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Stayed for a week with 4 kids in Beach Retreats. Very conveniently located 5 mins walk from beach and 2 mins walk from main eateries and surf shops. Great views from rooms, worth checking room numbers and preferences if you want to have a view, or be around pool area. Room layouts are functional, and rooms have typical seaside decor and in some places need a paint, but there really isn’t anything wrong with them. Great as they have washing machine / tumble dryer combo which reduces how much you need to take with you. Smart TV, plenty of balcony space, sockets for charging, bedroom and living room space, half height fridge with small freezer area, job, oven, toaster kettle, utensils, plates, glasses etc.
Only downside was that you can usually do more in the main hotel itself - COVID meant you could only book a pass for the gym, but using the pool and a few other bits were not possible. FYI these apartments are about 50-75 metres up the road from the hotel complex itself - and it’s very much left to itself, you won’t see hotel staff around or anyone, it’s more of a holiday let type of vibe, which again is totally fine but worth people knowing in case you are expecting lots of hotel style service.
Otherwise would definitely recommend
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have stayed in the Hotel and in the apartments just up the road before and always been able to use the hotel facilities, This time we again stayed in the apartments but this time we couldn't use any of the hotel facilities. This includes the pool which would have been nice as it was around 25 degrees each day. We weren't even allowed to use the path across the lawns to access the beach so had to walk the long way round with all our chairs etc. We think it's a bit "cheap" of the hotel to treat people in this way as the apartments are still part of the overall hotel. They didn't mind us entering the hotel restaurant though so we could add to their income (something we didn't do btw). All in all our respect for the hotel has gone downhill a bit and we always thought it the best in the area having returned so many times.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joanna Robb, Marketing at Beach Retreat Apartments
Responded 27 Jun 2023
Thank you for reviewing your recent stay at the Beach Retreat Apartments. We're sorry you felt disappointed during your visit, however we are very careful to outline what is included in your stay well before arrival. Details of what is included in your self-catering stay are clear on the website, on booking, are reiterated on arrival for all guests to be made aware. In this particular instance, we also confirmed this to you on a telephone call with our Reservations Team, so you arrived with the full knowledge of what to expect. The Beach Retreats have been separate from the hotel for 3 years now, and this is not a recent change. Your time is precious, and we hope during your next visit to Woolacombe you are able to enjoy everything that this wonderful location has to offer, in accommodation that is more suitable for you. Kind regards, Joanna Woolacombe Beach Retreats
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The good first - you are in the middle of the village and 10 mins walk to the beach. Car parking is free. The apartment was clean and had everything you need to settle in.
The bad - the apartment needs a little work to make it more superior. The bathroom had a little mould on it and the beds were a little old. The pool was freezing and very shallow even for my 8 year old.
The WiFi was free but dropped after 24 hours.
I won't stay again but I rarely do in other places. If you want a basic place to stay need to the beach then it's great but don't expect luxury.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have been coming with our children to this hotel apartments for 14 years but have been sorely used this trip. The hotel takes deposits a year before our stay and prices include access to hotel facilities. Covid restricted any use of the hotel facilities unless you were paying for a meal or drink. When questioned if there was a discount as the facilities would not be available we were told flatly no. Not even a drink or meal offer. Furthermore the hotel pocketed the VAT discount from the government which was a decent amount claiming it paid for PPE equipment. This equipment was only used by hotel staff and not at the apartments. I’m still unsure if this is legal, charging a tax that is not passed on to the government. And some of the rooms and kitchen cupboards smelled of mold or damp.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joanna Robb, General Manager at Beach Retreat Apartments
Responded 20 May 2021
Thank you for your feedback following your most recent stay with us and after 14 years of happy holidays in our self-catering offering. We do take deposits at the time of booking, however, how far in advance you choose to book is entirely your decision. It’s true: stays are a little different this year, and that’s for everybody. Whether staying in the hotel or the Beach Retreats. In hospitality, we are in the business of saying ‘yes’ - it’s what we love to do. However, this year we've had to carefully regulate the number of guests in any one space and we have implemented careful pre-booking systems to keep our guests and team safe. It is our ongoing responsibility to acknowledge and to manage our practices during COVID-19 and whilst doing so, clear and up-to-date information has been available on our website for our guests to familiarise themselves with throughout. All guests with existing bookings were contacted personally and had the option to either transfer their dates of stay or to be issued a full refund with no-strings-attached if the holiday just wasn’t quite right for them at this time. The government's decision to reduce the VAT for those industries and businesses most affected by losses due to COVID-19 has allowed us to re-open safely and continue to operate without having to pass on the increased costs of operation to our guests. This is a lifeline for the tourism industry as it allows us to get back on our feet without having to pass the additional costs to our valued guests. As we are sure you can appreciate, this has been an incredibly difficult time for everyone, especially the tourism industry and independent businesses such as ourselves. Kind regards, Joanna WBH
