Best Western The Grand Hotel - Torquay, Torquay

...not been part of the Best Western group for some years. However, as Ciao emailed me the following message, I see little alternative to publishing it here:

"Hello RICHADA
Thank you very much for your product proposal Grand Hotel Torquay, Devon. We haven't made a new entry because the product you have proposed already exists on Ciao. Please check the appropriate category again or try to find it with the search engine. There ...
...helping us to build the best website ever!

http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Best_Western_The_Grand_Hotel_Torquay_Torq uay__6386161

Best Regards
The Ciao Team"

ON WITH THE REVIEW!

WHY DID WE BOOK THE GRAND HOTEL TORQUAY?

I would like to say that we booked it because Agatha Christie spent the first night of her honeymoon there in 1914, it would not however be true as we ... more

NOTE TO CIAO:

Strictly speaking I myself have to regard this review as "Off Topic" as the Grand has not been part of the Best Western group for some years. However, as Ciao emailed me the following message, I see little alternative to publishing it here:

"Hello RICHADA
Thank you very much for your product proposal Grand Hotel Torquay, Devon. We haven't made a new entry because the product you have proposed already exists on Ciao. Please check the appropriate category again or try to find it with the search engine. There may have been a spelling error in your previous query.

We hope that you'll continue helping us to build the best website ever!

http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Best_Western_The_Grand_Hotel_Torquay_Torq uay__6386161

Best Regards
The Ciao Team"

ON WITH THE REVIEW!

WHY DID WE BOOK THE GRAND HOTEL TORQUAY?

I would like to say that we booked it because Agatha Christie spent the first night of her honeymoon there in 1914, it would not however be true as we were unaware of that slightly obscure fact until we arrived. Nor indeed were we aware that one of my great heroes; Isambard Kingdom Brunel, had any connection with the Grand. Both are commemorated there today.

The operator at LateRooms.com simplified the question by enquiring if we were staying 'on business or for leisure?' That threw me, and my answer was "not quite sure, we are attending a funeral in Torquay actually".

Why choose this grand old four star hotel and not somewhere rather less salubrious? We chose it because the two night, dinner bed and breakfast offer represented the best deal available on any hotel in the Torbay area for the two nights that we required. According to Multimap.com, it was also only five minutes away from the crematorium - a little optimistic that, as it turned out, but convenient enough anyway.

HOTEL DESCRIPTION / OUR PERCEPTION FROM HOTEL PUBLICITY

Pictures of the hotel tend to indicate that it is on the waters edge, they have carefully avoided showing the busy main road between the sea and the small garden at the front, neither is Torquay Railway Station shown - located immediately opposite the new main entrance.

What all of the promotional material does show is an extremely well appointed hotel with the broadest range of facilities to satisfy every taste and provide entertainment and exercise for all seasons.

"Arrived as a guest and left as a friend" is a favourite quotation on the hotel's website and indeed in the Information pack in the room. Hopefully this review will give you some indication of the likelihood of that being the case.

BOOKING PROCESS 8 / 10

We booked the Grand Hotel the night before we stayed there. As the booking was for 3rd and 4th January we did not anticipate any problem with availability. With this in mind, after searching many internet sites, we booked a "two night minimum stay" deal through LateRooms.com.

However, having read many reviews on this hotel, I had already discovered that these were basic rooms, described by reviewers (as recently as November) as requiring "renovation" overlooking the railway station. The site stated that if you wished to have a sea view, a £20 premium per night would apply.

There was no facility on the LateRooms.com site to book a sea view, nor to add the £15.00 each dinner supplement. Helpfully the site had a telephone number which I contacted in order to confirm our requirements. The operator rung through to the hotel whilst I was on the telephone to confirm that both a sea view room and the pre-booked dinner offer were available, this on top of the £95 per night basic room offer.

Whilst still on the phone to the LateRoom.com operator an email confirmation was sent through to me listing all of our requirements and of course a confirmed booking reference number.

LOCATION 9 / 10

The Grand Hotel is superbly situated on Torquay sea front, about a fifteen minute walk from the centre of town. By car you arrive without having to struggle with town centre traffic, by train you step straight off the platform and into the reception at the back of the hotel. Should you arrive by bus, there is a stop right outside the hotel on the sea front.

