Local Reviews
In February 2010, WestSussexPiglet said about Fermain Valley Hotel
I booked a two night break as a surprise for my partner's 50th birthday. It had been recommended to me by friends who live on Guernsey and are used to the finer things in life so I trusted their judgement - I was certainly not disappointed! The hotel is in a fantastic location at the head of a wooded valley leading to a picturesque bay, yet only a mile or so from St Peter Port (or around 40 minutes via the scenic cliff path). From the moment we were picked up by the hotel's courtesy car at the airport, we were treated by extremely friendly staff at all times - nothing was too much trouble - and we really appreciated being allowed to have our room from mid-morning on the day of arrival right through to late afternoon on the day we left rather than having to check out before lunch. We stayed in a Gold Room with balcony and sea view which was certainly well worth the extra cost. The room was pristine with a really comfortable bed, good tea making facilities and a much appreciated decanter of sherry - what a nice touch. The indoor swimming pool was larger than expected with a sauna nearby and spotless changing rooms. The highlight of the stay, however, was the "gourmand menu" dinner in the Palm Court restaurant. My partner and I have dined at The Fat Duck and other Michelin starred restaurants and we can honestly say that the cuisine was on a par with these - well done Christophe! Having stayed in a somewhat chilly January, we can only imagine what it would be like to sit out on our balcony on a balmy summer's evening overlooking the sparkling sea - we definitely plan to find out sometime!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In March 2010, george124 said about Fermain Valley Hotel
We stayed here for my birthday and I have to say we loved every moment of it. The hotel is lovely , this staff are attentive ,nothing is too much trouble .Everywhere in the hotel is clean and very well kept . I could go on but if you ever go to Guernsey I would definately suggest you look at the Fermain Valley hotel.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In March 2010, richpb7 said about Fermain Valley Hotel
Went to the Fermain Valley for a special birthday, and it didn't disappoint. It was a bit pricey, and perhaps the gold room with sea view could have been a big larger considering the price, but you do have the rest of the hotel at your disposal so it's not as if you're caged in. The different lounges were very nice places to be, as was the library (with a wide selection of different books - including lots of cookbooks, just up my street!). Food was pretty good, and that's coming from a devoted foodie. Had the gourmand menu on the Saturday night in the Palm Court, and although it didn't quite match up to the one I'd had a Rick Stein's seafood restaurant the week before, it was pretty special.
Grounds were lovely, and I did make the short walk down to the beach and back which was peaceful if pebbley, even in a blustery March. Looked like a very nice cafe down there too, not that I had a chance to try it.. It's a bit of steep climb back up to the hotel though. Never managed to make it to the Cinema unfortunately, but I was in the pool every day, and never saw anyone else in there except my partner - bliss.
Overall the stay was very relaxing, staff were attentive but not overbearing, and accommodating when my partner didn't feel so great. I'd be more than happy to go back, and to recommend it to others.
Grounds were lovely, and I did make the short walk down to the beach and back which was peaceful if pebbley, even in a blustery March. Looked like a very nice cafe down there too, not that I had a chance to try it.. It's a bit of steep climb back up to the hotel though. Never managed to make it to the Cinema unfortunately, but I was in the pool every day, and never saw anyone else in there except my partner - bliss.
Overall the stay was very relaxing, staff were attentive but not overbearing, and accommodating when my partner didn't feel so great. I'd be more than happy to go back, and to recommend it to others.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In April 2010, valerieEssex said about Fermain Valley Hotel
We have just returned from spending a few relaxing days at the this 4 star hotel. The room, facilities and above all, the location is excellent.
However on the first night we arrived fairly tired from travelling all day we decided to have dinner in the Brasserie and booked a table for 8.00pm midweek. On entering the Brasseris there were only 3 other couples seated so thought we would be served reasonably quickly. However, we had to ask for a jug of water 3 times, the wine menu 2 or 3 times and although our starter arrived after 25 minutes (minus the wine and water still at this stage) our main meal took another hour!!
We gave the Brasserie another chance and booked in again only to find the service the same. Also the staff in the evening seemed totally untrained and unable to execute the simplist orders. It was not all that relaxing either as all the time cutlery would be dropped on the stone floor.
It is a shame as this is a lovely hotel and has obviously had a lot of money spent on it, but falls down on the lack of service in the Brasserie. This is seems to be the poor relation to the main restaurant and it showed.
However on the first night we arrived fairly tired from travelling all day we decided to have dinner in the Brasserie and booked a table for 8.00pm midweek. On entering the Brasseris there were only 3 other couples seated so thought we would be served reasonably quickly. However, we had to ask for a jug of water 3 times, the wine menu 2 or 3 times and although our starter arrived after 25 minutes (minus the wine and water still at this stage) our main meal took another hour!!
We gave the Brasserie another chance and booked in again only to find the service the same. Also the staff in the evening seemed totally untrained and unable to execute the simplist orders. It was not all that relaxing either as all the time cutlery would be dropped on the stone floor.