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We stayed two weeks ago in the beach retreats apartment's. We have been staying at the hotel and appartments for the last 30 years so can see many bad changes over the last two years. The outdoor pool is meant to be heated and was absolutely freezing. Despite asking the staff to turn up the temp, they assured us the pool would be covered and heated more , it remained cold the entire week so no one was able to use it. We then asked as it was so quiet was it possible to use hotel indoor pool and was told no but they could offer us a suite for £500 for two nights!! How they can say that I have no idea how that would help. Even though it was quiet. The new rules the hotel have set since covid including non residents not using the hotel facilities do not reflect the prices paid. The price we paid for the self catering Instead of completing stopping use they should have either reduced prices, brought a new sufficient heater to heat outdoor pools appropriately or don’t advertise they are heated. I really hope these hotel changes are not permanent. Whoever made these decisions has really made a bad choice for the future of the hotel. Why not instead, have time slots for pool use indoors for appartments users? Why get rid of pitch and putt when clearly everyone loved it?? Ridiculous.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Joanna Robb, General Manager at Beach Retreat Apartments
Responded 13 Jul 2022
Hi Felix, Thank you for taking a moment to review your recent stay with us at the Beach Retreats. Our decision to separate the Beach Retreats and Woolacombe Bay Hotel into two separate entities is a permanent change and was a carefully considered one. The change was mindfully communicated to our guests on numerous occasions over the past 2 years to give ample choice to find more suitable accommodation elsewhere should the Beach Retreats no longer meet guests' requirements. On average during June, our Beach Retreat Apartments are already extremely competitively priced at just £120 per night for up to 4 adults (£30 per person, per night) even less if children are in the party. This also includes free parking in Woolacombe and high-speed Wi-Fi for all guests. We will, of course, monitor the temperature of the pool over the summer and if any remedial maintenance work is required we will carry this out at our earliest convenience. Kind regards, Joanna Woolacombe Beach Retreats
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I was a little apprehensive before our stay, based on the reviews here; however, I was so happy when we arrived. We had a lovely, spacious 2 bed/2 bath ground floor (some steps were involved!) apartment. The terrace was huge, with great views down to the bay. Cleanliness was fair, but not pristine. Both bathrooms could do with an update, but were functional. The kitchen again was functional and had pretty much everything we needed (no corkscrew!). The bedrooms were both a good size with comfy beds & pillows.
The location is fantastic - just a few minutes down to the shops, bars, restaurants & beach. Lots of amazing walks on the doorstep (our do was particularly happy!).
The apartments are well-cared for and spacious. You may no longer be able to use the hotel’s facilities (but then you’re not paying that price tag) and it might not be top level luxury, but these apartments are very comfortable for a week’s stay and offer excellent value for money. We had such a good week in Woolacombe and would be very happy to stay here again.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed in the height of summer/August 2023. Apartment was basic but fine for a base we spent most of the day out so only really slept here or got takeaways. The pool was disappointing! It was freezing and the kids could not use it because it was so so cold. There is no way this is heated we would not stay for this reason as the kids love a pool on holiday but one where they can actually not get hyperthermia!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I didn’t realise the apartments weren’t attached to the hotel but it didn’t really matter to us in the end. Our priority was being close to the beach and attractions and this was perfect, a short walk meaning we could leave the car and not have to pay for endless car parking. We had an upstairs apartment which was plenty big enough for the 3 of us, we didn’t spend much time there. It was basic but clean and tidy, not as well equipped as other places I’ve stayed but wasn’t a problem. Would stay again, but wish the check in check out times weren’t so late/early. The staff were downstairs staring at our windows waiting for us to leave from about 8.30am. One of your kind staff members chased after us to return some shoes I’d left behind which was nice of her.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was a last minute family holiday, perfect location to walk into Woolacombe and to the beach.
Amazing views over the bay and a great little stay for families, the children loved the pool! Lovely big balconies but not big enough to have dinner on. Luckily we had family staying below with a terrace
Pros: - Great location - Amazing views - very shallow pool for kids - parking
Cons: - very very dated apartments for the cost! Bathrooms in urgent need of upgrading - pool is shallow for adults - they charge per day for dogs but don't even leave so much as a treat
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Ask to look out over bay
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pet Friendly - Close to Beach - Basic but Clean Tucked away up the road we never knew existed until we got a dog and looked because we couldn’t stop at main hotel any more. Is basic sure but clean, easily accessible, only short walk from beach and everything in Woolacombe including dog friendly pub the Jube which is great for a beer and meal. We always come in off season so much quieter which we like. We might come in summer but you have to book for 7 nights which is always too long for us as I don’t get much down time from work. Seen reviews pool is cool, we never used but does look chilly but is November so not surprised. Sheets and towels all supplied after that is self catering. Wi-Fi good and TV decent quality.
We love it here been a few times and will defo come again 😃👍🏽
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Can park outside no problem.
There are steps so wheelchair access could be tricky.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandDevonWoolacombe
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