The Idle Rocks Hotel

, Truro, United Kingdom
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The Idle Rocks Hotel

, Truro

Rooms: 33

Harbourside - Truro - England - TR2 5AN - United Kingdom Hotel Website | | 44 01326270771
174 Traveller

Reviews - The Idle Rocks Hotel

Historical Traveller Reviews of The Idle Rocks Hotel

Perfect pleasure in Cornwall

from A TripAdvisor Member
My wife and I recently celebrated our Golden Wedding anniversary by spending a weekend in Cornwall at the Idle Rocks Hotel in St. Mawes. It was a weekend to remember .
Firstly we had perfect weather that enabled us to enjoy both the hotel and the lovely scenic places on the Roseland penninsula, Situated on the waters edge, directly overlooking the little harbour, the location is perfect fpr relaxing. Our bedroom was most tastefully furnished and comfortable, and the window looked on to the harbour. We found the staff to be particularly friendly and most attentive to our needs. The newly furbished restaurant was extremely pleasant and the food excellent. "Pictures on a plate" would describe it, and the taste just as good. The sun terrace outside the restaurant windows was delightful to sit with a drink and watch the boating activity, and the lounge comortable to enjoy a coffee after dinner. I would have no hesitation in spending another break there and warmly recommend it to others.

Will definitely return!

from A TripAdvisor Member
My husband I stayed at the Idle Rocks during April for several days. Having heard some things about the hotel which were unkind and having already made our booking, we were somewhat nervous as to what we might expect. However, we can only say what a wonderful time we had. The restaurant was delightful, the service and food was excellent. The location and the views from the hotel make this a hotel worth every penny and we shall definitely be returning. Thank you Idle Rocks.

What has happened to Idle Rocks?

from Warey
Whatever has happened to Idle Rocks?
We stayed there last year and despite being not too easily pleased we had a great time.
Food,service and rooms could not be faulted.
I was just about to book for our break last week when I read the latest reviews.
Has the management changed?
It was as if I was reding about a totally different hotel!
Come on Idle Rocks and let's see you back on track!
Management Response from Chris Swire
Thank you for your comments regarding the Idle Rocks Hotel in St Mawes.

I must say that almost all the recently received reviews are concerning stays over Summer 2005 when the hotel was going through a difficult time.

I commenced my position as General Manager in February of this year and can say hand on heart that we now provide a first class service in every respect.

I eat in the Waters Edge Restaurant twice a week and can confirm that the food is excellent and shows great flair and imagination. The service is very efficient, but is also friendly at the same time.

The hotels bedrooms and public areas are looking great and there is a programme of continuous refurbishment and maintainance in place to tackle all those niggly issues that always crop up.

All in all, I am extremely happy with how things are going at The Rocks and very much look forward to the future.

Lovely hotel - shame about the restuarant

from crazypom
My wife and I have stayed twice at the Idle Rocks Hotel in St Mawes, the first trip in 2004 was really excellent so we decided to return for my 50th birthday last June. The Sea facing room had been recently refurbished and was very pleasant if a little small, the real let-down was the restuarant, the first night was a very hurried affair and the staff were successful in getting everyone out by ten. The food was very average. The second night was a disaster, we booked a table for eight and were still sitting out on the terrace at 8.45. We were then informed by the extremely rude Maitre d' that three of the main course items had run out. We promptly left and complained to the duty manager about the behaviour of the Maitre d'. We ended up having a steak and chips (excellent) in the pub over the road.
Again the staff had obviously been successful in getting everyone out by 10.00pm as they filed into the pub for their beer and fags. The hotel rely on Eastern Europeans to staff the resturant and they are just not up to the job, no friendly rapport just gloomy faces. Sorry Idle Rocks, despite the bottle of champagne left in our room and an apology from the charming Manageress the morning after we will not return. Funnily enough, we have just had a long weekend in the nearby Lugger Hotel in Portloe and met a couple who an identical experience at the Idle Rocks.

