Testimonials

Reviews 2011 

From the internet…

Reviewed by Jenny C, 21.1.2012

Friendly Welcome

You can be assured of a friendly welcome and comfortable stay. We stayed for two nights while on business and were treated with some Lebanese food to try. This made the stay more interesting and not what you would expect in Torquay. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Reviewed by Brenda U, December 11

Very pleasant one night stay at The Richwood
 We were given a very warm welcome, myself, my son, his partner and my eight year old grandson.
Our rooms were compact but clean and the beds were very comfortable. The en-suites clean and though they and the rooms are basic, they are adequate.
Such lovely people running the hotel. The breakfast was lovely with plenty of choice and we'll look forward to another visit sometime to sample all that the promise of the Bistro offers.
Very nice.  

Reviewed by Kim H.  13/12/11 

Short break away 5 nights, pleasant area. Breakfast tasty, nice owners.

Reviewed by Dizzilizzi  8 December 2011

“Excellent stopover”

Visiting a friend in the area recently & needed somewhere comfortable to stay overnight. What a pleasure Saida & Veronica were to meet. Very welcoming, couldn't do enough for me. A good night’s sleep in comfortable bed. In the evening Saida cooked me a traditional Beirut meal. Breakfast was thoroughly enjoyable. An all-round pleasurable stay, great value & great service. Would use again.

Reviewed by Anthony S   27/09/11 

Friendly, went out of your way to accommodate me.

Reviewed by Richard C.  26/09/11 

"Absolute perfect company from two perfect hosts, Saida and Veronica"

We had a short stay for our wedding anniversary, and the stay at Richwood was brilliant. What makes the Richwood is the two ladies who run it, nothing is too much for them. Friendly, warm and polite owners. Room was good with all included for the stay. Nightcap at the bar with Saida and Veronica highlights the day. We didn’t use the pool or spa, but I’m sure others who visited will. With the pool/spa, the bar, bistro, and a pool room, which has a large projector screen for TV/film viewing, they have catered for all. Town and harbour is a 20 minute walk. What more can we say. No doubt we will be back soon.

Saida, Make sure you get some Becks in the cooler!!!

Reviewed by Dawn R. 19/09/11 Reviewed by Anthony S   27/09/11 

"Brilliant"

The hotel was very nice and warm, friendly; the owners are lovely people who can’t do enough for you. The location was very good, close to main amenities; it was quiet and not too large, making it very homely and welcoming.

Reviewed by Anthony M.  13/09/11 

"excellent value for money"

Was made to feel very welcome in the hotel i was only there for 2 nights for a wedding the accommodation was very clean and tidy. Well worth the money and would stay again and recommend it, also the breakfast was out of this world with quality a must. Will be looking to stay time with the family. Thank you to the Richwood hotel and staff. BREAKFAST was great!!!!!!!!!

Reviewed by Ronald J.  11/09/11 

"Very friendly owners"

We were made to feel very welcome. The breakfast and evening meals were made to our liking.

Reviewed by Michael H. 10/09/11 

"Hospitable, friendly and relaxing."

We had a lovely greeting on arrival. We met both owners, were given a clear outline of facilities, meal times etc. There was a very relaxed but orderly atmosphere. Everyone was friendly, including the other guests. We didn't use the pool but it was available. Owners were very friendly, helpful and nothing was too much trouble.

Reviewed by Knight K  05/09/11

"see u next year"

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the richwood the staff were friendly and helpful the room as well as the other facilities was spotless will be back next year. The Richwood is a home from home.

Reviewed by Craig  N. 30/08/11 

"lovely"

A quite long weekend. The heated pool, the view from the room was lovely, very clean.

Reviewed by Mangar  A. 30/08/11 

"Excellent weekend."

We had a short break with a group of friends. The Richwood is an excellent hotel. Good location. Nice rooms and really good facilities.

Reviewed by McMurdo  L. 19/08/11 

"Pleasant, friendly stay."

We enjoyed a nice holiday with our grandchildren. The facilities were good and the pool area was relaxing. The breakfast was nice with plenty of choice. Mostly, the hosts Saida and Veronica, who are new to this kind of business, were absolutely wonderful. Saida and Veronica, you need more staff to help the bar work and day to day running!

Reviewed by Jones N.  04/08/11 

"Loved it!"

