Robin Hill was built in 1896 as a "colonial style gentleman's residence". Standing in its own terraced grounds with views over Torwood Gardens, it is hard to believe that the town centre, marina, beaches and entertainment are but a few minutes gentle stroll away. Ample private parking is available in the grounds.
Reviews (10)
Will Yarnold
May 12, 2022
Ralph Langworthy-Smith
Apr 19, 2022
Great central location. Was good to be a le to park the car before check in and wonder into town. Rooms were comfortable and had all amenities needed for an overnight stay. Breakfast was lovely and cooked were well. Service from staff was attentive but not overbearing. Good place to stay for central location.
Karen Barrett
Mar 10, 2022
Bengali Miah
Feb 22, 2022
Glenn Johnson
Jan 03, 2022
Of the 1200 or so hotel stays I have had over the last 18 years (I travel a lot for work), this is without doubt the my worst ever experience. I generally try to choose smaller independent hotels as opposed to chains, as I find them more interesting, and, frankly, I would rather support a small business than a multinational (particularly after such a horrendous 2 years for the industry).
This hotel does not have 24-hour reception. This is fair enough. many small hotels don't. Their usual check in time is up to 9pm, but, as clearly stated on their confirmation email "If you anticipate arriving later please let us know in advance so that we can prepare for your arrival" (this is a direct quote from the confirmation email). As it transpires, this is untrue.
Due to an emergency vet visit we left later than expected and, as advised, phoned ahead to let them know (at 4:30pm). I advised that we would very likely be checking in late, probably after 10pm, and possibly later. (In the end we arrived at our ALTERNATIVE hotel in Torquay at 10:20pm). I was told in no uncertain terms we would not be able to check in, despite what it says on the email.
The truth of the matter is this: "We might consider allowing you to check-in until 10pm-ish, if we haven't already gone to bed". What kind of hotel in 2021 doesn't have some kind of self check-in (keysafe/key self-collection), or any possible alternative solution to a customer who has been delayed? More importantly, if such an extreme and unusual policy exists, it should be stated clearly at the time of booking. "If you anticipate arriving later please let us know in advance so that we can prepare for your arrival" clearly suggests that it is perfectly possible to do so.
I must have checked in late to hotels hundreds of times over the years after a long drive/traffic etc, and have never before experiences this. We booked an alternative in Torquay, having wasted the fee for one night. I tried to check in for our second booked night at the Robin Hill, and queried the inaccuracy of the confirmation email. I should point out here that I despise rude customers, and always speak to everyone with politeness and respect.
The owner quickly became hostile and belligerent, and kept repeating that "check in time is up to 9pm", without addressing the inaccuracy of the confirmation email/policy. He gave a lengthy diatribe that he insists on personally checking-in all guests to ensure that they are not drunk (I guess this is why they don't have self-check-in). He then aggressively and falsely accused my wife of having left a bad review on Hotels.com (we did NOT.
We spoke with Hotels.com customer service earlier in the day to query if we had any rights in this situation- perhaps some kind of feedback was auto-generated? It was not us, but in any case if you run a public-facing business, ranting at your polite customers for writing an honest review is utterly unacceptable). He eventually ended with "How about I give you a 50% refund, and you just stay somewhere else?". Easiest choice ever.
Being rude and hostile to polite customers who are making a genuine, respectful enquiry/complaint is never, ever acceptable. I also found out when there that the hotel will issue a hefty fine (85 if memory serves) to anyone who takes food to their room. I can only hope that this policy is the result of extreme room-damage paranoia, rather than being a cynical attempt to screw more money out of customers who leave a crisp packet in their bin.
If room-damage paranoia is indeed the motivation, then surely taking a credit card pre-authorisation to cover charges and room-damage is the way forward? Some hotels do this, it is not that unusual. Many people like to snack in their rooms, it doesn't mean they will throw curry over the walls or paint the bed with Bolognese sauce
This hotel does not have 24-hour reception. This is fair enough. many small hotels don't. Their usual check in time is up to 9pm, but, as clearly stated on their confirmation email "If you anticipate arriving later please let us know in advance so that we can prepare for your arrival" (this is a direct quote from the confirmation email). As it transpires, this is untrue.
