Local Reviews
In July 2013, Ems1981 said about Fermain Valley Hotel
we were recommended this hotel to have a peaceful stay in Guernsey in early June. It is reasonably expensive but high quality.,,, on the whole good but a few negative points which I always find most helpful when reading other reviews.
I have to say most of the front line staff (reception and waiting) were a BIG let down. We were staying at the hotel and the waitress refused to give us some crisps or nuts with our glasses of wine we were drinking (she said they had nothing like that we could only order from the menu) so my husband went in to ask the barman and he handed over some crisps amazing that??!!??... THANK YOU :)
The reception staff on the whole were appauling... did not know anything about the new bus time table and despite not being busy was not keen to help us navigate it..... I believe he would have preferred us to get a taxi! When we did request a taxi we were told there were none available and we would have to wait indefinatly it seemed...so we logged on to wifi ourselves and surprise surprise managed to arrange our own for collection within 10 mins. I can't even recall what else we went down to ask for help for but nothing out of the norm that you would expect reception staff to be able to help with or at the very least offer to ask someone else..... They are pretty rude and need better customer service skills.
Also ....Why is there no condiments on the breakfast bar, twice we had to ask for tomato sauce multiple times at which point our food was almost cold!!!
Last thing... NO extractor fans work....our bathroom had no window so after a hot shower there is water everywhere.... we thought our fan must be broken as there are switches on the wall.... we checked at reception... but NO apparently when hotel was refurbished they were not plugged in... so none work..... Whole room gets wet and in the winter opening the balcony doors to air room (at other end) may be quite cold!
I have to say most of the front line staff (reception and waiting) were a BIG let down. We were staying at the hotel and the waitress refused to give us some crisps or nuts with our glasses of wine we were drinking (she said they had nothing like that we could only order from the menu) so my husband went in to ask the barman and he handed over some crisps amazing that??!!??... THANK YOU :)
The reception staff on the whole were appauling... did not know anything about the new bus time table and despite not being busy was not keen to help us navigate it..... I believe he would have preferred us to get a taxi! When we did request a taxi we were told there were none available and we would have to wait indefinatly it seemed...so we logged on to wifi ourselves and surprise surprise managed to arrange our own for collection within 10 mins. I can't even recall what else we went down to ask for help for but nothing out of the norm that you would expect reception staff to be able to help with or at the very least offer to ask someone else..... They are pretty rude and need better customer service skills.
Also ....Why is there no condiments on the breakfast bar, twice we had to ask for tomato sauce multiple times at which point our food was almost cold!!!
Last thing... NO extractor fans work....our bathroom had no window so after a hot shower there is water everywhere.... we thought our fan must be broken as there are switches on the wall.... we checked at reception... but NO apparently when hotel was refurbished they were not plugged in... so none work..... Whole room gets wet and in the winter opening the balcony doors to air room (at other end) may be quite cold!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In July 2013, Racheyroo67 said about Fermain Valley Hotel
Just back from our first ever stay in Guernsey. We booked 4 days at Fermain, 3 days at the sister hotel in Alderney (Braye Beach) and then back to Guernsey at a different hotel. We had a totally wonderful stay, and have no complaints at all.
The piece de resistance is where the Fermain Valley Hotel is situated, at the top of a very steep hill, but with beautiful views down to the Fermain Bay. We had a Gold Room, with a balcony with table & chairs where we sat and enjoyed this wonderful view. The room itself was very clean, tastefully decorated, with the complimentary fruit & sherry as advertised. There was also a fridge, with complimentary bottled water, and ample supplies of tea, coffee and biscuits. The bathroom was beautiful, with loads of Elemis toiletries. We felt very spoilt. All the staff, without fail, were polite. A lot of Eastern Europeans in the restaurant, who were all very helpful and hard working. On checking out, there was a minor issue with our bill, however this was dealt with appropriately and as we do not "sweat the small stuff", we do not feel the need to berate the hotel for this minor error.
The food was lovely, breakfast in particular. My request for soya milk was fulfilled straight away. We ate dinner every evening in the restaurant, it's a little bit fancy for us, we're not that used to fine dining, however we were adventurous and in any case, the husband eats everything and anything!
