Dartington Hall


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Dartington Hall descritpion


In the Devon countryside, just an 8-minute drive from Totnes Train Station, the historic Dartington Hall features a medieval courtyard, beautifully landscaped grounds, and free parking.
Each elegant bedroom at Dartington Hall features a private bathroom, tea and coffee-making facilities, free Wi-Fi, and a flat-screen TV.
The on-site award-winning restaurant serves a British tapas menu, and each carefully prepared dish has locally-sourced ingredients.
Guests can reach the coast and the seaside resort of Paignton in a 20-minute drive. Torquay is 12 miles from the property and the picturesque Dartmoor National Park is only 2 and half miles away.

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Facilities of Dartington Hall

Outdoors :Grounds

Pets :Pets are not allowed.

Activities :Fishing | Hiking | Cycling | Massage | Bicycle Rental

Food & Drink :Restaurant | Bar

Internet :Free!WiFi is available in the hotel rooms and is free of charge.

Parking :Free!Free private parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).

Services :24-Hour Front Desk | ATM on site | Shared Lounge/TV Area | Meeting/Banquet Facilities | Fax/Photocopying | Honeymoon Suite

General :Newspapers | Shops (on site) | Non-smoking Rooms | Facilities for Disabled Guests | Heating | Designated Smoking Area

Reviews for Dartington Hall

Review 1:Room was lovely - just smaller than I had expected. - small but perfectly formed Should have been able to order drinks at the table instead of having to find the bar

Review 2:Magnificent location Enjoyed Christmas party

Review 3:Staff were attentive but in hurrying you out of breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was cleared away before asking if we had finished.

Review 4:Location and grounds are beautiful

Review 5:Nothing. However, it did occur to us that it might get very busy in the summer - but cannot say if this could be distracting.

Review 6:Pretty much everything. We had a lovely room and the setting of the hall is superb. Top marks to all the staff who were very friendly, welcoming and helpful.

Review 7:Everything was lovely. But at £150 per night it is very hard to justify the price as it wasn't super luxurious.

Review 8:Loved the location as it was only a short walk into Totnes and was situated close to fields and the River Dart. Great building.

Review 9:Sign posting on arrival is extremely poor. We walked 3 times around quad to find reception. It was dark but you need to make this clearer by putting a light over the sign. We weren't alone as people the following day arrived cheesed off as they couldn't find it so you have s problem.

Review 10:We found the staff quite unwelcoming. At no point when we entered the hotel were we greeted at all let alone with a smile.

Review 11:I know this area very well and really liked being able to walk into the gardens when I felt like it

Review 12:This is our fourth stay and we love it more each time. The surroundings are stunning and the accommodation was a very high standard as usual. The food is excellent and they offer a wide range of drinks many of which are local. The staff are friendly and welcoming and we spent a comfortable few hours in the cinema on site. The added bonus of a discount card for the shopping centre meant stress free Xmas shopping too.

Review 13:Bedroom images on booking.com not reality, we had a small room with a small double bed. Basic room and furniture.

Review 14:Felt special staying at Dartington Hall. Lovely modern bathroom with extra large shower area. Great breakfast.

Review 15:All of the staff were very helpful, friendly and attentive. The accommodation was lovely, very calming and atmospheric and the food in the restaurant was fabulous.

Review 16:Nothing. A few people were complaining about lack of Wi-Fi in some of the bedrooms. However, if you are desperate for Wi-Fi it can be accessed in the pub/restaurant. But if you stay here, it really is best just switch off your mobile and just let people know Dartington Hall's telephone number to get in touch with you in case of emergency. It is a lovely place to just relax and recharge. If you can't be without Wi-Fi I would suggest you take a dongle/pebble with your own Wi-Fi so then you may be able to get a stronger signal in your room than Dartington's Wi-Fi.

Review 17:Staff were great, exceptionally helpful. Am a disabled traveller, felt very comfortable and safe in my room. My bags were put into my room on arrival and all my questions answered straight away. I was asked if my room suitable for me (it was) and If I needed anything or had any concerns I felt reassured that I would be able to contact guest services at any time. In the evening I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and depth of flavour of the food in the pub/restaurant. Service at dinner was very good. This level of service/kindness made all the difference to my stay and I would definitely re book, the weekend went too quick!. If you enjoy movies. Then check out The Barn cinema. It is onsite... Also, It is disabled friendly and was not far from accommodation. Any issues I did have were swiftly and very professionally dealt with and therefore did not have that much of an impact on my wonderful stay. Can't wait to re book in the future!

