“Built in the 1930s on a 26-acre tidal island, Burgh Island has been cleverly styled as an Art Deco nostalgia trip – and fair enough: it was patronized by stars of the day, including Noel Coward and Agatha Christie. Staying there is rather like being in a Bertie Wooster novel or a Poirot mystery. You will find GPO Bakelite telephones (no mobile signal here) and classic pre-war cocktails, and be encouraged to dress up, with men donning black tie on two nights a week. Dancing is to live bands. Rooms are comfortable, even luxurious, and have fine sea views. The furniture is very well chosen and the period is mirrored accurately. Vigorous guests can bathe in the Mermaid Pool, a natural rock pool (where the hotel keeps fresh lobsters) or enjoy the tennis court and croquet lawn. Spa treatments are available and the food, locally sourced, is excellent. An experience that everyone should try.”
Written by Fiona Duncan
