For more information and to book please visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or let us arrange your whole trip, by calling +44 (0)20 8987 4312 or from the USA dial 1 866 610 3867.
Fowey Hall
- Style
- Comfy country château for all the family
- Setting
- Salty Cornish coast
Commanding sweeping views of Fowey's river estuary, port and the sea, this charming and unpretentious family-focused hotel in Cornwall was the original inspiration for Toad Hall. A croquet lawn, indoor pool, and nearby beaches and sailing make it ideal for old salts and young families.
Need to know
- Rooms
- 36 rooms, including 12 suites.
- Rates
- £175–£590 half-board (including morning tea, breakfast and dinner). Bed and breakfast rates, £120–£540. Rates go up by 10 per cent during Fowey Regatta week.
- Check-out
- 11am (but flexible, subject to availability). Check-in is 3pm.
- Facilities
- TVs (some flatscreen), video players (some DVD), internet, in-room spa treatments. Walled gardens, laundry service, croquet lawn, library, Xbox/PlayStations, bicycles, trampoline, table tennis.
- Poolside
- The large heated indoor pool is housed in an attractive conservatory. NB, the pool is being spruced up and is out of action until 1 August 2008, but guests are welcome to use the pool at a local property.
- Children
- Fowey has excellent family facilities (connected rooms, nannies, crèche, baby listening, high chairs, swimming instructor, games room…). Children stay free in parents' rooms and pay only for their food, and have a high tea so adults can dine alone.
- Hotel closed
- Never.
- Also
- Dogs are accepted in Court rooms (excluding the Christmas and New Year period) at a cost of £7 a night. There's a range of in-room spa treatments on offer; it's best to book these ahead. There's a non-refundable £80 deposit on booking.
In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- All rooms are well appointed; many have roll-top baths. The 15 in the main house are wonderfully decorated, with traditional furnishings. Rooms on the first floor are larger, with high ceilings, red colour schemes and WiFi; the Jon Hanson and Charles Hanson have rolltop baths, and the latter has particularly lovely views. Second-floor turret rooms (Robin, Niles, Lamerton and Hoskin) are characterful and have fabulous views. The 12 rooms in the new Garden Wing connected to the main house all have estuary views and are more contemporary in feel; they're ideal if you have toddlers. Eight Court rooms are set in the original coach house, a minute away from the main house.
- Packing tips
- Wellingtons for long walks with Millie the dog; bucket and spade for days on the beach; cosy knits for the fireside.
- Also
- If you're going for a special occasion or birthday, let Fowey Hall know in advance and they can arrange flowers, champagne and cakes or home-made chocolates. A fridge can be provided in your room on request. Private swimming lessons can be arranged.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- The handsome Hansons restaurant focuses on fresh local seafood and Cornish produce (try Fowey River oysters and Tywardreath pork); you'll need to make a reservation for dinner. Lunch in the Palm Court overlooking the terrace.
- Dress code
- It's safe to leave your Manolos and Savile Row tailoring at home; this child-friendly hotel is somewhere you can completely relax.
- Top table
- Nab a table by the fire to warm up after a bracing walk on the beach, or table 6 or 8 by the window for views over the river; in summer, head outside for a spot on the verandah, and the barbecues on Thursday nights.
- Last orders
- Hansons is open 7.30am–5.30pm for breakfast, lunch and tea. Dinner is served from 6.45–9.30pm; the restaurant closes at 10pm.
- Room service
- Hot and cold drinks are available round the clock; you can order hot and cold food from the menu when the restaurant kitchen is open. Fresh fruits, mineral water and homemade biscuits are provided in your room, too.
- Hotel bar
- There's no bar, but you can take a drink to the Library or a cosy corner of the house and settle down to admire the view – or each other.
Smith card offer A bottle of wine chosen by the restaurant manager, and a Fowey Hall teddy bear if you bring your children
If you're a member of Mr & Mrs Smith, you can get special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through us. Just show your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page (like the one above).
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Smith concierge
If you’d prefer to talk to someone, or you’re having trouble booking online, ring our travel team on 0845 034 0700 (+44 20 8987 4312 from outside the UK). We guarantee you’ll get the best available rates, and we don’t charge a booking fee.
Local restaurants
For lunch in Fowey, Sam's (+44 (0)1726 832273) on Fore Street is lively diner-style bistro with great burgers and no-messin' seafood, or head to the King of Prussia (+44 (0)1726 833694) on Town Quay for delicious pub grub, Cornish cream teas and real ales. At the Old Quay House hotel, Q Restaurant (+44 (0)1726 833302) on Fowey's estuary waterfront serves award-winning Modern European food with a local spin, and has a solid wine list. Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw's restaurant at the Marina Villa hotel (+44 (0)1726 833315) on the Esplanade has a well-stocked wine cellar and fantastic fresh fish and seafood. If you're after something simpler, try Sam's more upmarket sister, The Other Place (+44 (0)1726 833636), overlooking the river.