Review 18:The room was too small for a double. The decoration was poor & car parking is very badly organised. The service in the hotel & White Hart was poor.

Review 19:Dartington hall is a beautiful building in lovely surroundings.

Review 20:Wifi was a bit flakey, but it is an older and unusual building and it just took me time to find the right spot in my room.

Review 21:The grounds were great. I arrived and was suprised how busy it was but had a wander in the gardens and went to the cinema that night which is right there.

Review 22:Superb location even in the wind and rain of November. Evocative architecture and beautiful gardens. All the staff were most friendly and helpful. Food very good, both breakfast and dining in the evening.

Review 23:Magnificent building surrounded by beautiful gardens. Lovely large ground-floor room with huge and comfy bed, everything spotlessly clean. All staff genuinely friendly and helpful. Restaurant cosy and food excellent. Location perfect.

Review 24:The hotel has a barmy parking policy. After parking and going to reception to check-in, you are expected to walk back to your car (in our case in the dark, with pouring rain after a five hour journey) to put a permit in our car windscreen to avoid getting a ticket. Why not do what so many hotels do: ask for the car reg list and give that to the parking warden so they know who is resident. Our stay was very good, but this whole parking permit business in the pouring rain was not an auspicious start.

Review 25:The location of Dartington Hall is very pretty. The building itself is spectacular and very atmospheric. The windows in the main grand hall are amazing. Our room was very comfortable and the B&B rate very good value. We ate dinner in the White Hart and it was delicious (order the venison!). After booking I received an email from the hotel asking if I wanted to reserve a table for dinner, which was appreciated. Further, the lady at reception was very helpful and friendly.

Review 26:Waitress on our third night, not particularly helpful or overly friendly. Complete opposite to the waitress on our first night.

Review 27:The weather in November!

Review 28:Meal in restaurant - over priced and not great. Restaurant staff seemed pretty stressed. Limited breakfast menu. Very poor signage - very hard to find in the dark. Our room was huge but rather blandly decorated - for that price was expecting so much more.

Review 29:Amazing property and great location. Friendly reception staff. Beautiful building and grounds.

Review 30:Hotel is a set of ancient buildings with a Great Hall,forming a medieval courtyard. It is set in stunning gardens containing beautiful sculptures. Dartington craft centre within the grounds and well worth a visit. Cranks restaurant there too offering tasty meals

Review 31:Most of the staff were very jolly and helpful whilst others definitely wanted you checked in quickly to get back to the office. To have given Dartington an excellent rating think all your staff have got to be on top form all of the time. I would recommend it for a stay over all very good.

Review 32:The grounds walks and river were everything you could ask for. Also walkable from Totnes so location perfect

Review 33:Unable to contact hotel, 4 numbers, tried 17 times from 8pm with no answer, no response to messages left so ended up sleeping in a car!!! Utter disgrace and terrible customer service!

Review 34:Only one thing. Wifi did not work when I stayed. This meant I could not access my work e-mails

Review 35:Great location and beautiful grounds. Room well equipped and very clean. Pleasant and helpful staff.

Review 36:Leaving

Review 37:The building, location and room facilities were all excellent, as were all the staff we came into contact with.The gardens are wonderful and the whole ambience of the site is fantastic. Just like last time, we're looking forward to returning soon.

Review 38:Restaurant - had to send back sea bass, a miserable little portion and over-grilled; second attempt was better, but not much. Breakfast was much better.

Review 39:The setting. Quiet and comfortable accommodation.

Review 40:little difficult to find the permit car park too much written information which caused confusion but got the hang of it in the end

Review 41:what didnt i like i have known dartington for over 50 years but never been to stay at hall wonderful location so beautiful cant fault

Review 42:The room we were in we could hear everything that the guests were doing upstairs! From the television being too loud to going to the bathroom. Room was very small as well.

Review 43:The location was beautiful and facilities were good

Review 44:Meal in the White Barn. Waitress was very annoyed that we had shown up at all. Receptionist had said she would reserve us a table, but this had clearly not happened. Our table was in a corridor with people walking by the whole time we were there. It was like having a meal on a railway station. We waited 20 mins before we were brought a menu and 30 mins before we had anything to drink. The waitress was grumpy.

Review 45:Location, the gardens, ease of check-in

Review 46:I booked a single room (no. 38) 'with a view'. The view was a roof with heating flues and wooden pallets and was situated next to a noisy boiler room, so was a great disappointment!. I was charged the same single rate as those with a lovely view but was offered a reduction as compensation after complaining. The staff dealt with the problem efficiently and politely. The room itself was comfortable.

