The Exmoor Manor Hotel, Barbrook, Devon

3.7 / 5 christopher [camborne, GB] on 09/10/2009 (Mature couple)

very quiet very laid back

poor quality breakfast ingedients

Overall: very relaxing  (108214705)

1.6 / 5 Anonymous on 30/09/2009 (Mature couple)

1. Booking only had one option available this was for the superior four-poster room, being it was coming up to our Wedding Anniversary I booked this. 2. On arrival the room we were shown to was just being cleaned - 4pm! When we were shown in to the room the door was shut in my husbands face, we were standing outside holding all our luggage. Once we got in I explained and showed the staff our booking form, it wasn't the room I had booked! We were now in one of the basic double rooms. We were told that, "If we really wanted to have the Superior Room we would have to wait whilst it was cleaned." This seemed too much of an effort by the staff so I said we would just stay in the room we were now in! We were offered a reduction in room price. 3. We decided to eat in the restaurant that evening noting the statement on the website... "The Roost Restaurant offers à la carte dining and a daily changing menu created by an award-winning chef." What a joke! I ordered apple crumble with ice cream, my husband the same but with custard. When it eventually arrived the waitress said the ice cream had melted, sorry. Sorry! It had been put in the microwave with the apple and cooked! When I put my spoon in the apple crumble there was no crumble at all. I had a bowl of stewed apple with what looked like hot milk on top. Staff took it away and we declined any replacement. We watched other meals being served up, burnt. Baguettes so burnt and hard they couldn't be pulled apart, the pastry on the steak pudding burnt, fish burnt...."Award winning chef" I don't think so! 4. Breakfast served at 9am. We decided to pass on breakfast after the previous evenings disaster with the food here. At 8.40am I walked around reception looking for some kind of life so I could pay and leave, no one was to be seen. After 20 minutes I found the bell and rang it, a lady came out of a room and went to knock on the door of the lady who seemed to be running the place. I had eventually woken staff up at gone 9am so I could pay and get out of there.

Overall: I am a regular traveller and often have big groups of people with me needing alot of accommodation. I would never recommend this hotel to anyone. This place has so much potential, it needs someone with a good knowledge of the industry to get in there and kick the staff into shape!  (108115226)

1.4 / 5 marion [worcester, GB] on 06/09/2009 (Mature couple)

the outside looked good it was when we got inside it started to go downhill. I HAVE DONE THIS TWICE AS MY COMP WAS PLAYING UP AND IM NOT SURE IF THE FIRST GOT TO YOU.

mainly the generall lack of T.L.C. The bedroom carpet needed a good vacuaming and there was something that hopefully was only chocolate smearing it.The bathroom needed a good scouring and polishing.

Overall: we booked in but decided not to stay after checking out the breakfast room which at 3-30 in the afternoon the remains of breakfast was still on the tables,not a good omen.we have been in the hospitallity trade for 20 odd years so no what should be expected. Not a good impression for visitors from abroad.  (108748936)

3.9 / 5 Anonymous on 27/05/2009 (Family with older children)

 (107379800)

3.9 / 5 Gillian [Hampton Hill, GB] on 26/05/2009 (Mature couple)

Staff/owners were extremely friendly. Our room was very comfortable, it may have been the honeymoon suite

The bathroom needed updating, there was no water pressure in the shower, some other areas in the hotel also needed refreshing but we understood that the owners were relatively new and has not been able to deal with every room. It lacked staff, breakfast was very ad hoc although adequate

Overall: The hotel is comfortable and interesting, atmosphere is informal,friendly and casual  (107872405)

5.0 / 5 Emily [Taneytown, MD, US] on 06/05/2009 (Same sex couple)

The staff was amazing--very hospitable and welcoming. The rooms were very nice and clean. The food was exceptional. Also very quiet and beautiful atmosphere!

Overall: Will definitely return to this hotel. Can't say enough great things about the people, the food, and the overall environment.  (107963049)