The view from the front of the hotel is superb, even on a dull January day you cannot help but be impressed by the sweep of Torbay with Brixham in the distance and the colourfully lit cliffs of Torquay just along the road. As English seaside resorts go, Torquay has to rank amongst the finest and The Grand is ideally located in order to admire the lovely landscape of this town.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 8 / 10

Firstly I urge you to forget any lingering images of Fawlty Towers that you may have when hotels and Torquay feature in the same sentence!

The Grand is something of a landmark, pre-dating most of the rest of the town, on this part of Torquay sea front. It would be difficult not to spot this impressive, cream and white, four storey Victorian building from almost any part of the sea front.

At the front of the hotel is an attractive small garden, mostly occupied by a swimming pool with a large fountain at its centre. Main feature here though, especially after dark, are the colourfully lit palm trees - very much enhancing Torquay's "English Riviera" title.

Approaching the Grand by car for the first time one is a little taken aback to be directed to the rear of the building in order to find the entrance and reception. This appears to be the newest addition to the hotel.

When we arrived at 4.50 on Thursday afternoon we were lucky enough to find a space to park just up the road, there were no spaces in the tiny hotel garage. Apart from the all too obvious shortage of parking, this is after all a large 131 room hotel, our first impressions otherwise were entirely positive.

Still dressed for Christmas, the very impressive reception made a warm and welcoming first impression. Slightly bizarre we thought was a larger than life size cardboard cut-out of Jack Nicholson greeting guests to the Grand……

……only later were we to discover the figure actually to be that of Keith Richardson - owner of Richardson Hotels, a small but select chain of seven hotels including the Torquay Grand.

CHECKING IN 9 / 10

The receptionist was very pleasant and her first concern was for our car. The hotel is well aware of the parking difficulties and has an "arrangement" with the station over the road that ten marked spaces are reserved for the use of hotel guests. She issued us with a parking permit for use either in the station car park or in the hotel garage.

The usual brief explanation of the facilities and where to find them was given - including a number key pass for the pool and gymnasium downstairs. A fairly comprehensive list of requirements was gone through, including morning papers (25p "delivery" charge added), early morning calls and what refreshment facilities were available and when. We booked a 7.00pm dinner sitting in the restaurant and were handed the key to room 315.

We were told that our room was on the third floor and pointed in the direction of the lift. I was a little surprised that, in a four star hotel, no porter was offered to help us with our luggage - especially as the car was parked some way from the front entrance.

A call from the receptionist to confirm that all was well with our room about ten minutes after checking in we thought a welcome touch.

ON THE WAY TO THE ROOM i.e. how easy is it to find your way around? How accessible is if for less able persons? What condition are the public rooms and passageways in? 6 / 10

As with many grand old Victorian buildings, this section is a real "curate's egg"!

In a nutshell, all of the public areas on show downstairs were clean, smart and impressive. From the (single) antiquated little lift, on up through the floors which are generally not on show, the Grand appeared to become increasingly more creaky and threadbare.

This is a large hotel and obviously a big money pit. The upstairs corridors, and especially the rickety stairs with their worn out carpet were not to the standards that I would expect of a hotel advertising suites at £450 per night in season.

Our room was located as far away from the reception as it was possible to go, so to be fair I have to say that we had a rather longer look at the common passageways than most guests.

Disabled access here is very good. A gentle slope up to the (automatically opening) front doors and reception, access to all rooms via the lift and no steps up or down on either the ground floor or ones above, mean that a wheel chair user could, unassisted, quite easily circumnavigate their way around this large hotel.

THE ROOM 6 / 10

Entering the room it is difficult, by day or night, not to be simply dazzled by the superb view through both the bedroom and (non-opaque) bathroom windows.

After stepping out through the sash window onto the balcony in order to fully appreciate and photograph the view - two plastic garden chairs are provided to sit out on - we return to the warmth of the room.

However, before closing the curtains on the view, notice is taken of the chipped and faded paintwork, then when you do pull them; the very dirty state of the curtains becomes apparent. With the lights on, there were plenty of them - providing more than sufficient illumination; stains became apparent also on the wallpaper opposite the end of the bed. Room 315 has very definitely seen better days, most of them probably well over a decade ago when it would undoubtedly have been regarded as a luxury room.