Review 47:The beautiful location was excellent with grade 2 listed gardens. A bus service into Totnes and Dartington, leaving the Estate daily, made travel easy and environmentally good.The restaurant served wonderful evening meals.

Review 48:Bathroom wasn't terribly clean particularly the toilet area including wall around toilet roll holder. The wifi was weak. No-one offered to help with our bags and we were on the top floor. The breakfast itself was good but the whole breakfast experience was confusing and chaotic. When we arrived we didn't know whether to wait to be seated or not. There were many tables that needed to be cleared. Staff didn't seem to know who had ordered or not. Staff would bring something to the table but not take the opportunity to clear on return to the kitchen. There seemed to be no systems in place. We had at least three waitresses during breakfast.

Review 49:There was a wedding on and despite closing the windows (on a warm night) the music from the wedding kept us awake until midnight. This spoilt our visit. Advice to anybody booking is to check there are no public events on before confirming.

Review 50:The room and location were excellent. Just a shame about the noise.

Review 51:Beds are a little short for tall people.

Review 52:Large Wetroom, Large bedroom, Staff friendly, Afordable bar, Good buffet breakfast, Beautiful grounds, Beautiful buildings.

Review 53:Poor signage. It took a long to find reception and luggage drop off.

Review 54:The food was very good. The ambience was relaxed and the staff helpful and friendly.

Review 55:An event on the Saturday night had disco music thumping away until midnight to which I could resign myself but at breakfast the following morning... a restricted choice hot buffet with an obvious effect on the food quality and staff apparently struggling to cope with numbers. I can accept that events are a business need but they should not affect the service to other guests. Saturday -- the most expensive night of my stay and the poorest service -- it should be discounted if such events are taking place.

Review 56:Location and gardens stunning. Room small but comfortable and clean. Staff friendly. Evening meals good although catch of the day stayed the same for 3 days. Breakfast was good until the last morning.

Review 57:NONE!!!

Review 58:The high standard of maintenance of the buildings and gardens. the politeness and helpfulness of all the staff we came in contact with. An atmosphere of quite calm.

Review 59:Did not change the towels for the 2 night of our stay, the toilet roll run out & there is no replacement!!! We were given ground floor bedroom right overlooking the green which was very nice and bathroom wt disable facilities but as we are not in wheel chair we found the floor was slippery & dangerous when wet.

Review 60:Great restaurant serving great food!

Review 61:The medieval buildings and courtyard are beautiful. The gardens and grounds surrounding the estate are stunning and a joy to walk around. The whole place is so relaxing it feels like you're in a world of your own. We had a delux room on the ground floor, in the west wing, for two nights and everything about it was great. Dinner in the restaurant was very nice, maybe just a little too expensive, although breakfast being included did go some way to addressing this.

Review 62:Service in restaurant was variable. But a bit of a disaster on the last night. Lacks organisation and ownership in the restaurant---- but the food was excellent

Review 63:Food excellent. Room large and comfortable

Review 64:Breakfast was disappointing, not much variety and cooked food was going cold

Review 65:Lovely location set in amazing grounds and gardens, room was comfy,clean and well furnished

Review 66:Average sized room with rather dated decor. We were told we could not eat breakfast outside despite several tables set out for alfresco dining. The breakfast buffet was meager and uninspiring with weak coffee and they even managed to burn the toast. Beautiful location but poor value for money. Overall I wouldn't stay here again.

Review 67:The enthusiasm and helpfulness of the gentleman in reception when I asked to have room changed. I was given a lovely room in the West Wing. The gardens are beautiful.

Review 68:Breakfast was a little chaotic. It was hard to get service due to the restaurant being very busy.

Review 69:Beautiful buildings and gardens, comfortable nicely furnished room Dinner at the White Hart was lovely.

Review 70:Awkward dragging my suitcase to the second floor - but understand to install lift would detract from the uniqueness of the old buildings.

Review 71:Despite the presence of 100+ schoolchildren (!) the ambiance was still tranquil and splendid. Beautiful gardens.

Review 72:Disappointed on lack of finishing touches and attention to detail. Pleasant staff throughout but information provided on checking in (e.g. guidance on parking arrangements was vague and not accurate); similarly, choices/options not clearly explained at breakfast. Some final touches lacking in bedrooms and our particular shower could only be positioned to flow onto one or other of the cubicle walls.

