When I read about Lympstone Manor in a travel magazine in May, I decided I wanted to go there in June!  We booked one of their Deluxe Garden Rooms for just two nights (because we had a tight schedule), at £455/night b&b.  Lympstone Manor is the realisation of chef/patron Michael Caines MBE’s dream to create a luxury country house hotel with fine dining, located in Devon, on a hillock overlooking the Exe estuary, just a couple of miles outside the seaside town of Exmouth.  The main building is a grade II listed Georgian mansion house which now connects to a wing of new bedrooms and garden rooms, and it sits in a landscaped plot of lawns, woods, ponds and a newly planted vineyard with stunning views across the estuary and out to sea.

I’ve long admired chef Michael Caines, but never eaten his food, so the food element was a major driver of my decision to visit (the restaurant is reviewed separately). The hotel opened in April 2017 and its restaurant won one Michelin star in the 2018 UK guide. Caines used to work at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons and he remains a close friend of it’s chef/proprietor Raymond Blanc, and it’s clear to see that he wants to create something as good as Le Manoir, which just happens to be my all-time favourite UK hotel.

I had pre-booked transfers from Exeter airport (half an hour away) through the hotel, and a Mercedes taxi was waiting for us on arrival.  When we got to Lympstone we noticed two Porsche branded electric car charging points, and then parked in the driveway a brand new Porsche Panamera hybrid, carrying Lympstone Manor branding.  I asked if we could take our return transfer in the Porsche, but I was told they’re not insured to carry their guests. How odd; and what a missed opportunity to provide a unique service in this part of the country.

Otherwise our check in was smooth and warm, and we were taken to our room, which involved a very short walk outside (umbrellas are at hand in case of rain).  First impressions were very very good. We entered the room through its garden terrace which offered comfy seating, a table with a gas fire pit (which didn’t work) and a stone outdoor bathtub. The tub appeared to be of cream limestone, which matched the terrace floor.  Inside the spacious bedroom we had a small lounge area with sofa, then a big bed facing a large flat TV on the wall, then a writing desk, and on a low platform was a free-standing bathtub and a single sink, before a large shower room and a separate toilet at the rear.  Thick cream carpeting and pastel-blue and cream decor made for a bright and airy room which totally suited its seaside location.

Having just checked their website I’ve seen that they upgraded us into this room, which was in fact a Master Suite room, called Gannet. All of the rooms are named after a bird found around the estuary, and they contain local original drawings of that bird.

 

 

 

 

 

Our room didn’t have a mini-bar or coffee machine, but it had a couple of miniatures of gins, Fever free tonics and an ice bucket, so that we could relax from our journey with a good G&T. Sadly this didn’t happen on the 2nd night.  And in the mornings, in addition to a wake-up call, someone brought fresh coffees to the room.

Once we had unpacked we went on a half hour walk around the grounds, on a pathway they mark as “Lady’s Walk”.  It was fantastically warm sunny weather when we visited, but the hotel does supply (Hunter) Wellington boots for those wanting to take country walks when the weather’s not so good.  We saw their newly planted young orchard (trees only about 5ft high) and the new vineyard, but to my surprise we didn’t find a kitchen garden.   On the walk we made friends with a little black cat, who followed us back to the room and then visited us a few more times during our stay.

Then we visited the sumptuously comfortable bar area and had a cocktail and a plate of “Devon Rarebit” from the snack menu, as we weren’t going to have a large meal that night.  The rarebit mix was delicious and the bread it was served on was fresh, thick and crunchy. There were also some dressed leaves as a garnish; it was just what I wanted. And the French bar lady serving us was charming – through our stay she happily delivered drinks to our room. 9.5/10

After a very comfortable sleep in the huge bed we took breakfast in ‘Berryhead’, one of their three dining rooms. In the centre of the room was a ‘continental’ buffet selection, from where we grabbed OJ, granola with fresh fruit and yogurt, and then we ordered a cooked dish from the menu.  Comme d’habitude I went for the eggs Benedict, but I was quite disappointed with it because the egg yolks were hard and there was very little hollandaise sauce, so this was a much drier dish than I’m used to. I ordered the same thing the next day, to see if the first one was a blip, but the same faults appeared. 5/10

After breakfast we grabbed a pair of the bicycles the hotel keeps and cycled down to the estuary shore and then along a pathway which runs beside the branch railway line and the estuary, to Exmouth.  We went through the town, hugging the coast and then along its long bay to its lifeboat station at the far end.  It was total round-trip of about ten miles, which we easily managed because the area seems to have a lot of well-maintained cycle lanes, and it was flat terrain.

After our ride we spent the rest of the day sunbathing on the loungers provided on the lawned area in front of our suite, enjoying a jug of Pimms brought from the bar.  We broke up our sun-god worshipping sessions by retreating inside to enjoy the cooling Dyson fan thoughtfully provided.  That fan, the Hunters, the bikes, the G&Ts, the sun loungers, the morning coffees, all show how Lympstone Manor focusses on the little things which make your stay so much more pleasureable and relaxing.  Add that to the superbly appointed and furnished guest rooms, and you can see the service proposition Michael Caines is creating here.  In general the staff were great (professional and friendly), but I noticed one or two shortcomings which can easily be improved with training over time. They’re already a member of the luxury French collection Relais & Chateaux (which also features Le Manoir).  If they can tighten things up just a little, improve the eggs Benedict, add guest insurance to the Porsche, and when the orchard and vineyard are more mature, this would be a top level country house hotel.

PS I left my toothbrush charger in my room when I checked out and the hotel phoned me about it even before I’d realised my mistake. I got it in the post two days later, without charge.  For me, that’s a really good and important piece of customer service, which I wish more hotels would practice.