Nestled on a hill overlooking the beautiful bay of Inner Hope, you’ll find Hope Cove House– a perfectly formed small family run hotel. We absolutely love driving down to the South-West and this October half term we had planned to visit our friends and their new Hotel venture down in South Devon.
Having set up and been running an extremely successful restaurant in London’s Holland Park ‘Six Portland Road‘, Oli and Alexandra decided to uproot their family and go on to pastures new with a life on the Devonshire coast with their two boys and take their hospitality and culinary expertise to the next level!
Harry and Louis have been best friends since they started school 6years ago, so when we heard the news that they were leaving London, he was devastated…however we assured him we’d visit them in their new life by the sea. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, winding lanes and smack bang in front of a stunning beach, their new home and business is enviable.
Approaching the car park, we were greeted by the boys already out the front with their rugby ball. Surfboards and kayaks are stacked up against the hotel wall, the sea in the distance looking incredibly inviting and the sun beaming down reflecting off the blue and green chairs and tables out the front: what a welcoming sight!
Hope Cove House has a total of 10 bedrooms over two floors, kitted out with the crispest white cotton linen, freshly picked flowers and sea views to die for. Alexandra’s impeccably stylish interior taste shines through everywhere you look. On the ground floor, the entrance is just like walking into someone’s house. Wet-weather gear and wellies line the coat racks, while a giant wooden clothes horse is adorned with the boys’ wetsuits slung over to dry.
Walking through into the open-plan living areas, we were met with an abundance of natural light flooding in, bouncing off the heavy duty coffee table books. The vast textures and colours of the soft furnishings and plumped Designers Guild cushions ooze comfort and set the scene for a calming and relaxing space. The injection of the colour blue runs through all of the design features from the odd painted door, to the water tray, Bar stools and the odd vase. They’ve created a communal space that flows. Each area has its defined purpose, whether it be to sit back and relax by the tv and wood burning fire/ kick back to admire the views and read the Sunday papers, or indeed perch up at the bar to sample the extensive wine list. At the far end is the dining area.
Oli’s successful career in the Restaurant business has of course compounded their passion for an impeccable dining experience- quality food and exceptional wine. There are tables for dining both inside and on the terrace and the menu changes daily. We ate both breakfast and dinner at the hotel which was all very delicious and the children’s needs were also met.
Our stay was made even more magical because we were joined by two other families from the kids’ school and we made the most of what was available on our doorstep with all of our broods! Activities included the obligatory beach action of course, as well as a 2hour hilltop walk which you MUST do if you visit. The local village is walkable, housing a small quaint post office complete with penny sweets, ice-creams and souvenirs in addition to The Cove Bar- a perfect stop-off after the beach!
In between our outdoor activities, chilling in the hotel was blissful. If the children weren’t kicking a ball around outside, they were rummaging through the fancy dress trunk, or playing boardgames. There was always music on in the background so you constantly felt relaxed and at home.
We absolutely loved visiting Hope Cove House. We all had the best sleep ever because the beds are so comfy and the amazing hospitality we received made the trip such a pleasurable one. It won’t be long before we’re back again that’s for sure!
Visit the website here: https://hopecovehouse.co
by Laura xx