Review 73:Fabulous location and building.

Review 74:The breakfast manager has an attitude problem which spoils an otherwise great team of people. Probably best not to serve jugs of sauces on flat slate plates !

Review 75:Lovely surroundings Good we'll run accommodation

Review 76:Staff were cold and offhand,not particularly informative. My single room felt cramped,with just about enough space for everything,the bathroom felt cramped and basic.

Review 77:The ancient feel of the building,the gardens and grounds, and the fabulous breakfast area.Fabulous view from my bedroom window.

Review 78:Not bad but, the tissue box was empty and no replenishment loo roll was left in the bathroom

Review 79:Being able to get away from it all for a few days in a stunning environment with a peaceful ambience.

Review 80:The WiFi coverage is rubbish and there's little or no phone reception. This might be good or bad depending on your point of view.

Review 81:Great place steeped in history sympathetically restored/developed, very quite location with an excellent restaurant and bar .

Review 82:It is very sad that it isn't used as an arts college anymore and that parts of the former campus don't seem to be used at all.

Review 83:Dartington Hall is a great place that reminds a bit of Hogwarts. The garden is more than beautiful and the rooms are great.

Review 84:This would be an ideal venue for a conference it is not run as a hotel and it is NOT good value for money. The restaurant staff including breakfast staff are disorganised and seem unhappy. The dinner was mediocre at best.

Review 85:The location and grounds are stunning. The room was very small but ok. The reception staff were friendly and helpful.

Review 86:The rooms are rather small but we were given another slightly larger one, a bit like a conference venue or Heathrow hotel. The hotel staff were surprisingly ill informed about local attractions like Dartmoor!

Review 87:Very peaceful and surprisingly good food in the resturant. We enjoyed our stay.

Review 88:The exterior of Dartington hall is stunning but inside it's like a posh university hall of residence. If you were hoping for a lovely hotel you might be disappointed. The receptionist couldn't find my booking on the system either which was quite alarming, but it eventually turned up.

Review 89:Beautiful place in a great location. Fabulous breakfast.

Review 90:Unfortunately we were travelling with another couple...they got a £49 deall with 20% off food....we paid £149 with no offers at all...admittedly they had a very small room...bur the price difference was upsetting.

Review 91:Lovelt room....big enough to hold a party in!!

Review 92:The shower stall flooded each time we used it and the toilet flush wasn't always effective first time! The wi-fi was at best intermittent

Review 93:This was a Valentine's stay with a 5-course Valentine's dinner. Dartington is a beautiful & romantic setting. The room was tastefully decorated and comfortable. The food was absolutely superb!

Review 94:No flannels supplied (but many hotels don't supply them these days)

Review 95:A fantastic Inglenook fireplace in the suite lounge (no fire in it though). Access to the White Hart Inn on site for and excellent evening meal.

Review 96:Not very clearly sign posted for reception and guest car parking was too far from accommodation.

Review 97:Amazing building to experience with keen and helpful staff.

Review 98:The WiFi was non existant due to the signal in the room being very very weak. Porting a suitcase from the check-in desk to the room 2 west wing could not have been further.

Review 99:Traditional comfort. Good room size. Heating and lighting excellent.

Review 100:The room was small and a little hot but with mullion windows and freezing cold outside the radiators were turned up. Easy to turn them down!!

Review 101:Beautiful setting in an old building. All you heard were the hooting owls at night.

Review 102:A little more lighting in the room would help in the wardrobe area. My duvet had to be replaced as far too small for the bed.

Review 103:Very quiet and comfortable, good size room. Powerful shower with plenty of hot water.

Review 104:The wi fi didn't work, or was ridiculously complicated to access. Noise from Medical students ball!

Review 105:Beautiful setting and gardens. Lovely warm room

Review 106:The Location is great, the main Hall is very spooky at night. My girlfriend really liked the bedroom, the high ceiling and tall bed (it's very high off the floor). The staff were lovely, sharing their ghost stories with us over a drink in the bar.

Review 107:I could not sleep as the wind got up and blew the Flag against the pole all night. Single beds are not big enough for adults and it was against the wall which did not give us much room to move. The bed itself was comfy and clean and glad to have a window in the bathroom.

Review 108:The location and the staff were very good the stay was a short one so did not get much time to explore.

Review 109:As usual we had a very good time. It was my wifes b/day and the service was very good. There were chocolates put in our room as well as dressing gowns etc which was very much appreciated. See you again soon.