We arrived to a friendly greeting from Veronica and Saida and were booked in very quickly. We were shown to our room and what a lovely room it was!! Our breakfasts were ready on time with no hanging around, the smells coming from the kitchen were to die for, unfortunatly we only ate in the bistro on the first night (that kebbe was lovely!) Seriously accommodating and friendly, beautifully kept place and really convenient for town, too but not so close to be disturbed by the night life. Everything was great! There was nothing NOT to like!

There were teething problems with the Wi-Fi but it was sorted quickly so not really an issue for us! Oh and that we didn't have enough cash left over to buy much of the gorgeous Lebanese jewellery!!

I found this superb hotel purely by chance after a sad and disappointing week in Cornwall decided to visit a friend in Torquay, and this was closest hotel to friend what a fantastic find great comms on phone Veronica and Saida made me instantly welcome, food to die for, they cannot do enough for you, unbelievable this is their first  in the Hospitality business, I’ve stayed in the finest hotels in the world over the years and some of them could learn about making guest welcome instead of the sterile atmosphere you get in larger and established hotels ,highly recommended 5 star treatment for a price far below that demanded of others.

Reviewed by Dandare 23 September 2011

“Best Hotel in Ages”

PS. no I’m not related lol you must try Saida’s hottest chilli in the world giving to her by a guest ...me!

Reviewed by Bowlmaker 15 September 2011

“Wonderful hosts, great service”

Having just returned from the Richwood, we wanted to thank our lovely hosts Veronica and Saida for a most enjoyable stay. We were on our honeymoon and were greeted with flowers and bubbly; nothing was too much trouble for them. We booked the superior double; a large clean and airy room with plenty of storage space, king size double, two arm chairs and good sized colour TV with DVD. The en suite bathroom looked new and was spotless.

There was a very good choice of breakfast items and the cooked English set us up for the day - my selections were a whopping rasher of bacon, scrambled egg, hash brown, sausage, mushrooms and tomato - all freshly cooked and served hot. The Lebanese Bistro was incredibly good value. Neither of us had eaten Lebanese cuisine before and it was a real treat to taste authentic dishes created in their own kitchen. We didn't personally use the heated pool, the weather was a bit "iffy" for us, but younger guests seemed to be enjoying the facility! We look forward to a return visit.

Reviewed by SGFDewey 14 August 2011

“Good stay with good hosts”

Good welcome & very helpful, enjoyed the king-size bed but could have done with another pillow. Not too far from town centre right on a bus route with buses every 10 mins, last bus back just before midnight.

Reviewed by meandmrjones 3 August 2011

“Loved it!”

Veronica and Saida were great hosts, the hotel is gorgeous, the pool lovely, everything well-kept and clean, the breakfasts were lush and the evening meal we had on our first night was just perfect! They were really helpful, really friendly and we will be back next year one way or another!

Reviewed by Marysmith 25 11 June 2011

 “Great atmosphere”

Both my husband & I had a very enjoyable stay at the Richwood, the hosts Veronica & Saida were very welcoming & entertaining, nothing was too much trouble, at 1st we had a bedroom out the front but because my husband was having trouble sleeping due to traffic noise they kindly offered us a bigger bedroom out the back at no extra cost. The 1st night we were there was the official opening of the bar & bistro & we had a lovely Lebanese banquet. The hosts only took over this hotel in February this year & have done so much to accommodate guests and are both very welcoming. It was our wedding anniversary on the Friday we were there & the hosts did us a lovely surprise of a champagne breakfast with smoked salmon which was most appreciated & very enjoyable. We would like to wish Veronica & Saida all the very best for the future.

 “Brilliant - 100% Satisfaction”Reviewed by steveaberdeen54 10 June 2011

I travel to Torquay every 6 weeks for business and I booked into the Richwood in May when Veronica and Saida had just taken over. They were in the middle of a major upgrade following their purchase and whilst things were not yet finished, they both went out of their way to make me feel at home, which they did. They promised that when I next came back to the hotel, their bar licence would be in place and their Bistro would be open, along with the heated outdoor pool and spa. I returned this week, to find that they had achieved this and what a great job and amount of work these ladies have achieved in those short 6 weeks.

I was made to feel very welcome, almost like a friend, as this was my second visit - the rooms are spacious, very clean, tidy etc. Breakfast was excellent and cooked for me earlier than they would normally be open, as I had a full day ahead and wanted an early start. The other residents there were very relaxed also and many of us talked, which you tend not to get in some of the larger and corporate hotels, so the experience was relaxing and homely.