Please do not misunderstand me, there was nothing serious to complain about here - the linen was clean and fresh, the bed well made and the carpeting (newer than anything else in the room) was clean too. It was a comfortable room, just not quite what we would expect to pay a, discounted, £115 a night in a four star hotel for.

Adding to the dated feel of the room was a VCR machine mounted on the trolley underneath the television. Old as it was, the TV had a good picture and offered several Freeview as well as terrestrial channels. According to the information folder in the room, video (or DVD) hire was available at £1 a film.

The information folder itself was a rather sad and scruffy looking one; the Best Western Logo clearly having been rather crudely removed, leaving a sticky lump in that familiar shape on the front of it.

As well as a small circular coffee table and two chairs, there was a very small desk come dressing table and a further chair. The wardrobe provided was tiny, inadequate even for our two night stay. To provide only two coat hangers seemed unbelievably mean too - they were of the "non-removable" type - past guests could hardly be blamed for taking them away with them!

Within the wardrobe was a room safe which was inoperative. Amusingly, after the funeral, we returned to the room at about 2.00pm to find a (very polite) maintenance man attempting to fix the safe, it appeared to be beyond repair, he was most apologetic.

Adjacent to the wardrobe was an alcove containing a hot beverage tray. This was a very well thought out and neat solution to what can often prove an untidy mess in many hotels and even had its own light above. Very tidily this unit contained a fixed recess point for the cordless kettle, along with dedicated storage for a range of tea, coffee and hot chocolate as well as biscuits which actually turned out to be replenished TWICE daily.

Two bedside cabinets and a small clock radio completed the room inventory.

On our first evening at the Grand we were surprised to return to the room after dinner to discover that housekeeping had provided a "Turn-Down Service". Not only had the bed been turned down, but the room had been given a quick spruce up - the tea cups and saucers washed and the biscuits, tea and coffee that we had used had also been replenished. Going down to dinner we naturally turned the lights out behind us. On returning to the room they were on to welcome us back - maybe not totally environmentally friendly, but a nice touch all the same!

THE EN-SUITE 9 / 10

No complaints here. The en-suite may not have been the height of modernity, but it was spotlessly clean, comfortably heated and well provided with shelves, a large mirror and a heated towel rail.

A good size, the room contained a white bathroom suite and an over bath power shower which was very efficient and extremely easy to regulate.

The white towels were fluffy, soft and immaculately laundered. Basic, unbranded, toiletries of good quality were provided; no shower cap or other extras (sewing kit, shoe cleaning etc) were available however.

DID WE GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP? 10 / 10

If I can get a good nights' sleep away from home, then I do not think that anyone reading this would have a problem in doing so either. The king sized bed, which initially felt far too soft, turned out to be a very luxurious one. The softness had an underlying firmness that meant that you sank into the mattress but then were firmly supported.

In terms of noise, there were no disturbing creaks or bangs, from outside in the corridor. Unusually, especially in a hotel of this age, there was not a sound from the plumbing, either from surrounding bathrooms, or from the efficient and unobtrusive heating system. Both the room and en-suite radiators had thermostatic valves, which worked properly, allowing you to set your own desired room temperature.

FACILITIES ON OFFER - No score here, different grades / prices of hotel understandably have different facilities.

Apart from one of my most important requirements in a hotel - secure parking - the Grand Hotel offers everything that you could think of, and then probably some besides. I would refer you to their website www.grandtorquay.co.uk for the full list; suffice to say here that you can do everything from swimming indoors or out, making use of the Beauty Centre, through to getting married in a small or big party.

We particularly appreciated the extensive and spacious bar and lounge area with its comfortable seating, spectacular views and intimate corners. At the back and off to one side of it you can find a cosy library with its own open fire, another is to be found burning at the back of the lounge.

The central feature of the main "Compass Bar and Lounge" is the attractive bar, attentively staffed by barmen who will deliver both drinks and food orders to the tables.

We lingered in the lounge after dinner on both evenings, enjoying listening to the pianist; there is a grand piano in one corner, on Thursday night, and a two piece band on the Friday. All the musicians were very good and played light classical and jazz music totally in character with the relaxed and comfortable ambiance of the place.

