoming.
We ate in the Nettlefold restaurant and it was faultless.
Was it an expensive trip? yes. Was it worth it for a special occasion, absolutely.

.An excellent hotel with lovely staff. We stayed in the Beach house which has superb views, is spacious and tranquil.

Perfect in every way.
Staff, venue, food. Everything was just simply perfect.
Every little detail in this magical location has been loving chosen to reflect the art deco era. It is a totally one off experience and while expensive for a bucket list venue it exceeded any expectations I had. 25 suites,75 staff who are all natural, friendly and pleasant without being sycophantic or starchy.
I didn't want to leave. Now I can't wait to go back.

Having previously stayed at Agatha Christie’s Beach House for three nights on a bed and breakfast basis at £1,200 per night, my wife initially said that the jury was still out as to whether the overall experience justified the cost.

Following our stay, she took the time to leave what I felt was a balanced and constructive review on TripAdvisor, as well as sending a polite personal email directly to both management (Vlad) and owner Giles Fuchs outlining our concerns regarding communication, guest attentiveness and the overall luxury experience.

Disappointingly, she has received no response whatsoever - not even a brief acknowledgement.

Ironically, this lack of response has only reinforced the very concerns raised in her original review regarding guest engagement and attentiveness.

Burgh Island itself remains a truly extraordinary place, but for a hotel operating at this level and price point, we honestly expected a rather more thoughtful level of customer care and communication.

If you like style and class with a slightly old fashioned feel this could be the place for you. Beautiful island & hotel, friendly staff, comfortable rooms and great food.

A fabulous get-away from it all hotel in a glorious location with spectacular views. The hotel itself didn’t disappoint - with lovely art deco interiors and furnishings, great food and friendly and attentive staff! The live jazz dinner was such a lovely experience too - the band was superb!

Celebrating a friend’s 60th birthday, we were transported back to the 1920’s. The attention to detail, the food, the staff & the accommodation was fantastic. Breakfast was exceptional.

The concept and the view

We have just returned from a three-night stay in Agatha Christie’s Beach House at Burgh Island Hotel.

Firstly, the positives. Burgh Island is truly an extraordinary and unforgettable place. The scenery, atmosphere, history and sheer uniqueness of the island are remarkable. The Beach House itself is beautiful and we are genuinely pleased to have experienced it. Many of the staff were warm, friendly and helpful throughout our stay.

However, for a luxury experience at this price point (£3.9K for three nights bed and breakfast), we do feel there are some important operational and communication issues that could significantly improve the overall guest experience.

The recurring theme throughout our stay was a lack of clear written information. Everything appeared to rely heavily on verbal explanation which sounds charming in theory, but in practice became quite stressful and confusing at times.

On arrival we experienced confusion regarding the check-in process itself. After waiting in the rain for transport to the island, we were eventually collected by a very pleasant driver and taken across to Burgh Island. We were shown into the Palm Lounge where we were warmly welcomed and offered a welcome drink.

After finishing our drinks we asked whether we could now check in and whether the Beach House was ready, as it had not been explained to us that this welcome process effectively formed part of the check-in experience itself. We were simply told that Vlad would come and speak to us shortly.

After some further waiting, Vlad arrived, verbally explained various arrangements such as breakfast, and then escorted us to reception for our key. We asked whether room service was available to the Beach House. The response appeared somewhat uncertain and we were advised that it depended on the weather conditions. This may well be entirely understandable given the island’s unique location, but it would have been very helpful to have clearer written guidance on this.

In hindsight we understand the intended flow of the arrival experience, but at the time the lack of explanation left us uncertain as to whether we were waiting correctly, had been forgotten, or were expected to do something further.

When we arrived at the Beach House, our first impression was genuinely “wow.” The property itself is beautiful, spacious and positioned in an extraordinary location with stunning views across the coastline.

However, we were surprised to find there was no written guest information whatsoever within the Beach House itself. Given the unique logistics of staying on a tidal island, this quickly became quite frustrating.

There was no information or guidance regarding:
• breakfast times or arrangements
• how transport to and from the mainland operated and that there may be significant waiting times
• how to contact reception or hotel services
• how to book spa treatments or activities
• how appliances, speakers or the hot tub operated
• what to do in the event of an emergency
• and any other information that would have been helpful during our stay

Everything appeared to rely entirely on verbal explanation and guests remembering information given at various points during arrival.

On our first morning at breakfast we mentioned to our waitress that we were surprised there was no written guest information available within the Beach House. She explained that this was because “Vlad is the walking information guide.”
Whilst the comment was clearly well intentioned it actually reinforced the issue we had been experiencing. We explained that after travelling and arriving on the island, it was difficult to remember all of the verbally delivered information we had been given, particularly when much of it was delivered all at once and other practical details had not been explained at all. To her credit, the waitress completely understood our point and agreed that some form of written guest information would probably be very helpful for visitors staying on the island.

