Duke Of Cornwall Hotel

Stay was cancelled last minute

They moved me to the hotel over to road because of a health and safety issue. I was looked after ok. The staff were polite and friendly.

The hotel cancelled my booking .

The hotel cancelled my booking

Beautiful, central, fantastic staff.

Building is in need of some maintenance.

Nothing. It was closed.

Having our booking cancelled at very short notice due to so called essential maintenance and only hours after being offered,accepting and paying for an upgraded room.

Friendly staff, great facilities and peaceful atmosphere.

Location in the city centre and value for money.

We love to stay at the Duke. Unfortunately we were turned away as the hotel had to be closed for an essential maintenance issue. I believe all guests were allocated to the Moxy across the road. We only found out when we tried to book in.

Very difficult review as it was not the hotels fault I guess. As it happened the stay at the Moxy was brilliant.

History

A lovely old building full of history

Nothing

No Internet to use laptop or tablet. Television too far away from bed

Location, beautiful old building. Spacious and comfortable bedroom.

Restaurant wasn’t open. No soundproofing between floors - couldn’t sleep as all noise from bedroom above could be heard.

Love this hotel, dated , needs TLC but such a beautiful hotel

Nothing really

There is absolutely no wifi, completely unacceptable in 2026!! The hotel is old but perfectly comfortable, with spacious rooms, a comfortable bed and lots of hot water. The staff on Reception are very nice indeed, but without wifi this is not a hotel to stay in. The hotel needs to state this upfront and make sure guests know beforehand - I suspect they do not do this as most people would choose to go elsewhere.

Great location, friendly staff and large rooms. Like that you can get more coffee from the reception as needed. Good value room. Pet friendly too.

Older rooms. As the rooms are large, I was a bit cold. A dressing gown would have pushed my score up.

My stay was wholly unsatisfactory and deeply concerning, particularly regarding accessibility, health and safety, and service standards. Despite advertising itself as accessible, this hotel is not suitable for guests with mobility impairments. Accessibility & Safety Before arrival, I was assured by phone that the car park and access routes were safe and suitable for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility. This was completely inaccurate. The car park was uneven, full of potholes, loose gravel, rubble, and blocked vehicles. Access to the hotel required crossing narrow steel walkways with slopes on either side, extremely slippery in wet conditions, bordered by scaffolding and an unprotected drop — with no warning signage. A wheelchair could not safely use these walkways at all (mine physically would not fit). The entrance involved wet, slippery steps. I required physical assistance from my partner and son to enter and exit safely. This was distressing, dangerous, and observed by management without alternative access being offered. Internally, the passenger lift is too small for wheelchair use, and the wheelchair lift was out of service throughout my stay. Room & Facilities I was promised an accessible ground-floor room with a disability-friendly bathroom. Instead, I was allocated a room on the fourth floor, with no suitable facilities. The bathroom was not accessible; the shower had a raised lip, making it unsafe for anyone with mobility issues. I specifically raised concerns about emergency evacuation before and during my stay. I was told lifts could be used in a fire and reassured that I would be “alright” because the hotel had “never had one.” This response demonstrates a serious lack of understanding of fire safety and disabled evacuation planning. No Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) could be provided. Condition of the Hotel The property is in a clear state of disrepair: dirty carpets, stains from leaking showers, cracked window panes, doors that do not fit properly (a serious fire safety concern), unbearably hot rooms with no thermostat, broken fans, and extensive scaffolding. The condition bears little resemblance to online images, which materially misrepresent the current state of the hotel. Service & Food Hygiene Wi-Fi did not work at all, and attempts to contact reception by phone were diverted to a full voicemail. Service was inconsistent and ineffective. A complimentary breakfast was offered following my complaint, but the cooked food from the bain-marie was cold. Sausages were removed from service only after being checked — after some had already been eaten. This resulted in upset stomachs later that day and raises serious food hygiene and temperature-control concerns. Financial & Emotional Impact Because parking was unsafe and unreliable, we were forced to use Uber transport to attend a Plymouth Argyle match, incurring unexpected additional costs. Combined with the physical risk, distress, and lack of reasonable adjustments, this significantly compounded the experience. Final Thoughts Despite being advertised online (and often appearing in searches) as a Best Western, the hotel is no longer owned by the brand, and the standards fall far below what would reasonably be expected. Management was unable or unwilling to provide clear ownership or contact details, and attempts to contact those responsible have gone unanswered. In summary: This hotel is not accessible, not safe for disabled guests, and is seriously misrepresented online. The cumulative failures — unsafe access, lack of reasonable adjustments, inadequate fire safety planning, poor maintenance, food hygiene concerns, and service failures — make this a place I strongly advise mobility-impaired travellers to avoid. Ironically the head office appears to be in Torquay - home of Fawlty Towers …

