Perched on a cliff above the small seaside resort and harbour of Saundersfoot, the St Bride's Hotel…read moreis regarded as one of West Wales's best hotels. The main draw is its Spa.
The hotel itself is very well appointed, with tastefully decorated bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms all in a pastel New England theme. Most bedrooms have a sea view and balcony. The bathrooms feature high-end toiletries featuring natural minerals and botanicals, if you like that kind of thing.
There is a spacious bar and restaurant area, again with wide views, and an outside terrace area.
I visited as part of a family party: the reception staff were exceptionally welcoming and helpful, and very efficient. The staff generally were very helpful and friendly and room service was excellent. The bed was superbly comfortable.
The food is good: breakfast consists of an extensive buffet, with hot food cooked to order. There's a separate lunch and dinner menu. The portions were very generous, so bear that in mind if you want to leave room for dessert.
The only misfire was my starter of Jerusalem Artichoke with a truffle veloute and egg yolk, which was served with charred quinoa - the latter just brought a weird grittiness to the dish. That was a pity, as everything else ordered went down well. The steaks were particularly generous and cooked exactly as requested.
The Spa consists of two small steam rooms, a sauna and an outside heated sea water infinity pool with a hydrotherapy area (a bit like a jacuzzi), with a swan-neck fountain that pummels your neck and shoulders like a massage.
There's a large relaxation area with beds and sofas with complimentary beverages. Additional treatments include the usual range of massages, etc.
A 90 minute session is free for residents, but needs to be booked well in advance as numbers are limited. Packages can also be booked by non-residents.
Overall, this is a lovely hotel with very good rooms and service, and, with the Spa, makes for a perfect for a relaxing weekend break.