Overall, very pleased with the hotel and I would have liked to have given a 4.5, as it was better than a 4, but not quite the perfect 5!
The piece de resistance is where the Fermain Valley Hotel is situated, at the top of a very steep hill, but with beautiful views down to the Fermain Bay. We had a Gold Room, with a balcony with table & chairs where we sat and enjoyed this wonderful view. The room itself was very clean, tastefully decorated, with the complimentary fruit & sherry as advertised. There was also a fridge, with complimentary bottled water, and ample supplies of tea, coffee and biscuits. The bathroom was beautiful, with loads of Elemis toiletries. We felt very spoilt. All the staff, without fail, were polite. A lot of Eastern Europeans in the restaurant, who were all very helpful and hard working. On checking out, there was a minor issue with our bill, however this was dealt with appropriately and as we do not "sweat the small stuff", we do not feel the need to berate the hotel for this minor error.
The food was lovely, breakfast in particular. My request for soya milk was fulfilled straight away. We ate dinner every evening in the restaurant, it's a little bit fancy for us, we're not that used to fine dining, however we were adventurous and in any case, the husband eats everything and anything!
Overall, very pleased with the hotel and I would have liked to have given a 4.5, as it was better than a 4, but not quite the perfect 5!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In July 2013, ann b said about Fermain Valley Hotel
We have just returned from a short three day stay.
The hotel was just as we expected, the rooms were lovely, with free water, fruit and sherry in the room.
The food was excellent and presented lovely.
Both female receptionists were very polite and helpful, however, when I mentioned to the male receptionist that we had been awake since 5.45am due to the noise from the people in the room above us banging and moving furniture around, his reply was, it was normal to be active at that time as there was always a hive of activity in the hotel at this hour of the day.
I was very surprised by his response and this would prevent us from returning to this hotel in the
future, this is not a reflection of the quality of the hotel, just the noise that prevented us from waking at a normal time in the morning.
I would have loved to have returned to this hotel, but we will look at another venue next time we stay.
The hotel was just as we expected, the rooms were lovely, with free water, fruit and sherry in the room.
The food was excellent and presented lovely.
Both female receptionists were very polite and helpful, however, when I mentioned to the male receptionist that we had been awake since 5.45am due to the noise from the people in the room above us banging and moving furniture around, his reply was, it was normal to be active at that time as there was always a hive of activity in the hotel at this hour of the day.
I was very surprised by his response and this would prevent us from returning to this hotel in the
future, this is not a reflection of the quality of the hotel, just the noise that prevented us from waking at a normal time in the morning.
I would have loved to have returned to this hotel, but we will look at another venue next time we stay.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In July 2013, Jeff2727_10 said about Fermain Valley Hotel
We were invited to accompany our inlaws to Guernsey to celebrate their Ruby wedding at the hotel. That meant we did not do our usual research on hotels available so booked somewhat blindly after a quick look on the hotels own website.
On arrival we were allocated Room 32 which was great. Top floor of the main hotel, large balcony looking down the Fermain Valley to the sea. Decent size room with lots of nice touches such as, fudge, water (replenished), slippers, dressing gowns and fruit. However as mentioned in other reviews, fridge did not work, nor did bathroom extractor fan. We did not report them to be fair.
Hotel is in a wonderful position in a quiet location. This is however down a very narrow lane which can be trciky if you meet another vehicle. After one trip down we decided to park at the Venue off the main road and walk down through the landscaped gardens.
Food was good although the evening choice was a little limited. We were a little disappointed with some dining room staff members attitude if we asked to sit at a table of our choice, rather than the one they had allocated. Sulky looks and service without a smile. Grow up please.
Overall a great experience and a wonderful island to explore. It reminded us of Cornwall/Devon about 40 years ago.
Happy to come back to this hotel if we return.
On arrival we were allocated Room 32 which was great. Top floor of the main hotel, large balcony looking down the Fermain Valley to the sea. Decent size room with lots of nice touches such as, fudge, water (replenished), slippers, dressing gowns and fruit. However as mentioned in other reviews, fridge did not work, nor did bathroom extractor fan. We did not report them to be fair.