Nicely furnished with bath and shower. Nice and central. Parking fee reasonable. Reception very welcoming including restaurant staff. Evening meal excellent.

Currently under repair, bridge from car park link to hotel was a little intrepid and lighting needs to be better. Nevertheless, a very important asset to shield one from weather and shorten the walk to the front of the hotel. Signage needs improvement.

The initial room I was allocated was tiny and stank of stale cigarette smoke. I reported this and was offered the only other single room available at the hotel.

Cheap, great location, friendly staff

I have stayed here for the past three years for work appointments. The staff have always been welcoming and helful and the supplied breakfast has been plentiful and varied. The room was reasonably set up with a comfortable bed and clean bathroom.

The room on the fifth floor was incredibly hot inspite of the radiator being off. I could not located the source of the heat, but in late January I had to spend any time in the room with windows open to reduce the heat. The main bar area is very tired in terms of damaged furnishings and a bland set up with little atmosphere to make it attractive.

Comfy warm rooms with specious bathroom.

Price of alcohol 😉

Lovely hotel so clean staff friendly and right next door to my favourite restaurant Salumi 😋

There was NOTHING to Dislike

Nice and comfortable. Breakfast was fresh and hot.

Room 110 When you run the shower you get a quarter of a bath of water as it doesn’t run properly. The telephone was not working, reported but nothing done about it. I don’t think the door locks from inside the knob just kept turning The tv keeps going off for a few moments every now and again ruining the programme No decaf coffee available for the room.

Great location, friendly helpful staff. Comfortable room.

Breakfast was indifferent.

The location was good, and the car parking was handy (although not well advertised or signposted)

The whole hotel was very tired and needs investment. We were kept waiting at the bar and had to go and find someone to serve us. The towels were frayed and not the best quality, and the toiletries weren’t the best. The mattress was very hard as were the pillows so we didn’t sleep well at all. And the window rattled for much of the night. The breakfast also wasn’t very good - the removal and replacement of the lids on the food meant that there was a wait, and the food was cold.

Great location and building

Bit dated, musty smell, couldn't get into the room first time, had to swipe card a few times once I could get in. For a place to sleep, i've stayed in better, but also stayed in worse.

Comfortable So spacious and a really location

Some simple toiletry’s like shampoo would of been nice to have in the bathroom I’m not sure if this is provided in more expensive rooms but it would of at least been nice to have something

Comfortable bed Very nice lounge and bar area

Peeling wallpaper Mice in room Shower sprayed a lot over the top of screen when stood underneath it

Comfy of the bed, easy location, cheerful staff

Bathroom was dirty, no wifi, no phone in the room. You would have to call the reception using your own mobile or leave your room to go to the reception if you wanted to enquire abt something. The radiator in my room wasnt working

Staff were helpful

Room was small, basic and passed its best compared to the rooms we have previously had at the hotel. But it was adequate for one night

I stay here for work quite a lot and it’s great. A proper old school, grand hotel experience.

The single rooms are so reasonably priced and perfect for me.

Unique

Spacious

Staff were excellent. Needs updating rooms etc

Rooms need updating

No hot water to have a shower, broken kettle, all lights switched off completely twice in the room the same evening, when connecting a laptop to a network, hotel' landline phone was not working. My room was at the highest floor.

