Bovey Castle in Dartmoor National Park is awarded five AA stars 

The Eden Hotel Collection is delighted to announce that Bovey Castle, Dartmoor National Park in Devon, has been awarded five stars by the AA. 

Less than six months after acquiring the country house estate in 2014, the privately-owned Eden Hotel Collection embarked on an extensive £3.5 million refurbishment of Bovey Castle, Dartmore, encompassing restoration work and a complete refurbishment of the spa, brasserie, restaurant, public areas and bedrooms. Significant investment has also been made in innovative new staff training programmes. This year has seen the first phase of the bedroom refurbishment, with 22 bedrooms completed and the remainder set for completion in the coming months. In order to achieve the prestigious five-star AA rating, the hotel has had to pass stringent inspections covering cleanliness, service, food, bedrooms, bathrooms and hospitality.

Says Gary Baldwin MIH, Senior Hotel & Restaurant Inspector, AA, “Bovey Castle has been brought back to life and transformed into an excellent example of true hotel keeping. The high-quality refurbishment throughout the public areas, excellent dining options and top-notch bedrooms and bathrooms make Bovey Castle a really first-class South West destination”.

The estate, with its 60 uniquely-appointed bedrooms and 22 luxury lodges, is well known for outdoor pursuits – it boasts an 18-hole championship golf course and a busy programme of activities including falconry, tennis, archery, cider and sloe gin-making.

Bovey Castle is constantly innovating, and a new off-road driving experience, based on the edge of the estate, gives guests the opportunity to drive one of the hotel’s fleet of Land Rover Defenders (or their own 4×4). The newly-constructed woodland track has steep inclines, descents and side slopes and is the only one of its kind at a five-star country resort in the UK.

The recently-refurbished Elan Spa (complete with Art Deco swimming pool, sun terrace, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room) has introduced a dedicated area for men’s treatments called the Gentlemen’s Quarter. Three bespoke massages using Bovey Castle’s own PRO V1 golf balls have recently been added to the innovative range of treatments.

Says Mark Chambers, Managing Director, Eden Hotel Collection, “The dedicated team at Bovey Castle is committed to providing exceptional levels of service and hospitality. The recent refurbishment has taken the facilities and services on offer to another level and we are thrilled that the hotel and its hard-working staff have been given the recognition that they deserve.”

Stay overnight at Bovey Castle from £179 per room (two sharing; room only), including full access to the Elan spa. 

The off-road driving experience is available as a one-hour taster (from £125 pp) or a half-day experience (from £225 pp). 

Call Bovey Castle on 01647 445 000 (www.boveycastle.com).