Burgh Island Hotel Art Deco Delight In Devon
I have always wanted to live in a true art deco home. However, Burgh Island Hotel will more than do for the time being.
Spending 4 nights on the island soaking up that period style and ambience was a real treat for me. And gave me plenty of time to absorb it all too.
Arriving for dinner at Burgh Island.
Located on a twice a day tidal island just off the Devon coast. This Grade II listed property has recently undergone a substantial refurbishment under the guidance of its new owners Giles Fuchs and Duncan Gray.
The historic hotel has played host to many of the rich and famous over the years. It has been used as a setting for a number of films and TV programmes. Agatha Christie used it as the location for her crime thriller ‘Evil Under The Sun’. An episode of Lovejoy was also filmed there.
Evil Under The Sun written at the hotel.
Actor and writer Noel Coward came to stay or a few days but stayed several weeks! The Beatles visited.
Churchill, Mitchell and Christie All Stayed
It is thought Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt spent time there during the preparations for D Day. Around that same time, it was being used as re-cooperation hospital for World War II RAF personnel.
Mural in the Grand Ballroom.
Back in the 1930’s the designer of the Spitfire R J Mitchell did spend time at the Burgh Island hotel. Perhaps the wings of the seagulls wheeling overhead helped him in his design whilst there?
Art deco lives here at Burgh Island Hotel in South Devon UK.
Today the hotel plays homage in full to the art deco period. With the rooms, corridors and function areas being dressed completely with period furnishings and artefacts. Even the gentlemen’s toilets are fully of the period too!
Gents toilet in 1930’s style of course.
Burgh Island Hotel Cut Off Twice A Day
What has helped to make this such an iconic hotel is the method of transport to it. Their unique ‘Sea Tractor’ can ferry guests to the hotel at high tide. At low tide guests can walk or be ferried by their four-wheeled land cruiser vehicles the 250 metres to the island.
Sea Tractor returning to the hotel.
Timing is the key as if you get it wrong there will be times that the waves close off the beach. As it does twice daily and bee warned from two directions. On moment its six inches and soon then its six feet!
There are 25 rooms and suites in the hotel booked mainly on a half board basis with lunch and cocktails being charged separately.
Dine and Dance
Dressing for dinner in the Grand Ballroom is derigueur. The etiquette of which this is so well loved by the guests. Whom then get a musical accompaniment with dinner. And depending on the day of the week it can be a small band or pianist and singer with of course period songs.
Music with dinner at Burgh Island.
The songs of 1930’s entertainers like Al Bowlly, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire are all likely to be heard. Along with big band classics from the time like Roy Fox and Lew Stone.
A nice touch is the pre-dinner cocktails served in the huge conservatory Palm Court Lounge where the guests mingle and down Martini’s, Sidecars or my favourite a Singapore Sling.
Art deco everywhere Burgh Island.
The dining experience in the dining room is first class. You are certainly not rushed and can take in the whole ambience whilst being attended to by a team of excellent waiting staff. Serving numerous well-presented and beautifly cooked dishes.
Dressed for dinner for me maybe once or twice a year. Here four nights in a row!
With a few glasses of wine and the music you may even be tempted to take to the dance floor which many couples do, further helping to recreate that age of extravagant, elegance of the 1930’s.
Burgh Island Hotel South Devon UK.
There is an option if you don’t feel the need to dress formally for dinner, the breakfast and more casual Nettlefold dining room is an option but still retains that opulent feel.
Maritime Views and A Mermaid’s Pool
Around the island and hotel gardens there are a few footpaths to investigate to obtain great views back over the hotel and to the mainland beyond too.
Burgh Island Hotel South Devon UK.
Mermaid Pool, a sheltered man-made sea water pool and a small beach does make for a cosy summer seating area just below the hotel. A path nearby takes you past Agatha’s Beach House which is where she penned two of her Hercule Poirot crime thrillers.
Mermaid suite lounge
The hotel is without doubt a really refreshing experience where you can sample the maritime cruise like climate above the waves on your concrete ship moored firmly off South Devon’s Bigbury Bay.
Stylish throughout, the charm of stepping back nearly 100 years is not to be missed. And capturing a little of that 30’s elegance is no easier than checking into the Burgh Island Hotel. Where it’s time machine properties will have you there from the moment you cross the threshold.
This Post Has 3 Comments
Tell you what mate you really do scrub up well !! Where’s my lovely sister in law ?
The takeover of Burgh Island has been progressively in privatising public space. Barring the public from the Pilchard Inn and walking on the island to visit the old chapel/pilchard look out hut. A sad loss due to exclusive privatisation.
When I stayed there were people coming in for tea from the mainland. Which was not the case when I visited a number of years ago you were banned from the hotel unless you were a guest. I met a number of people at The Pilchard that were not staying too?