Bed was ok and tidy room.

Tasty Breakfast and comfortable room, very quiet in rooms.

I think better information regarding available parking would help,

Tv had a bad signal shower very temperamental

It’s a magnificent old building, with good lounges etc., and we had a lovely big room, though it could do with a bit of maintenance. We paid a good price over Christmas. Bed a bit hard, but ok with topper provided.

Performance not quite up to scratch in practice. One example: the breakfast buffet was cold every day, even though we are at different times. Rickety bridge from car park to hotel also left much to be desired.

The staff were good

No ventilation in room Sash cord window ratling all night Breakfast was poor No hot water

A very unique hotel that had a very noble flair. The staircase is very beautiful, as well as the breakfast room. I really love that they have a special heart for dogs. Dogs even get gifts there. Everyone working there is extremely kind, helpful and cheerful. The location is quite close to the Sutton Harbor. Here we found a great restaurant.

The room was large and comfortable. The staff were excellent and so friendly and helpful. Particularly the ladies on reception and the lady serving breakfast.

The sink in room 307 has a blockage problem so the water doesn't go down it for ages. It just needs unblocking.

The toast station and condiments were excellent, clean and hygienic. Very helpful staff. Staff in general very helpful and polite. Shower was excellent although a little high to get in and out at my age. The hotel is perfectly located for Plymouth pavilion

Disappointed that there were no fried eggs on offer and low quality hot food in general. The window in the room was drafty and the bed springs were uncomfortable. Location of the room ment that sleeping was impossible because of the entertainment in the hotel. I phoned reception to complain about the noise only to be told it would stop at midnight.

Historic building. Public rooms pleasantly decorated in keeping with age of building. Convienient location.

Dinner unavailable on my 1st evening despite having booked in advance, apparently due to last minute staff illness. As a female travelling alone in-house catering was my main reason for choosing this hotel. No heating in dining room either day of my stay, despite very cold weather. Room dilapitated, room smelt musty/damp on entry, bedbase broken & propped up on pipe boxing, tv mount unstable (tv screen poining towards floor) lampshades had holes, generally in desperate need of maintainance/updating.

Very friendly and helpful staff. Good breakfast

Limited menu for evening meal

Classy, well presented hotel stepped in history. The front overlooking the city how ever the rear was being worked on. This said, it didn’t take away from the beauty of the front of the property. The inside of the property was beautifully presented and staff were very polite and helpful. Checking in and out was very simple and no complicated direction or over selling. Which was nice.

The rear of the property needed work and it lacked good parking facilities. Breakfast could have been warmer and was limited in its offering compared to others in the area. Having said this, for the price we were happy with our stay! There was a fixed shower head in our room which was around 6 ft off the bath, this was ok for me as I’m only 5ft11. But this may be a slight issue for someone any taller.

Beautiful building. Great location

Have stayed here many times. Regrettably the hotel rooms have become increasingly tired and shabby. The decor is dated wallpaper is torn, paintwork marked and carpets badly stained. Bathrooms are antiquated. The welcome trays are now very sparse and bare minimum has been squashed into a glass jar. Prices for the summer months have trebled. Cannot see the justification for this.

All of it

Nothing

The History

Breakfast

It was beautiful. I felt like I was in downtown abbey. The staircase is just something else. I had a twin room and it was very spacious, with a separated lounge area within the room. He was well presented, comfortable and clean. All areas within the hotel were clean and well presented it was a glorious hotel.

The back of the property - walking in from the car park was a bit of an eye sore but once inside it was fabulous. ( you only see the back outside wall when entering and exiting so it’s not a focal point ) the front of building and inside of the building is exceptional.

Comfortable and well located with parking once there you can walk to Hoe and Barbican, lots of great bars and restaurants plus the historical parts of plymouth in a short walk

The perfect location pretty central. Was staying for my brother's graduation the next day and it was 15-20 minutes from where it was and there was plenty of options to grab food due to being near the town centre which was only a 5 minute walk being down a hill.

