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.

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 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".

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.