Due to an emergency vet visit we left later than expected and, as advised, phoned ahead to let them know (at 4:30pm). I advised that we would very likely be checking in late, probably after 10pm, and possibly later. (In the end we arrived at our ALTERNATIVE hotel in Torquay at 10:20pm). I was told in no uncertain terms we would not be able to check in, despite what it says on the email.
The truth of the matter is this: "We might consider allowing you to check-in until 10pm-ish, if we haven't already gone to bed". What kind of hotel in 2021 doesn't have some kind of self check-in (keysafe/key self-collection), or any possible alternative solution to a customer who has been delayed? More importantly, if such an extreme and unusual policy exists, it should be stated clearly at the time of booking. "If you anticipate arriving later please let us know in advance so that we can prepare for your arrival" clearly suggests that it is perfectly possible to do so.
I must have checked in late to hotels hundreds of times over the years after a long drive/traffic etc, and have never before experiences this. We booked an alternative in Torquay, having wasted the fee for one night. I tried to check in for our second booked night at the Robin Hill, and queried the inaccuracy of the confirmation email. I should point out here that I despise rude customers, and always speak to everyone with politeness and respect.
The owner quickly became hostile and belligerent, and kept repeating that "check in time is up to 9pm", without addressing the inaccuracy of the confirmation email/policy. He gave a lengthy diatribe that he insists on personally checking-in all guests to ensure that they are not drunk (I guess this is why they don't have self-check-in). He then aggressively and falsely accused my wife of having left a bad review on Hotels.com (we did NOT.
We spoke with Hotels.com customer service earlier in the day to query if we had any rights in this situation- perhaps some kind of feedback was auto-generated? It was not us, but in any case if you run a public-facing business, ranting at your polite customers for writing an honest review is utterly unacceptable). He eventually ended with "How about I give you a 50% refund, and you just stay somewhere else?". Easiest choice ever.
Being rude and hostile to polite customers who are making a genuine, respectful enquiry/complaint is never, ever acceptable. I also found out when there that the hotel will issue a hefty fine (85 if memory serves) to anyone who takes food to their room. I can only hope that this policy is the result of extreme room-damage paranoia, rather than being a cynical attempt to screw more money out of customers who leave a crisp packet in their bin.
If room-damage paranoia is indeed the motivation, then surely taking a credit card pre-authorisation to cover charges and room-damage is the way forward? Some hotels do this, it is not that unusual. Many people like to snack in their rooms, it doesn't mean they will throw curry over the walls or paint the bed with Bolognese sauce
Peter Burford
Dec 21, 2021
Mick Butt
Oct 10, 2021
Sam Olivant
Aug 22, 2021
We stayed at the Robin Hill Hotel for 2 nights and from the arrival to departure we couldn't of been made to feel more welcome. Andrew is a fabulous host and goes above and beyond to make sure all of your needs are met. Breakfast was delicious and evenings in the bar lounge were cosy and pleasant for all of the family. We will definitely be back!
Charlie Cartwright
Aug 10, 2021
Graded In the style of " Four in a bed" Hosts 3/10 - waited for a good 7 minutes whilst the owner Andrew conducted an acrimonious phone conversation not acknowledging us once Facilities 4/10 - loose toilet roll holders. Room the size of a Rabbit hutch. The walk through the car park snd into the hotel, requires special apparatus ( oxygen snd crampons) Cleanliness 9/10 - very good!
Breakfast 7/10 - excellent service, cheap products, but having to pre order ( 20 questions publicly the day before) was unnecessary Overall, it felt extremely claustrophobic & excessive rules eg no food in room & keep the room tidy or it won't be serviced! One night was plenty for us, it's clear some like this, but unfortunately we didn't
Breakfast 7/10 - excellent service, cheap products, but having to pre order ( 20 questions publicly the day before) was unnecessary Overall, it felt extremely claustrophobic & excessive rules eg no food in room & keep the room tidy or it won't be serviced! One night was plenty for us, it's clear some like this, but unfortunately we didn't
Callum Rj
Jul 17, 2021
Lovey comfortable bed and a really tasty breakfast which is just what you want. The owners were welcoming and really friendly. The room was clean and the view from our room was stunning. Only downside we found was with the shower, which was inconsistently hot and then cold but didn't phase us on a boiling hot day when we wanted to cool down. Thanks a lot for the lovely stay