Local bars
The Ship Inn (+44 (0)1726 832230) on Trafalgar Square is an inviting Cornish pub built in 1570 by a cousin of Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake with exposed beams and cask ales.
Local cafes
With freshly baked bread and West Country delicacies, Tiffins Delicatessen (+44 (0)1726 832322) on Fore Street can't be beaten for picnic fixings. Art deco-style Pinky Murphy's (+44 (0)1726 833302) on North Street is good bet for satiating savoury cravings; or go to Brown Sugar (+44 (0)1726 832175) on South Street for great coffee and snacks.
Diary
Mid May The Daphne du Maurier Literary Festival, with a week of events including talks, theatre, exhibitions, concerts and guided walks. Visit www.dumaurierfestival.co.uk for more information and tickets. Mid August Fowey Royal Regatta week sees a hive of activity, not all on the water; aside from the sailing races, there are Red Arrow displays, a mid-week float procession through the town streets, live music, fireworks and raft races, which all add to the carnival atmosphere.
With spectacular views of the Fowey Estuary, a gorgeous walled garden and a setting with evocative literary associations, there can be few places better positioned to host an intimate wedding with your extended family and friends.
Several spaces at Fowey Hall are licensed for civil ceremonies, up to a total of 50 attendees in the Drawing Room, for example, or just 15 in the John Hanson Suite, and the hotel has had plenty of experience of hosting hugely enjoyable, stress-free wedding parties. Fowey can at certain times of the year be booked on an exclusive-use basis, offering privacy and total flexibility on how you and your guests want to celebrate.
Have reception drinks on the terrace in summer to capitalise on those amazing views; Fowey can tailor-make a package for you to ensure you have a wonderful day.
Recommended rooms
There are 10 interconnecting rooms with space for up to six guests. The best is William Hanson, which has a private terrace and sea views. All rooms are large enough for at least a cot or extra bed. Suites have fridges, handy for storing milk.
Crèche/day care
The Ofsted-approved Four Bears Den is geared towards under-eights (and quiet, slightly older children, by arrangement). There are lots of toys, and supervised hands-on play sessions, including painting and cooking (aprons are provided). Open daily, 10–11.45am and 12.30–4.45pm. The Beach Hut for older children is open all day and, in high season, is supervised from 7–9pm in the evenings.
Activities
Romp around in the walled gardens, or play croquet or giant Jenga in the summer. This exceedingly child-friendly hotel has an outdoor play area, and a large trampoline. Adult and children's bikes can be borrowed for free, with children's cycle helmets. The Garage is an unsupervised playroom for older children, equipped with a pool table, table tennis and table football, and computer games are available in the Gun Room (also unsupervised). Family-friendly films are shown nightly in the Cooks Room during school holidays. Fowey always has its ear to the ground when it comes to local family-friendly events, for example a toy exhibition at the Royal Cornwall Museum, or National Science Week children's programmes at Newquay Zoo.
Swimming pool
Indoor heated pool within the hotel grounds, with lifeguard on duty in summer from 9am–5pm. Armbands and rubber rings for all ages available. Swimming lessons can be arranged, too, from £10 for 30 minutes.
Meals
Children under 12 are not allowed in the main restaurant for dinner, but if you want to eat together after 6.45pm, you can do so in the Conservatory. There are 5pm and 5.30pm sittings for nursery tea in the Billiard Room (bookable with the restaurant by 11am). For children aged one to five, breakfast costs £3.50; five to seven, £7.50; seven to 12, £12.50. The kitchen provides puréed food on request, but you'll need to bring your own bottles, formula and baby food. Fowey Hall will happily provide family picnics; order at reception by 6pm the evening before. During the summer, the hotel throws barbecue parties on Thursday and Sunday evenings and shuts both restaurants.
Babysitting
This can be arranged for you and will cost between £6 and £8 an hour, at the babysitter's discretion, and generally needs to be booked at least 24 hours in advance.
Baby-listening
Plug in the provided baby monitor next to the telephone and it will automatically connect to reception.
No need to pack
If you're travelling with a baby, cots, nappy buckets, bath and changing mats and kettles will automatically be provided in your room. Sterilisers, high chairs, two pushchairs and a back carrier also available, but not pre-bookable.
