Hotel Riviera
Sidmouth, Devon
Good Hotel Guide Review
For more than 40 years the Wharton family have welcomed guests to their bow-fronted, stuccoed, seafront hotel – and if little has changed over time, that’s fine with devotees. New carpets have been laid and the bedrooms refurbished, but they retain their quilted headboards, swags and pelmets, ‘sheets, blankets, no duvet nonsense’. ‘Lovely sea views from our room on the third floor,’ readers relate this year. ‘Well equipped and comfortable. Good public rooms with first-rate service.’ You don’t come here to be trendy, but to enjoy a Devonshire cream tea among the potted palms on the terrace, to be served by attentive, uniformed staff, to relax on the beach, to walk the South West Coast Path, and to listen to the brass band in Connaught Gardens on a summer Sunday evening. In the restaurant there is a sense of occasion, as diners tuck into chicken liver parfait, grilled Dover sole, or roast rack of lamb with thyme jus and ratatouille. The breakfast menu brings fresh orange or grapefruit juice, prunes, gammon, Loch Fyne smoked fish, along with the usual full English. (Tony and Shirley Hall, P and AD, IM, and others)
Hotel details
Address
The Esplanade
Sidmouth
Devon
EX10 8AY
England
Telephone
01395 515201
Bedrooms
26. None on ground floor.
Open
all year.
Facilities
small lift, foyer, lounge, bar, restaurant, function rooms, in-room TV (Freeview), terrace, parking (£8.50 a day), public rooms wheelchair accessible.
Background music
in bar and restaurant, occasional pianist in bar.
Children
all ages welcomed, under-3s free, extra bed 25%–75% of per-person adult rate.
Dogs
small dogs allowed in some bedrooms (£17.50 a night, by arrangement), not in public rooms.
Credit cards
Amex, MC, Visa.
Prices
B&B doubles from £272, singles from £136. Set-price dinner £50–£54 (3/5 courses), à la carte £60.
Other reviews
VisitEngland Four Star Hotel
AA Four Star Hotel with Two AA Rosettes
Good Hotel Guide articles about
Hotel Riviera
- Visit South Devon: Five hotels for weddings in Devon
- Wedding Ideas Magazine: The top 10 most beautiful Devon wedding venues
- Visit South Devon: Five South Devon hotels for foodies
My room was clean, comfortable and well appointed. The food was well cooked, attractively presented and of top quality. Everything was brought to the table at breakfast;. there was a good choice of cooked dish, and the service was friendly and attentive. Most of the staff addressed me by name and, without exception, they gave the impression of being committed to providing first class service to all their guests.
- Ian Marshall - November 2020
Just a brief not to confirm that this hotel really does deserve its entry in the Guide. Hard to imagine how a (relatively) small hotel could be bettered in present (or most other) circumstances. Very helpful, cheerful and well-trained staff; consistently imaginative but unpretentious cooking to very high standards. Our room was spacious, with the best planned bathroom we have met for many years. A real treat, right down to valet parking, which was a wholly unexpected bonus in a hotel of this size.
- Michael Lewis - October 2020
This hotel, has a wonderful feel about it, and very attentive and well trained staff. The food is first class; the five-course dinner each night was delicious and well thought out. Full cooked English breakfast was superb. We also had a table in one of the bay windows which was much appreciated. The rooms are excellent - all the normal services with plenty of storage space and two chairs to sit in the bay window looking out to sea.
- Richard Bright - January 2020
We again booked a sea view room, comfortable and well appointed in every respect. We again emphasise the outstanding quality of the service in all areas. Dinner is an event to look forward to. The main courses were imaginative without being excessively elaborate. One can be entirely confident of tasty, interesting, well -cooked food, a relaxed atmosphere and service which ensures that the meal proceeds at a steady pace. Breakfast was excellent.
- John Charnley - June 2019
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