On our first evening we ate at the Pilchard Inn, which is undeniably full of charm, history and atmosphere. The building itself is wonderful and feels exactly as you would hope from a historic island pub dating back to the 1300s. The food menu was exceptionally limited which slightly surprised us given the hotel’s luxury positioning and isolated location.

Service from the staff was warm and friendly throughout. For example, when I ordered a double Bacardi and Coke, Joe returned apologetically to explain that the pub only had enough Bacardi left for a single measure. Later, at our request, he kindly went up to the hotel to see whether additional Bacardi was available there, only to discover that the hotel itself did not stock it.

None of these things were major issues in isolation, but together they contributed to the wider impression that certain aspects of stock management, communication and guest expectation could perhaps be better aligned with the premium nature and pricing of the overall experience.

Another example of the communication difficulties occurred one afternoon when we returned to the mainland side and required transport back to the island. Following the instructions we had been given, we telephoned the hotel and spoke to Vlad, who informed us that a vehicle would be sent to collect us.

After waiting for over half an hour with no vehicle arriving, we eventually began walking across the causeway ourselves out of frustration and uncertainty.
Partway across we were fortunately spotted by a very pleasant driver who kindly stopped and offered us a lift back to the island. During the journey he explained that the transport team had apparently been told that we had decided to walk across, which was simply not the case. We had specifically telephoned to request collection, otherwise we would never have waited in the first place.

Again, this reinforced the wider issue we experienced throughout the stay - namely a lack of clear, consistent communication and coordination.

A further example occurred on our final evening. We had another reservation booked at the Pilchard Inn but, having already experienced the limited menu on our first visit, we decided to cancel the booking.

We therefore left a message with reception asking for the reservation to be cancelled. However, later that evening we received a telephone call asking where we were, at which point we had to explain again that we had already requested cancellation through reception.

On the morning of departure, after settling our bill, I happened to ask - almost as an afterthought - whether we needed to arrange transport back to the mainland for our luggage and return to our car.

I was informed that transport departure slots did in fact need to be booked in advance. This had never previously been explained to us at any stage during our stay and, again, there was no written information provided within the Beach House covering this process. Fortunately we were still able to secure a departure slot, although only the third available slot that morning. Had the system been explained earlier, we would naturally have booked this in advance ourselves.

One final disappointment was that my husband had informed the hotel in advance that this stay was intended to celebrate my 60th birthday. Having since read other guest reviews mentioning birthday acknowledgements and small celebratory touches, we had perhaps expected that this occasion might at least have been acknowledged during our stay. Unfortunately nothing was ever mentioned.

Future guests should also be aware that long delays for transport to and from the mainland can occur, particularly if the sea tractor is unavailable due to weather or maintenance. This is entirely understandable given the island’s unique setting, but clearer communication around these arrangements and possible delays would help guests manage expectations far more effectively.

What Burgh Island unquestionably delivers is atmosphere, history, theatre and uniqueness on a scale that is very difficult to replicate elsewhere. However, it would benefit enormously from clearer guest information and more consistent communication.

That said, we do not regret visiting. Burgh Island is magical, dramatic and unlike anywhere else we have stayed. We simply feel the experience could be made significantly more relaxing and polished with better practical communication for guests.

So, at approximately £1.2K per night, was it truly value for money? The jury is still out on that one!

Overall, an experience that could not be had elsewhere, but it felt like we were paying for that, especially with a large and unexpected service charge.

This was the most glamourous exclusive hotel stay we have ever enjoyed. The whole 1920s experience was perfect. We enjoyed the band on Saturday with one couple dancing a Foxtrot much to the entertainment of other guests. The cocktails were delicious as was the food. Everything was amazing. The best experience ever. And the most professional staff we have ever had experience of.

Brief visit for afternoon tea and it was exceptional. The tea itself was super, very tasty scones and sandwiches and the staff were lovely. The twins who run the bar and restaurant area were highly professional and charming. We were looked after perfectly. It was lovely to be back.

What a wonderful stay. From the moment you book - communications are frequent and helpful - to the moment you park your car and are picked up in a chauffeur driven car (tide was out) glass of bubbly on arrival in the hotel - nothing is too much trouble. The ambience and service was brilliant. I have recommended a stay to everyone I know and we will be back.

Enjoyed a fantastic couple of days at the fantastic Burgh Island hotel. Service, accommodation and meals of the highest quality. Highly recommended!!

Absolutely Everything