Fowey Hall, Fowey, Cornwall

We were lucky enough to stay at Fowey Hall as Mumsnet prize and had a great time! The DDs (4 and 8) really enjoyed both the Four Bears Den (even though DD1 was a bit on the old side) and the kids activities in the library (6 - 7 while you drink gin!) and the DVDs every evening in the other room during dinner. Fowey is very beautiful and there's lots to do nearby - we went to the Eden Project twice.

The service can be a bit scatty and I probably have been more critical if we had paid handsomely for the stay, but overall, having never gone to any kind of family-friendly hotel before, we were impressed!

Top tip - go for one of the rooms with modern rather than antique beds - the latter can be rather small and uncomfortable!

We have stayed at Fowey Hall three years in a row now (lack of imagination?!). The setting is beautiful, and each of the rooms we have had have been really nice. The last two tiems we have been we stayed in a small suite. The first had a small turret room for my little boy which he absolutely loved. The second suite had a bedroom which was more of a living room. I would say the quality of both was great- it's fairly old fashioned (as opposed to modern, excpet the rooms in the new wing which are very contemporary) but unlike other reviews here I found everything to be maintained very well. The Children's tea is great- my son loved all the meals and the atmosphere was very nice (there's waitress service so you can order a cuppa or a G&T- take your pick!). The food in the restaurant is lovely, although we did find that after a week it was a bit repetitive as there's only around 6 choices per course, and one special each night, and a lot of the choices are fish (of which I'm not a huge fan). Last year I was pregnant when I went and the choice was very limited. we used the listening service which worked well- they did come and get us ona couple of occasions when our boy woke up. he was in a cot last year- he's now in a bed and I would feel a lot more nervous leaving him as he can get up and wonder around. The new pool is lovely (perhaps the decor could have been a little less sterile?!) and whenever we went in there were only perhaps one other family there. most of the time we actually had it to ourselves (we were there in April/May last year and the hotel was fairly quiet). We didn't leave our little boy in the creche but we did take him for a play in it (and in the courtyard outside where they have lots of bikes and ride-ons) a few times and it was absolutely fine. part of the reason we didn't leave him was becasue there were not really any other children in the creche as the hotel was quiet. In previous years, wehn he was a baby, we ddi try to leave him but he was having none of it! So in conclusion I do love this hotel. It is very expensive, and I agree that you don't get the 'luxury' you might expect with the prices, but what you do get is a very welcoming and child-friendly experience.

Really disappointing - overpriced and not very 'luxurious' (ripped sheets on kids beds, shabby bedrooms). Lots of extra charges and 7.50 pounds for a 1 year olds meal seems a lot! Wouldn't bother again.

Was quite worried by the negative reviews on TripAdvisor, but we were so desperate for a holiday and it seemed like a good deal (£180/night b&b for a suite in a luxury hotel) so we booked regardless and decided not to expect too much. Well, we had a fantastic trip! The hotel grounds and Fowey itself are just beautiful as many others mention. The hotel dog, Werther, was a delight to our kids, can take him on walks and pretend he's yours for a few hours! The service was great, the staff all very lovely and eager to help, ie ordered a jug of warm milk for our baby's evening bottle (free of charge by the way) and they took away the used bottles and washed them as well. The creche was very clean and welcoming, lots of toys. Pool, fantastic! The only real downsides were the quality/comfort of the furnishings. Our 4 year old son slept on a sofa bed, and he only just got away with it due to his height. About 2/3 of the way down the sofa bed, the wooden slats end and the rest is just an elastic mesh- no support at all. When I tried to lay down on it, it felt as if the lower half of my body were hanging off a precipice. Also discovered that one of the slats was actually missing. Also, the cot for our baby was a travel cot with no actual mattress, just the very lightly padded base of the cot covered by a thin layer of linens. We ended up putting down a few towels the first night and then our bedspread the second as they didn't really have anything else to offer. None of the other chairs in the suite were very comfortable either, and everything a bit shabby chic (but charming). Guess I can understand why some of the people on TripAdvisor paying over £300 for "luxury" accommodation were upset. But this is definitely a family-centered hotel, and at £180 a night for a suite still well worth it. Would definitely go back again.

I love this hotel. I can just imagine Toad lording it over the rest of Fowey. It has a very relaxing atmosphere whilst still maintaining high levels of sophistication. The bedrooms are great. The pool is lovely: I spent over an hour in it with my daughter and we were the only visitors. The staff are extremely helpful and friendly. The food is excellent. My only criticism is that the menu at dinner is the same each night. It is the same with all the hotels in the chain though. Most importantly, there is masses of on-site entertainment for children and it is all very safe. Great location too, only a short walk downt he hill to the centre of Fowey.