Hotel

I recently spent a few days in Cornwall (I’ve posted about the Heligan, the Eden Project, and exploring pretty seaside villages already) and I stayed at the boutique Llawnroc hotel in the picturesque fishing village of Gorran Haven.

After a warm welcome lunch with the hotel manager I settled into my spacious room. The hotel’s décor is stylish and modern throughout but there’s no sense of style over substance; the bed was one of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in (on the last day I even set my alarm to go off 10 minutes early just so I could savour it!).

The rooms don’t have blackout curtains and early one morning I found myself woken by increasing light, however seeing the sun rise over the sea from my window was worth a slight sleep interruption! For people who prefer looking at screens to views, the hotel has a stash of DVDs and video games for you to borrow and every room has a PS3. The only negative about my room was the fact that little spiders had set up home on the window; I really dislike them so when I noticed I left a note asking housekeeping to remove them – the note disappeared but the spiders did not. Cry.

My bathroom had a full-sized bath with rain shower above, and while the shower was divine the knob was quite stiff and therefore tricky to use with wet hands. However there was conditioner and a proper hairdryer – massive hooray for hotels that understand women’s hair needs!

Food: Gwineas Bar & Bistro / breakfast room

 I was lucky enough to sample several dishes at the hotel bistro, Guineas, and I really do mean I lucky. These were:

• Marinated olives with Yarg cheese
• Serrano ham with parmesan and salad
• Lemon and rosemary roast chicken, warm salad of new potatoes, asparagus and smoked bacon
• Pan-fried cod with garlic butter, potatoes and peas
• Mevagissey scallops, garlic butter and salad
• Aged Cornish rump steak, Mevagissey scallops, bearnaise sauce, watercress and homemade chips (yes, the scallops were good)
• Plus several helpings of homemade bread with butter

(You can see photos of some of these dishes by clicking on them.)

Every single meal was completely delicious, made with fresh produce and served in perfectly-sized portions. The hotel’s fisherman also supplies catches like lobster and crab, which feature on the ever-changing specials menu, and during warmer weather meals can be enjoyed on the outdoor terrace (unfortunately my stay was during the worst June on record!).

Breakfast was total perfection, honestly the best brekkie I’ve ever had. I practically inhaled my Cornish griddle cakes with berries, creme fraiche and maple syrup. They will haunt my dreams until I’m able to return for more.

I was a happy guest of the Llawnroc but will always believe that honesty is the best policy! Thanks to the Llawnroc’s friendly staff for a lovely stay.