Dartmoor Partnership Ltd Inspection Scheme.
Serviced Accommodation Report
Inspection 14th June 2010 by David Farrant
Name: Mr Robert Hughes
Establishment: Tavistock Arms Hotel, Fore Street, Gunnislake, PL189BN
Email: tavistockarms@aol.com
Serviced Accommodation: 6x Double or Twin Rooms; 1 Double in Annex
On my arrival in the car part at the back of the hotel, I noticed straight away the smart new veranda and sitting out area at the back entrance. Barbara was there and I explained that I was there to see Robert but was ten minutes early, none the less Robert came to meet me and I sat quietly in the Bar whilst Robert & his son Matthew went through the bookings. Robert and his wife have owned the friendly family run Hotel for some 20 years and now have their two sons Matthew & Michael in the business with them.
We completed the Legal Obligations & Inspection Disclaimer. Public Liability Insurance is now with AVIVA for £2m to be renewed 15/08/10. The Tariff was attractively displayed at the door £22.50pppn (£45 a double). It is made quite clear that breakfast is not included in the price. A Continental at £3.50 and a full English at £7.50 plus a vegetarian option are all available. There is a free Kenco hot drinks dispenser on the landing and this suits some guests who wish to go early, rather than have breakfast. Dinner and other meals are of course available in either the snug or the main restaurant where the tables were all nicely laid at the time of my visit.
There is a comprehensive Fore Risk Assessment and ACE Fire Equipment installed hard-wired alarms, emergency lighting and illuminated exit signs at the doors. There are Fire Extinguishers on every floor and the hard-wired alarms are tested weekly and the date of the tests recorded.
I visited 5 of the rooms, some had only just been vacated but all are obviously nicely furnished and carpeted and the beds are imaginatively covered and lit by lights set into the wall above the beds or bed-side lamps, plus lights over the mirror and if there is no space for a wardrobe they have a hanging rail for clothes. The windows are all double glazed and the curtains lined. The bathrooms are all en-suite and very clean with very nice tiled floors and Mira Shower, Lavatory plus basin with a light and shaver point. Automatic Ventaxia are fitted. They have a selection of toiletries and nice fresh towels provided in each bathroom. The notices in the bedrooms now refer to the policy of low carbon emissions and the towels are all line-dried using the heat in the cellar from the deep freezes. All the bedrooms are equipped with a digital flat screen TV and wired for Wi-Fi Internet.
The Annex room (5a) is a way down Commercial St. It is similarly furnished and equipped but has a wide door entrance at street level and also a wide door into the large shower room so it is quite suitable for wheelchair users. Robert has yet to do an access statement this year and he will include this fact on it. With a table and chairs added to the room and the existing small kitchen expanded it could perhaps be made into a small self catering annex.
There is no separate breakfast room but guests normally use the smaller of the two restaurants (The Snug), with a large wood burner and nicely laid out tables and chairs. Dinner is still very popular and Matthew told me that a significant proportion of the guests eat in. Robert also showed me over the men's' and ladies' Lavatories on the ground floor of which he is justifiably proud. They are very modern, sparkling clean and as far removed from the traditional pub lavatory as they could be!
All in all this is an attractive and well run Hotel which coupled with the friendly enthusiasm of the Hughes family makes it a very good member of the Dartmoor Partnership
David Farrant 14th June 2010
Your Property was inspected by an independent inspector on behalf of the DP Ltd.