While we got there pretty late the lack of parking options were a problem and spent 45 minutes driving around to find a space due to the hotel car park being full then. But Martin Street Car Park was open after a guy at a petrol station mentioned it and was able to keep the car there all night and dealt with the parking in the morning.

Spacious room that was nice Good location in town Car park close to the hotel

Old decor in the bathroom Small car park

Very clean and lovely check in desk staff.

The wifi didn’t seem to work properly. They also packed up the breakfast buffet before 9:10am when I arrived despite breakfast being open until 9:30am.

Really really enjoyed my stay at the Duke of Cornwall. I haven’t stayed there before or had heard anything about it but when I looked it online I took the chance and It excelled my expectations. I would definitely be booking again. I only come from Launceston for the night and for my partner’s birthday, it was absolutely wonderful and I can’t wait to book this beautiful hotel again.. it’s perfect for couples. It’s perfect for groups. It’s perfect for work days or it’s perfect for an overnight stay. It’s a hotel that fits, anyone sort of travel requirements and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

De grandeur van het hotel.

Nvt

Very good location.lovely old hotel with lots of character.

The staff were wonderful & very attentive, food was exceptional, very historic hotel which we love, very true to its claim of being the first luxury Hotel in 1863.

Nothing we didn’t like but would recommend a bit of maintenance on certain things, the leather sofas, some painting on the walls but for such a historic & old hotel we found it lovely.

Excellent breakfast, freshly cooked to order. Staff were extremely helpful and friendly. Great location.

Can’t think of anything!

Service and breakfast

Nothing

Very beautiful & grand! Very good value for money Staff on reception were very pleasant & helpful. Great bit of history. Will absolutely stay again.

Nothing

Every thing was ok. Breakfast was very good. The location was good. We chose for the location as we were attending a family funeral and cremation.

Everything was fine!

The outside and entrance look elegant and welcoming.

the room itself is very dated and in need of upgrading. The fact that there is a £10 charge for paying guests to use the hotel car park.

The character and architecture of the building. It provided space and elegance not found in many purpose built modern hotels today.

The Car Park is a reasonable size, however if you do have use street parking, there is a lot available, the overnight charges are very high.

The hotel has very nice vintage furniture and liked the location. Staff cleaning the rooms are very friendly and helpul.

I went to have breakfast at 8.45H am and all pastries were gone. No charcuterie. My only option was having a full English, selection of packet cereals (not very exciting ones), toast or yougourt with some chopped fruit. I expected much more from breakfast. For the price charged for the room and paying extra for brrakfast, they should planned for the amount of pastries as they know how msny guests are staying. I could not have a shower as when open the tap the water was not getting out of the shower head. I asked a member of the staff and couldn't get the shower working either. She offered me to have my shower in a different room (which was very kind and appreciated) or wait for maintanrnce person who started at 11 am but we needed to check out and go.

internet was very poor in the room and had to sit in reception so working was a pain but enjoyed the stay anyway

Beautiful hotel with amazing potential. Staff all gave outstanding customer service. It was very clean.

It’s lacking tlc. Dining room looked run down, needs fresh decor. Shower wasn’t great, and leaked a little. Mattress on bed, uncomfortable, springs poking out of the side. Feels a little run down. Food was ok but I wouldn’t book to eat here again. Breakfast- was quite cold and lacking variety, they were running out of a lot of the hot breakfast, and what was left wasn’t hot. Continental breakfast was quite poor, we often stay in a premier inn and to be honest I found this breakfast far inferior in comparison. No obvious sign for the car park so we ended up paying £16 to park on the street.

Breakfasts were lovely plenty of choices food marvellous

Nothing

Quality and authenticity

Nothing it was great

Room was upgraded and breakfast was good

The breakfast was well-stocked and tasty. The staff were very welcoming and always had a smile on their faces.

The bathroom cleanliness was not up to standard however the rest of the room was fine.

Excellent location