I normally have to take a client out in the evening, but on this occasion this was not the case and I decided to taste some of Saida's Lebanese food - I was a little reluctant to try as I tend to be a bit mainstream, so Veronica arranged Saida to give me a sample of some vegetable, meat and fish dishes - these were lovely and I fully enjoyed them and would recommend this food if you have not had Arabic food before, truly lovely and not heavy at all.

Just like to say well done ladies, see you in July/August and say hello to Sheba the dog, who they introduced me to also.

“Delightful hosts and very clean and tidy”Reviewed by Mandyfromsomerset 9 June 2011

My husband and I stayed at the Richwood for 2 nights as an anniversary getaway. The place was in the process of being refurbished but was still very quiet, clean and tidy. The room was quite basic but very clean and the bed was comfortable so we slept well. There were spare pillows available but we didn't need them as the ones on the bed were nice and deep and springy. There was also plenty of tea and coffee, etc. available in the room which was topped up daily. Unfortunately the spa was out of action but they were looking for tradesmen to resolve the problems and the pool was still available for use. Veronica and Saida were absolutely lovely; very welcoming and great to chat with and they couldn't have been any more helpful - they were very open about being new to the business but they really went the extra mile and what they lacked in experience they made up for in an effort to keep the customers happy!

The cooked breakfasts weren't large but they were certainly adequate and there was toast and cereal if you wanted them as well as plenty of fruit juice, tea and coffee. We didn't eat in the bistro as my husband only likes plain fare, but I did sample some of their cooking and would definitely recommend it. The bar was comfortable and had a relaxed atmosphere.

All in all we loved the place and will be staying again when we get the chance.

“The Staff were all extremely friendly”Reviewed by spursmadmonkey 8 June 2011

My girlfriend and I were originally booked in for two nights in this hotel but such was the friendly nature and cheery atmosphere we extended our stay to a third night. The hotel itself was undergoing some renovation for the duration of our stay but you wouldn't have noticed. The entire place was immaculately kept despite its size and being fully occupied. The Staff were all extremely friendly and despite how demanding we were, bent over backwards to meet our every need and showed enormous flexibility to meet our requirements. Our room was clean and well serviced, the bar was very reasonably priced and the home cooked food exceptionally tasty.

My only regret is missing the opening night buffet of their Lebanese bistro due to a wedding.

My girlfriend and I are already planning another trip to Torquay and we know where we'll be booking ourselves into.

We both recommend the Richmond very highly.

Reviewed by Boobyer  M. 08/06/11 

"Delightful hosts and clean and tidy rooms."

We stayed at the Richwood for 2 nights. Clean and tidy and very welcoming. The room was quite basic but very clean and comfortable and the bar and dining room/bistro were great. Veronica and Saida were absolutely lovely and very good company. They did their best despite being new to the business. We will stay again when we get the chance.

A stroll through our Guestbook... April through December2011 … 59 entries …

“Thank you, you’ve been very special, we have been made very welcome and you were very generous, see you soon, XXX”

 “Absolutely lovely place to stay, lovely people. Could not ask for more, 100% we will be back.”

“Thank you for a warm and welcoming stay for us and our dog. We really enjoyed our time here in Devon. Good luck with your new business venture…”

“Fantastic place to stay, lovely staff, great atmosphere. We will definitely come back and wish you all the best for the future.”

“Excellent stay, lovely hotel. Thank you very much. See you again.”

“Had a brilliant stay, pleasant atmosphere, well accommodated and Veronica and Saida are most welcoming and lovely people.”

“A great stay, lovely room. Fantastic hosts. Hope to come back soon. Thanks XX”

“From the moment we arrived we’ve had a stunning time. Welcoming, friendly and accommodating hosts, gorgeous hotel, perfect pool, great food and some lovely other guests too! All-in-all we’ve had a marvellous time!!”

“Thank you for a lovely accommodation! It is a very good place to stay. Fantastic hosts, so friendly. Good luck and hope to see you again. Thanks!”

“Thank you for a lovely stay, you are lovely people and we will definitely come again.XXX”

“We had a lovely stay and the food was particularly fantastic.”

“Lovely warm and friendly place to stay – going home very relaxed and chilled – thank you. XX”

“Had a lovely stay, very friendly and welcoming, always willing to go the extra mile, very kind people!”

“Lovely people, great service, very comfortable beds.”

“Best stay in the UK. Veronica and Saida great people.”

“… beautiful breakfast…”

“..  felt like at home…”

“… our dog loved it too …