Review 110:I have stayed at the hotel many times but have never been given a room that the WiFi works in, when I have work to do I book into an alternative hotel in Dartmouth. I have stayed in many rooms around the hall so the problem appears to be general

Review 111:Excellent facilities, great food in the bar and good quite area to relax and have a quiet drink

Review 112:As a veggie the cooked breakfast was rather small. 1 egg, 1 mushroom and 1 tomato. Tasty but not much for a growing mature lad!!

Review 113:Very friendly staff. The room was rather wacky!! beautiful bed but rather uncomfortable, very high. Lovely en suite. Interesting art exhibition. Gorgeous buildings and grounds. Enjoyed our stay.

Review 114:I made two bookings, this first one for myself the second as a surprise for my daughter's birthday, now cancelled. I was asked by the hotel if I wanted to add champagne etc on two occasions. On the second, out of friendliness, I jokingly said I will if you are paying. I received a rather humourless reply using my first name. When I arrived I was not very impressed with the room nor the fact that when i was trying to rest the next day estate workers were using a grinder outside my room. I complained and a member of staff went and stopped them, but never came back to me. The next day at breakfast i was ignored for ten minutes while staff chatted in the kitchen. My strong sense was this is an estate that requires a lot of work with guests something of an inconvenience. Shame!

Review 115:The setting, most of the staff were pleasant.

Review 116:Nothing ! was all amazing !

Review 117:The hotel and staff where amazing, its set in the most amazing surrounding and the old stone buildings where simply stunning, The hall where you have breakfast was great with lots of information on how the buildings have been restored. The room was massive with the best shower i have ever had in a hotel !!!! Thank you !

Review 118:The rooms are small with character and beans etc so tricky for taller guests. Wifi was intermittent.

Review 119:The setting was amazing. Lovely cosy rooms and a fantastic restaurant.

Review 120:The hot shower should be checked and fixed before our arrival. It is winter ! we missed it the 1st night.

Review 121:In our 2nights stay I found it generally excellent customer service. Receptionist welcoming guesture, a staff offer help to take our laggage when I hesitate he said "Don't worry I work here..." I thanked him. I like their attention to our report. They fixed the hot shower quickly. I found all waiters are excellent especially the chef at the breakfast time(he serves the food as well) excellent !! The garden, the dart river side walk, etc. Makes me to come back and explore more. Thank you all.

Review 122:Rooms can be hit and miss (some with toilets and showers not en suite, sizes of room vary enormously). Food in the White Hart, the on-site pub/restaurant, is very good quality but can be pricey, as can the drinks.

Review 123:lovely location, peace and quiet, with great gardens. Most rooms are very nice and somewhat quirky. Good breakfast, friendly staff. Good mix of guests.

Review 124:The place was a little difficult to find at night once you left the road but all else was very good.

Review 125:Lovely place with fabulous staff. Great welcome and room was excellent and v comfortable. Breakfast superb - wished I had been able to stay longer but travelling with sister to an event.

Review 126:Car park area was free for guests - but our friend got a ticket on New years Day! Unexpected, but perhaps not Hotel's fault...

Review 127:Loved the grounds and the Restaurant area. Very Comfortable beds.

Review 128:Breakfast was included, so you got a full english. BUT any other choice like an omelette was £3 extra. Signage in the dark on arrival makes it impossible to find.

Review 129:Clean, really good shower. Food very good indeed. Beautiful location.

Review 130:Radiators in bathroom very dusty and skirting boards. Ironing board propped up against chair in bedroom. Wifi intermittent.

Review 131:Breakfast. Rooms warm and clean.

Review 132:Some of the mugs at breakfast were a bit dirty and the breakfast wasn't quite the standard that I expected for what we paid.

Review 133:The staff were so friendly and helpful, nothing was too much trouble. The room was clean and comfortable.

Review 134:Bath water had sooty deposits. Poor catering in the cafe (Roundhouse): amateur service, very limited selection of food Expensive drinks in the bar. Bar service very amateur. Restaurant and cafe lack atmosphere even though they are housed in wonderful historic buildings. Poor outside lighting at night. Car park a long way from the hotel, especially when weather is bad.

Review 135:Quality of the bedroom and fittings Very good bed

Review 136:Evening food not so good as last visit. Breakfast muesli better homemade.

Review 137:Beautiful room and excellent waitress service in white heart. Lovely grounds and barn theatre, all v close proximity. Luxury for us who travel everywhere.