What a rip-off!

from A TripAdvisor Member
We've stayed twice in this hotel, second time only because everywhere else was completely booked up. Only the most expensive and recently refurbished rooms (where we stayed first time) have any style and justify the high price. Others, in the main part of the hotel, are tiny, poorly-lit and depressing. We were not allowed to change rooms and were made to feel unwelcome for even asking. As for the expensive and pretentious restaurant... my partner was served ham in a soup deliberately chosen from the vegetarian menu -- and then received no apology from the grossly inefficient Maître d'. Despite loads of staff (playing with tablecloths), you'll wait a very long time for your food, especially at breakfast, as the "managers" are clearly incompetent and very poorly trained. In fact, a TV crew was filming an 'exposé' while we were there! Give this one a miss and head straight for any of the other truly delightful hotels in lovely St Mawes.

Intimidating warning on confirmation of reservation

from A TripAdvisor Member
Intimidating on receiving confirmation of deposit and reservation at my home in Canada to be informed that I have signed a contract and I will be held liable if I cancel and must pay or be debited on my credit card for the full amount of the stay - not just the deposit. The hotel chain offered its own "hotel cancellation insurance" of five percent of the whole amount. I gave in.

Visitbritain are helpless to do anything about this new "hotel cancellation insurance".

lovely location ... shame about the rest

from miss-pea
Pretty harbour town of St Mawes is gorgeous - well worth a visit. Idle Rocks has a superb setting and views - waves lapping against its terrace walls. But the room was small, not worthy of the price and the food was poor - cutlery arriving after the food, food not hot, had to ask for salt and pepper etc (though seated outside along the waterside deck). very disappointed.

Very classy Cornish hotel, loved it!

from booksearch22
I cannot speak too highly about our one-night stay here: the staff were extremely friendly, our room was beautiful, the food was exquisite. We stayed in of their premier rooms with French windows that overlooked the sea. It was beautifully furnished, with a very comfy bed and a gorgeous bathroom, really top class. I'd recommend paying the extra for one of these rooms.

The views are delightful, you are really in the heart of prettiest Cornwall here, and the village itself is lovely, especially out of season when it is very quiet.

The lounge was most convivial, and we enjoyed playing a game of Scrabble after the wonderful evening meal. Well done to all at the Idle Rocks, we shall be coming again!!!

Super Hotel, Super Staff, Super time!

from shorej
Just returned from a weekend break from this really lovely hotel. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Food was excellent, best I have had in ages, and the hotel itself is in a lovely spot.

We took our dog, he was very well looked after, we even had an offer to look after him whilst we had dinner, (but he was so worn out he was happy to sleep for a few hours).

I would highly recommend this hotel, and cannot wait to visit again.

Idle Rocks Hotel-an experience to be repeated!

from Brolyn
I stayed at The Idle Rocks Hotel from 17-22 September 2005. The location is superb and it has great views over the bay. The staff were friendly, the bedroom clean and comfortable with TV, phone, tea and coffee making facilities and a powerful shower. There is an (optional) turn down service at night and you get a chocolate on your pillow, and (rather unusually) a card with a different philosophical quote on it each night!

The food on the whole was excellent, even though some might feel that it is rather nouvelle cuisine-ish. Nevertheless I always felt I had eaten well at the end of the meal. Unusually, one is given a pre-starter starter (usually a veloute [soup] in an espresso cup) and a pre-dessert dessert (usually a thimbleful of a vanilla curd with a compote of fruit). One guest complained they never had soup on the menu and was told that this was because it was a fine cuisine menu ! (No, I didn't understand the logic either)!

Overall however, I would certainly stay at The Idle Rocks again -something which I will try to do sooner rather than later.

Top Local Tips for Truro

Parking fees The parking fees to park at the public car park in St Mawes are high and the procedure for purchasing tickets is fiddly and hard to understand: there's a night time rate and then a period day time rate. I couldn't figure it out and ended up spending more money than I needed to - predictably the hotel staff were of no help at all. A woman in the local convenience store eventually explained the procedure to me: you can't buy a night ticket and a day ticket at the same time and you have to go to the car park early in the morning when the day time charging period opens in order to buy a day ticket.

Try the Ferry Take the ferry trip across the bay to Falmouth - it takes about 20 minuts and is a greta way to see the area without a car.

PARKING AND VISITS ALL CHARGED FOR Eden project good value

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Other names for The Idle Rocks Hotel

  • idle rocks st mawes
  • idle rocks hotel
  • Address: Harbourside - Truro - England - TR2 5AN - United Kingdom
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