Red Lion Hotel, Clovelly
Set in a charming fishing village, in the Hartland Devon Heritage Coast, The Hotel features with striking or harbour . There is free private parking, and free WiFi.
The rooms have a TV and private bathroom with bath. Some rooms feature a seating area to relax in after a busy day.
With bay views, The Red Lion’s restaurant serves fish which is caught each day. Seasonal, local produce also comes from Estate Gardens nearby.
The harbour bar at The Red Lion serves snacks and drinks, and looks out across the quay and the cottages. You can play darts at the hotel.
Coastal walks are popular. The nearest airport is Exeter International Airport, 71 miles from the property.
Couples particularly like the location — they rated it 9.8 for a two-person trip.
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Facilities of the Red Lion Hotel, Clovelly
- Free parking
- Non-smoking rooms
- Free WiFi
- Bar
- Fabulous breakfast
- Beachfront
Good for couples - they rate the facilities 8.6 for two-person stays.
The Red Lion Hotel, Clovelly | Hotel Review: By Suzi Bennett, Telegraph
Wake up to majestic vistas of the north Devon coastline at this 18th-century harbourside inn, located in the chocolate-box fishing village of Clovelly. Timeless and traffic-free, this is an away-from-it-all escape where pleasures are simple and wholesome: think coastal walks, cream tea, donkey rides and dramatic views.
Location
The Red Lion is set on the cobbled harbour of one of the prettiest and most photographed villages in the West Country. Staying here feels like a real privilege, especially when the crowds have gone and you can wander like a local, panting your way up and down the steep, car-free alleyways, and gawp at its cute whitewashed cottages and exhilarating sea views. The village has a small museum, craft centre and donkey rides and is on the South West Coastal path. Clovelly Court Gardens is a short walk away.
Style and Character
Despite its exclusive location (Clovelly is a privately-owned village, with a £7.50 entrance charge), the Red Lion is unpretentious, honest and friendly. Pristine isn't the aim, but it's comfortable and suitably countrified, with geranium-filled hanging baskets, rustic stone walls, traditional wicker furniture and an easy-on-the-eye grey, pastel-green and blue colour scheme.
Service and Facilities
The kindly ladies who run the Red Lion provide a warm, old-fashioned and unfussy service, calling their guests 'sweethearts'. A complimentary on-call Land Rover service takes guests to the top of the village, saving the steep climb. On the ground floor is a comfy lounge and a relaxed restaurant which has double-aspect coastal views, coastal-chic décor, fireplaces and nautical prints. Downstairs is a bar with a sunny terrace on the harbour and a cosy pub with slate floors, beamed ceilings, church pews, log-burning stove and historic black-and-white photographs of Clovelly on the walls.
Rooms
The 11 rooms in the main inn are dainty and nautical, with Toile de Jouy quilts, padded headboards, wall-mounted oars and Lloyd Loom chairs. Sash windows open onto views of the tiny harbour, bobbing with fishing boats and lined with lobster pots, while in the distance are rocky beaches and deep blue seas edged with dramatic whale-back hills of the North Devon coastline.
Room five is the most romantic, with a dual-aspect window, balcony and decorative fireplace. Bathrooms are basic and most have walk-in showers. Some only have baths with shower attachments. The new Sail Loft add-on next door has six larger, smarter bedrooms decorated in soft blues and greys.
Food and Drink
On paper, the Red Lion's menu sounds fantastic: confit pheasant leg rolled in leek, thyme scented potato and celeriac puree, garlic sautéed green beans and calvados jus; Moroccan style with slow braised 'pulled' shoulder dumplings, a grilled cutlet and leg steak served with chef's fragrant vegetable cous cous. However my meal was bland, came with little thought to presentation and the portion sizes left me wanting.
Low expectations served me better in the bar downstairs, where basic pub grub such as meatballs and scampi are served in a convivial pub setting. The breakfast buffet includes packets of Kellogg's cereals, self-toast bread, yoghurts and fruits. The cooked menu includes a farmer's breakfast (aka a full English) and Fisherman's breakfast of smoked salmon, Devon potatoes and scrambled egg.
Value for Money
Double rooms from £80 all year round. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi. Entry to Clovelly (normally £6.50 a head) and a parking place right on the beach is also included.
Telegraph rating: 8/10