Hotel is in a wonderful position in a quiet location. This is however down a very narrow lane which can be trciky if you meet another vehicle. After one trip down we decided to park at the Venue off the main road and walk down through the landscaped gardens.
Food was good although the evening choice was a little limited. We were a little disappointed with some dining room staff members attitude if we asked to sit at a table of our choice, rather than the one they had allocated. Sulky looks and service without a smile. Grow up please.
Overall a great experience and a wonderful island to explore. It reminded us of Cornwall/Devon about 40 years ago.
Happy to come back to this hotel if we return.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In July 2013, pipmac3 said about Fermain Valley Hotel
We stayed a week in the hotel and had a lovely holiday in Guernsey. It is an exceptionally well run hotel .Clean comfortable with friendly efficient staff . Excellent breakfasts. I am probably doing the hotel a disservice by giving it a three star as the location is superb with a short walk downhill to the bay. The problem for us was we stayed in the venue which is an annex to the hotel to cater for weddings and functions. The uphill walk to get there is not too much trouble - it is through very well maintained gardens. We stayed when a function was on. Our bedroom was above the function room. The noise was awful in our bedroom going on well after midnight - va doom, va doom va doom! you know what i mean. Only one night, but enough to take the edge of what was a pleasant stay. So, I would recommend the hotel but would not recommend the annex rooms .
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In August 2013, lottiib said about Fermain Valley Hotel
I only stayed here for one night but was really impressed right from the minute the free courtesy shuttle bus picked us up from the airport. The hotel is lovely in a really picturesque location with only a short walk to the pretty Fermain Bay. The staff are all really helpful and took time to show us round evening though they were obviously busy with the hotel being full booked. Our room was spacious with clean, crisps decor and a lovely view out over the bay. The wifi is good and nice Elemis toiletries in the bathrooms. There is a decent sized indoor pool and doors that open out onto the sun terrace. Afternoon tea was amazing but too much and it felt a waste leaving some - hats off to the patteserie chef as the swan choux buns were delightful! We ate at The Rock Garden which is definitely worth a try. This really is a great hotel with first class service. Highly recommended!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In August 2013, cincobayou said about Fermain Valley Hotel
Beautiful location, and the gardens are a gardeners paradise. All friendly staff, very good restaurant, spectacular views from the large, modern terrace/pool area. Convenientfriendly shuttle service to town or airport. We would definitely go again!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In August 2013, IreneeAylesbury said about Fermain Valley Hotel
Anyone who's read reviews of this hotel recently will definitely experience a feeling of "deja vu" reading mine.
Firstly, I can only endorse all the positive remarks made already about the hotel's magnificent location; idyllic views of Fermain Bay from our Gold room with balcony. We've been regular visitors to Guernsey for nearly 20 years but this was our first stay at this hotel. One of the highlights of this visit was the delightful stroll down to the beach, and the excellence of the food on offer at the Beach cafe cannot be overstated.
However, a recurring lament in recent Tripadvisor reviews has been about the non-functioning fridges in bedrooms. As a fridge is one of the facilities specifically mentioned on the hotel's website room descriptions, we thought just one or two guests must have been unlucky. We love to enjoy a cold drink on our balcony, especially when the view is as good as this one. Sadly we found that drinks placed in our room's fridge tasted, if anything, warmer when we took them out. Upon reporting this at reception we were told that ALL the fridges had started to break down within recent weeks, and that new ones had been ordered for each room.
I would be very interested to know if future visitors enjoy a brand new, fully functioning fridge in their rooms at Fermain Valley? Reception did say that, any time we required chilled water (which is provided free of charge in rooms each day) we should ring down to the bar, and some would be sent up (also complimentary). Not quite the same as being able to help yourself from a fridge conveniently close to hand. I think that, at the very least, the hotel's publicity should not be mentioning room fridges until the new ones are in place.
Ineffective bathroom fans have also featured in several reviews; without our asking for one, we were given an explanation of this when shown to our room on arrival. The fans are apparently special, noiseless models which operate continuously, so do not demist the room as rapidly as conventional types. The extractor fan was certainly not an issue for us!
