Cally Palace Hotel & Golf Course

Nice hotel sitting in the forest and green.

A big clean room, a little bit old fashion. Barman staff wasn’t as friendly as other members of the hotel but everybody was polite. Impressive sitting rooms. Swimming pool with showers and spa included in regular rate. Recommendedz

We’ve just returned from our 30th family stay . We love the place, however it’s pretty obvious that the new owners (“Bespoke” Hotels) have made some changes which are not enhancing the experience. I’m hopefully this will change however. The golf course was in probably the worst condition I have seen for 20 odd years . One example : The 3rd and 4th holse didn’t have a fairway as it hadn’t been cut for weeks, at least half the greens were like the surface of the moon and the tees were similarly uncared for . The exterior of the conservatory is a flaking mess and obviously hasn’t been prioritised. Hopefully this will improve ! The food used to be the highlight of the stay . You know you are on shaky ground when you are asked to decide at breakfast what you want that evening (I’ve never experienced that before !!) . We chatted to the chief .. it’s obvious they can’t attract and retain the people they need (I will leave it at that ). Lemon tart delivered an a thick dry and tasteless base, Bass over cooked with a bland sauce, sticky toffee that was so bad we couldn’t finish … I genuinely fear for this hotel and as I said we’ve loved it for 30 years . You can’t cut green staff and kitchen staff and expect the customer experience to not be affected. The owners appear to be focussed on cutting the bottom line rather than trying to grow the top line … but I sincerely hope they get the balance . Can we at least start with gutting some grass !!

This is a lovely friendly hotel, relaxed and in beautiful grounds with golf course. Reasonable prices, delicious food, and a great breakfast. Nice large rooms and dog friendly. Lots of nice woodland dog walks. Nice and comfortable reception areas to sit and have drink and chat, games cupboard too.

Four-poster bed and a high ceiling in the room, two ridiculously comfy armchairs and it was toasty warm. First night we arrived during a storm, the window was a bit rattly, but some cardboard from reception solved that. The hair dryer attached to the wall in the bathroom was original from when the building was erected, I believe, and I would have had better results if I'd stuck my head out the window. Staff were all really helpful and lovely, especially the bar man. The food was generally pretty good, with the best Cullen Skink I have tasted anywhere. And the worst sticky toffee pudding! This was removed from the bill when I complained, so fair enough.

Staff not interested in customer services right from arriving to leaving a day early! We had dinner at the hotel, fish and chips and both felt really sick later in the evening which lasted through the night. The waiter asked us if our food was ok but wasn't interested in an answer. The peas were not peas but a tiny pea sauce and when I asked about the food was told to check the menu. The bed had springs, or something sticking out so I couldn't sleep on it. The porridge was way too lumpy to eat any of it. In the tiny bathroom, there were used toiletries, including used shower cap. We had asked if we could check in a bit early and discovered at check out, a day earlier than we booked, there was a £25 charge which we knew nothing about, until then. It was our anniversary but on hindsight, we should've gone to a different hotel.

Lovely hotel. Some of it rather tired and dated and needs a good update. There weren’t enough staff for the number of guests but those staff that were there were very helpful. They were just struggling to do their job as there wasn’t enough of them and often you’d have to ask to get things a couple of times when dining as they’d forget, eg asking for mayonnaise/ketchup etc. The set menus for package deal were repetitive and pretty boring. Mushroom risotto 3 nights in a row for example. They accommodated dietary needs eg coeliac but sometimes there was confusion around what was and what wasn’t gluten free. The pool area was nice, unfortunately the jacuzzi wasn’t working. There’s a lovely outside seating area at the back with big granite like benches and tables. Plus a couple of tables and plastic chairs on a terrace by the conservatory and bar which were lovely to sit in the sunshine. Lovely grounds for walks or a round of golf. Lovely lounges with old comfortable chairs to relax in. We also used the table tennis and pool table. The bedroom we had was spacious, 2 large wardrobes, a bathroom and a separate shower room with toilet. Tea and coffee making facilities. The beds were comfortable. The room just needed some TLC but was clean and tidy. We were in the Forest Wing and were a large family group. Trying to get hold of reception prior to our holiday was a nightmare, they never answer the phone. Had to go through Bespoke Hotels. However they were very accommodating when asking for special requests as our family were celebrating a very special occasion.

We stayed for one night with an Itison voucher. Staff were generally friendly and the drive into the hotel is beautiful. Room was quite dated but grand in size with a massive window overlooking the golf course. Pool and sauna was lovely, but unfortunately the hot tub was out of use. We didn’t book dinner but went down for drinks at around 7:15 but were told to come back as they were full… but there was only one other family drinking across two rooms, which we found a little odd. We had a good sleep and the buffet breakfast in the morning was lovely. Investment into Cally Palace to bring it into the 21st Century would make it a real show stopping hotel, as it’s an amazing building set on beautiful grounds.

Two night stay (Friday / Saturday) for a relaxing weekend away. Hotel was busy, particularly at breakfast. Very enjoyable and staff were friendly. My wife follows a vegan diet and for the first time ever at a hotel restaurant, she was greeted by a staff member who was aware of her dietary requirements and advised what options were available before she read the menu. I always make a note on the reservation and follow up phone /email so the hotel is aware, but the greeting was pleasantly unexpected. Hotel was comfortable and the grounds are ideal for walking. Restaurant food and service was good for both breakfast and evening meal. Our experience was the total opposite of some of the previous reviews. Nearby Gatehouse of Fleet is a small village but has a couple of excellent pubs. The hotel is old so some creaky floorboards can be expected but nothing to spoil a visit. If there is a party in the room next door, raise it with the staff and at least give them the chance to react - don't do nothing then moan! Well worth a visit and we will look to return.