We got married at the Saunton Sands Hotel a few days ago.
We stayed the night before the wedding and the night of the wedding. We had a small wedding with only 26 of us in total (16 of whom stayed at the hotel).
Our entire experience was fantastic. We chose this hotel due to the fantastic location and because we love the art deco style of the hotel (knocked down and rebuilt - some people have no idea?????) my family live locally and it's a place that has stuck in my head since I was young.
The service and food was fantastic - we had a meal in the restaurant the night before the wedding and I commented to my now husband that if the meal the night before was anything to go by then everything would be perfect. - It was. The guests commented on how nicely presented the food was and there was plenty of it!
Our room was lovely, our best man also had a fantastic room (we think it was the one on the virtual tour), everyone else was happy with their rooms and service. Some rooms weren't fantastic in terms of size and view but you are asked when you book what type of room you want and so if you want a sea view you have to ask for it and pay for it. Some of our guests had views of a roof but had paid a cheaper rate. Why would you go to a place like this and stay in your room? Not all rooms at any hotel can have great view! As for busy road - it's a coastal B road, not exactly busy, especially late at night!
We also found that the hotel was very accommodating in terms of the size of our wedding party. We found that most places wouldn't even consider booking such a small wedding during the Christmas period or Saturdays in the summer.

I am sure we will be back for anniversaries!

Having stayed in the Saunton Sands Appartments, I'm confused! The hotel is 4 star but the appartments aren't covered by that rating. Ours was poor (2 star-like) and next to the main road so traffic noise was a huge problem. Some rooms overlook the car park and are next to the noisy and smelly kitchen extractors. Car parking is painful.

I'd sum it up as; great public rooms, great patio and pools, brilliant beach and views. However, they should knock the place down and start over again for two reasons; One, some areas are showing their age and two, you would never layout a hotel in this way! I'm sure the sea-view rooms are fine but those at the back and side are plainly not. Oh, and don't bother complaining, you won't get anywhere.

Would I stay again, no, especially not at the prices they charge.

A group of us stayed at the Saunton Sands. We had booked the break having seen the hotel from the beach and then looking on the web site.
Our first problem was that there was a huge difference between the rooms shown on their site and the ones we were staying in. Our room was tatty, out of date, dirty and smelly. We complained about it but were told that there was nothing that they could do.
On our final night the manager offered us complimentary wine as an apology. We had already ordered the wine and thanked him. When We came to pay the bill the next morning, some of the wine had been added on. The receptionist informed us that 4 bottles of wine was unreasonable. I pointed out that the manager had not said two bottles of wine, we had already ordered it and it was exactly what had been drunk on the other evenings.
Our second problem was tyhe unhelpful, surly staff, to ask a waitress for a pot of tea to be told that the bars down there get it yourself, was not what you would expect.
Overall we thought it was over priced and a missed opportunity to have such a poor hotel charging 4 star prices for sub standard service, food and accomodation in such a fantastic location.

There really is only one factor that makes this hotel stand out, and that's it's location. The hotel has uninterupted views over miles of one of the best beaches in the UK.
Facilities at the hotel are good, with excellent indoor and outdoor (seasonal) pools. There is a spacious lounge/bar area, and as well as the hotels own restaurant, it also has a more informal cafe on the beach. There is ample parking.
Aside from the above, everything else about this hotel is decidedly average. We encountered one or two members of staff who were friendly, if not particularly good at their job. The majority of staff either didn't seem to want to be there, or were perhaps just not very customer focused. Our booking for 1 double, and 1 twin room, resulted in us getting 2 double rooms on check in. When we pointed out the error, it was very much a case of take it or leave it. No apologies!
Food in the restaurant can be overly fussy, and not particularly well aimed at a client base that seems to swing between pensioners, or the very young. The breakfast, if you arrive at the wrong time, can suffer from being kept on hotplates for far too long (rubber eggs, and bacon like cardboard).
Some rooms look excellent (at a premium) but standard rooms are in need of refurbishment, and generally have a dated feel. They are stuffy in warm weather, but as others have noted, opening a window for fresh air, is not an option unless you have a 'sea view' room - those at the rear pick up noise from extraction fans or refrigeration units.
Despite the negative comments above, the hotel is far from being bad; it simply doesn't deliver the quality you would expect at the price. We paid in the region of £90/£110 per night (for DBB). A British family staying here in peak season, could probably fly to Florida, stay in a 5 star hotel, and get a hire car, all for less money!