Staff were generally friendly and helpful but the quality of breakfast varied and, at the one dinner we ate here, a sauce was served with my steak which wasn't on the menu and wasn't to my liking!
Finally, the courtesy bus doesn't seem to run to scheduled times; you have to ask if it's available when you want it. The only day that we'd have liked to use it to get to St Peter Port and back, it was too busy with airport runs, so we used the regular bus service instead.
I doubt if we'll be returning to the Fermain Valley Hotel.
Firstly, I can only endorse all the positive remarks made already about the hotel's magnificent location; idyllic views of Fermain Bay from our Gold room with balcony. We've been regular visitors to Guernsey for nearly 20 years but this was our first stay at this hotel. One of the highlights of this visit was the delightful stroll down to the beach, and the excellence of the food on offer at the Beach cafe cannot be overstated.
However, a recurring lament in recent Tripadvisor reviews has been about the non-functioning fridges in bedrooms. As a fridge is one of the facilities specifically mentioned on the hotel's website room descriptions, we thought just one or two guests must have been unlucky. We love to enjoy a cold drink on our balcony, especially when the view is as good as this one. Sadly we found that drinks placed in our room's fridge tasted, if anything, warmer when we took them out. Upon reporting this at reception we were told that ALL the fridges had started to break down within recent weeks, and that new ones had been ordered for each room.
I would be very interested to know if future visitors enjoy a brand new, fully functioning fridge in their rooms at Fermain Valley? Reception did say that, any time we required chilled water (which is provided free of charge in rooms each day) we should ring down to the bar, and some would be sent up (also complimentary). Not quite the same as being able to help yourself from a fridge conveniently close to hand. I think that, at the very least, the hotel's publicity should not be mentioning room fridges until the new ones are in place.
Ineffective bathroom fans have also featured in several reviews; without our asking for one, we were given an explanation of this when shown to our room on arrival. The fans are apparently special, noiseless models which operate continuously, so do not demist the room as rapidly as conventional types. The extractor fan was certainly not an issue for us!
Staff were generally friendly and helpful but the quality of breakfast varied and, at the one dinner we ate here, a sauce was served with my steak which wasn't on the menu and wasn't to my liking!
Finally, the courtesy bus doesn't seem to run to scheduled times; you have to ask if it's available when you want it. The only day that we'd have liked to use it to get to St Peter Port and back, it was too busy with airport runs, so we used the regular bus service instead.
I doubt if we'll be returning to the Fermain Valley Hotel.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In August 2013, 60Alan21 said about Fermain Valley Hotel
The hotel has a wonderful situation with outstanding views; it is handy for St Peter Port while quite apart from the hustle and bustle. Overall appreciated the attention to detail of the establishment. The bedroom was well appointed, had lovely decor and a great outlook. The breakfast menu had a good variety to choose from. Dinner had a compact menu which revolved around central ingredients that were enlivened by the accompanying ingredients - very tasty. The gardens are an item in themselves and demand to be appreciated. The pool was enjoyed; an excellent alternative to bathing off Fermain beach which is stony and the water is cold!! The staff were friendly and efficient.
Anyone with concerns about their mobility should be aware of the setting on a steep gradient so would be confined to the hotel.
Minor negatives were: the confined range of tv channels with the BBC regional news from London which undermines the Channel Island experience; the lack of free wifi; coffee at breakfast not being serve yourself - unlike the fruit juice.
Anyone with concerns about their mobility should be aware of the setting on a steep gradient so would be confined to the hotel.
Minor negatives were: the confined range of tv channels with the BBC regional news from London which undermines the Channel Island experience; the lack of free wifi; coffee at breakfast not being serve yourself - unlike the fruit juice.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In August 2013, jackie t said about Fermain Valley Hotel
we are regular tourists we found this hotel not to a standard expected although the room was clean,size of room small. the menu was limited and over priced. we asked for sea view but the trees stopped the sea view . breakfast was plentyful BUT table linen was dirty. some staff were not very organized
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk