Where to Stay

People have traveled the world to visit Plymouth for many centuries. The Pilgrim Fathers are said to have much enjoyed their accommodation in the Island House and other inns here, and the hospitality they received before setting off for America. Hundreds of years later you will find that hospitality still very much in evidence. Plymothians are well used to visitors and love having them. One thing is for sure however, the facilities offered have much improved since the days of the Pilgrims!

Accommodation ranges from the deluxe, in a few cases, to the very inexpensive, with an enormous amount to choose from in the medium range. Many of the hotels and guesthouses are within the city centre area or on the Barbican and Hoe, only minutes away. This makes shopping and sightseeing so much easier for the visitor, as it can be done effortlessly on foot. But with the beauties of Dartmoor, Cornwall and the South Hams so close at hand, you may want to find accommodation there for your base.

In the deluxe range, the premier hotel has to be the Burgh Island Hotel of Agatha Christie fame, the magnificent Art Deco building on a little island just off the coast at Bigbury-on-Sea. Its suites all have magnificent sea views, as well as Art Deco furniture and the fun of traveling to the mainland on the world's only giant Sea Tractor.

The Copthorne in Plymouth's city centre is very popular with business and international travellers. Many of their staff are highly trained linguists. If you stay at this expensive, but high quality hotel, you might well have the Royal Ballet Company or Baron de Rothschild as fellow guests.

The Plymouth Holiday Inn is well equipped with several luxuriously appointed bedrooms, including many with magnificent views across Plymouth Hoe.

The Posthouse is not the most beautiful building you'll ever see, but the inside more than makes up for it, with fine, comfortable rooms. This is another hotel with superb views across Plymouth Sound out to the Eddystone lighthouse. There are many facilities for conferences, seminars and business meetings.

If you are looking for a hotel with exterior as well as interior magnificence, the Duke of Cornwall harks back to earlier times. It has turrets and castellations and an air of elegant grandeur. The inside is just as magnificent, with sweeping staircases and a superb chandelier. Even Sir John Betjeman called this 'the finest building in Plymouth.'

The New Continental Hotel is very comfortable. While you are relieving your tensions with a relaxing swim, don't miss the large, hand-painted tile mural by local artist, Diana Bennett, in the swimming pool. It depicts a classical scene, with marble pillars and mostly female figures, tastefully draped, lounging around an indoor bathhouse.

The Moorland Links Hotel is just north of the city, on the edge of Dartmoor. Set in magnificent gardens, with adjoining golf course, it is a splendid hotel. Close to both the industrial and scenic areas, its location is ideal for both business and leisure travelers.

The Horn of Plenty is a country house hotel, set between the rivers Tavy and Tamar, and surrounded by the foothills of Dartmoor. It has four acres of beautiful gardens and orchards for its guests to enjoy and a wonderful atmosphere, with log fires in winter. The restaurant has won many awards and the hotel has been designed for the luxurious pampering of adults.

In the moderate range, a good option is the scenicTwo Bridges Hotel on Dartmoor. This was apparently the Duke of Windsor's favorite place to stay whilst on fishing trips, and it certainly has more than its fair share of enthusiastic anglers now.

Back on the outskirts of the city, the Novotel, placed conveniently at the big Marsh Mills roundabout, is another hotel very popular with business travelers. It has a very good conference trade.

Old fashioned hospitality and personal service are assured at the Imperial Hotel, an elegant Victorian building with comfortable rooms. It's the nearest hotel to the famous Theatre Royal, so a good place to choose if you've come down especially to see some of their magnificent performances.

Another conveniently placed hotel is the Grosvenor Park, located near the Plymouth Railway Station. Their rates are very reasonable, with refurbished bedrooms, a residents' bar, elegant restaurant and quiet lounge. They also do themed breaks, so if you are into golf, diving or bowls, they can offer you a good package.

The Bowling Green Hotel on Plymouth Hoe lives up to its name, overlooking Sir Francis Drake's Bowling Green. Besides the wonderful views across the Hoe and Plymouth Sound, look in the opposite direction and you'll see Dartmoor on the horizon.

There are several accommodation choices in the inexpensive range. They range from very basic rooms like at Brimpts Farm, to handy campsites and youth hostels, to the wealth of bed and breakfast establishments that line Plymouth's leafy back streets.

Westwinds is a welcoming, family-run hotel close to Plymouth Hoe. They offer an excellent full English breakfast and also allow small pets.

Come and enjoy the ozone on the seafront at Plymouth! That surely must account for the Rusty Anchor's name, but rest assured, everything else is in excellent condition.

The Kynance Hotel is a handy place if you're planning to travel to Europe by Brittany Ferry. The port is close by and they will be happy to supply an excellent breakfast before you head out for the early morning ferry.

Sea Breezes is a typical Victorian town house, also very close to the ferry terminal. They are only 25 yards from the seafront, with a good view of the ferries coming through Plymouth Sound.

The kind folks at the Osmond Guest House will pick you up from either the train or the bus station. Their tastefully decorated Edwardian house is open all year, has excellent facilities, and is in the West Hoe region on Plymouth's seafront.

Plymouth Youth Hostel is situated in a historic house in the residential area of Stoke, and you must join the association to stay here. Most accommodation is communal, although you can rent family rooms.

If you have children and a tent, you may want to stay at the Woodlands Camping & Caravan Park. Two nights stay here will give the whole family free access to the wonderful Woodlands Leisure Park with oodles of adventurous activities like death slides and water-coasters. Another excellent camping place is Southleigh with its warm swimming pool and nightly entertainment in the summer. They also have masses of caravans and several children's play areas including a fun zip wire.

There are many more hotels and guest-houses available in Plymouth with prices to suit every pocket. So come to Plymouth and feel right at home.