BREAKFAST / OTHER MEALS, FOOD & DRINKS 10 / 10

At dinner on the second evening, seated at the table next to us in the wonderful Gainsborough Restaurant were a couple of young ladies, who frankly looked out of place in these surroundings. Their sole purpose in being there appeared to be to find fault and complain to the waiters about everything. This actually made us quite annoyed.

Every one of the dishes that we ate there were faultless. Beautifully prepared and presented and of the very highest quality. This is not food for gourmands, more for connoisseurs. At our £15 per head pre-booked rate, the dinners were also fantastic value for money.

There are two menus, a table d'hote and an al a carte, the main courses varying from around £13 to £20, the starters and sweets ranging between £4.50 and £6.00. Our pre-booked rate gave us the full choice of any items from either menu that we wished to choose.

Even had we walked in off the street for dinner here and paid full price we would have been impressed, not only with the quality and value, but also with the superb ambiance, partially provided by the restful background music and beautifully subdued lighting and of course the colourfully lit garden and palm trees outside.

In daylight, at breakfast, it is the view through the huge picture windows to which your eyes are naturally drawn, although there is nothing wrong with the view of the hot and cold buffet along the back wall. Whilst not perhaps the haute cuisine of dinner here at the Grand, breakfast is plentiful in choice, quantity and quality. As well as a full English hot buffet, there is a continental cold one too, as well as a choice of "to order" items such as the excellent smoked haddock and poached eggs that I enjoyed.

The Grand are justifiably proud of their in-hotel bakery - indeed the comforting smell of fresh bread is the first thing that you notice upon waking up here. Not only is home baked bread offered at meals, a range of breads, biscuits and even fudge can be ordered from reception to take home with you.

OVERALL VALUE FOR MONEY 8 / 10

This is difficult. The full advertised price for our sea view room (without dinner) from January to March is £140, rising to £200 in high season (June to September). In high season probably there will be little reduction on that, unless you can take a late or cancelled booking. At all times of the year my advice would be to do as we did and look out for internet bargains.

Knocking off the £30 for dinner, which really was spectacular value for money, our discounted room rate was £115 per night. Whilst that figure is far more than I would usually pay at any time of the year for a hotel room, I must counter that by saying that we have never stayed in a hotel in this country offering comparable facilities, nor the sheer level of personal service encountered at the Grand. The quality of the room itself does not justify a £115 per night bill, whilst the rest of the Grand experience most certainly does.

The "little extras" that I expected to add up to an arm and a leg - glasses of (very good quality) house wine, soft drinks served in the bar etc, came to less than I was expecting (below £20) on the final bill. We certainly did not feel that the Grand attempted to make money where it could out of us.

On balance therefore I conclude this section by saying that all in all, bearing in mind our genuinely positive experience here, my wife and I regarded our stay as well worth paying for and therefore offering good value for money.

HOW LIKELY AM I / ARE WE, TO USE THIS HOTEL AGAIN?

Very likely indeed, we both agreed that we would be delighted to return for a much more positive celebration such as a wedding anniversary or special birthday treat. The quality of the food alone would tempt us back there.

I never like to use the word "nice" if I can help it, but sitting in the lounge after the second superb meal in the Grand, Mrs R and I actually agreed that this was by far the "nicest" hotel in which we have stayed in this country. The 83% overall rating below very much reflects that. The Torquay Grand is far from perfect, and I guess that in some ways you could argue that only adds to the undoubted character and charm of the place.

RICHADA'S HOTEL RATING 83 %

In order to put that score into some kind of perspective, here are my current hotel rankings - all reviewed and scored using identical criteria:

Ringhotel Friederikenhof - Lubeck - Germany - 92%
Innkeeper's Lodge, Chester Northeast - 83%
Innkeeper's Lodge, Stockport - 83 %
Innkeeper's Lodge, Hull - 81%
Preston Swallow Hotel - Samlesbury, Lancashire - 74%
Hotel Drei Schwanen - Hohenstein-Ernstthal - Germany - 72%
Hotel Viktoria, Cologne - 70%
Hotel Piast, Boleslawiec (Poland) - 64%
Chadwick Hotel, St Annes - 63 %
Innkeeper's Lodge, Lichfield - 39%

CONTACT DETAILS:

Richardson Hotels
The Grand Hotel
The Seafront
Torquay
TQ2 6NT

Tel: 01803 296677 Fax: 01803 213462 

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