It is a shame as this is a lovely hotel and has obviously had a lot of money spent on it, but falls down on the lack of service in the Brasserie. This is seems to be the poor relation to the main restaurant and it showed.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In April 2010, aquiney said about Fermain Valley Hotel
A really picturesque location with wonderful sea views. Food was great and all the staff were friendly and helpful.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In May 2010, Jasmine38Chichester UK said about Fermain Valley Hotel
We stayed for 5 nights incorporating the gourment break package which apparantly is no longer available. This is a shame because the food at the hotel was very good and plentiful, particularly in the Palm Court restaurant. We liked the location - you can walk along the cliffs (50 mins) or the road (25 mins) to St Peter Port but some may find it too hilly and in that case a car is definitely recommended. We would suggest hiring a car for a couple of days in any case to explore the island as buses aren't that frequent. We would also highly recommend the boat trips to Sark and Herm. On a warm suuny day at Herm you could imagine youself in the Indian Ocean - the beaches were fabulous.
We stayed in a Gold Valley sea view room which had a spacious balcony and overlooked the attractive terrace and gardens.The room was modern and comfortable although not large (very small bath) with good beds. The hotel has good amenities - pool, sauna, two cozy lounges with books and games and free internet and the cinema was a an unusual touch although we didn't use it and the films available were not very up to date. However, the service lets the hotel down. Making a reservation was very difficult as neither my emails or phone calls were responded to. I only perservered because of the good reviews on this site. In the brasserie we had to find staff to take our order on several occasions. House keeping found it impossible to replenish our tea tray almost every day. And because the gourmet package has now been discontinued there was a lot of confusion at check out with duplicate charges which they then started us quizzing us over, eg who exactly had served us at dinner 5 nights ago and which bottle of wine had we had which we felt was a bit unreasonable. The exception was the Palm Court restaurant where the service was impeccable.
We were told that the owner had just purchased the hotel further down the cliff and was planning on extending the Fermain to include a spa, fitness centre etc for 2011. With these extra facilities and an improvement to the service this could be a truely fantastic place to say.
We stayed in a Gold Valley sea view room which had a spacious balcony and overlooked the attractive terrace and gardens.The room was modern and comfortable although not large (very small bath) with good beds. The hotel has good amenities - pool, sauna, two cozy lounges with books and games and free internet and the cinema was a an unusual touch although we didn't use it and the films available were not very up to date. However, the service lets the hotel down. Making a reservation was very difficult as neither my emails or phone calls were responded to. I only perservered because of the good reviews on this site. In the brasserie we had to find staff to take our order on several occasions. House keeping found it impossible to replenish our tea tray almost every day. And because the gourmet package has now been discontinued there was a lot of confusion at check out with duplicate charges which they then started us quizzing us over, eg who exactly had served us at dinner 5 nights ago and which bottle of wine had we had which we felt was a bit unreasonable. The exception was the Palm Court restaurant where the service was impeccable.
We were told that the owner had just purchased the hotel further down the cliff and was planning on extending the Fermain to include a spa, fitness centre etc for 2011. With these extra facilities and an improvement to the service this could be a truely fantastic place to say.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In May 2010, TracyPSomerset said about Fermain Valley Hotel
This is an amazing Hotel. Everything about it was so impressive - the location, decor, atmosphere, views, rooms but most of all - the service which was fantastic. We went for a short break to celebrate our engagement and after being there 24 hours were already planning the next visit back... as soon as possible. We were looked after so well, and really appreciated the card, gift and flowers from the hotel. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff, especially Christine Holmes who couldn't do enough to make our stay so memorable. Being in this industry ourselves, it's been a long time since we've experienced customer service at this level... a lot of hotels in the UK could learn a lot from the staff training that is clearly evident at this beautiful hotel. Many, many thanks... we'll be back soon! Tracy & Mark
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In May 2010, Shaun L said about Fermain Valley Hotel
Only a one night stay on business but what a hotel!
The moment you drive up in a taxi or hire car then you know there is something special about this place. It just looks good with a great vibe, not to forget the view down the valley. With only 40 or so rooms the decor and comfort of mine I guess was matched or exceeded by the rest. A mini-hallway, a sitting area, large bedroom area, a fridge, 3 apples on a plate and a decanter of sherry which I thought was a nice touch.
I had a meal in the Brasserie which was top quality with attentive service. Didnt get time to use the pool or spa area but it did look good. Hotel has free wifi internet throughout which was very useful - too many hotels these days charge for web access in my opinion.
As a hotel you won't find much better in Guernsey. The bonus is the location in the lovely Fermain Valley. If you need to get into town then the hotel run a complimentary shuttle.
The moment you drive up in a taxi or hire car then you know there is something special about this place. It just looks good with a great vibe, not to forget the view down the valley. With only 40 or so rooms the decor and comfort of mine I guess was matched or exceeded by the rest. A mini-hallway, a sitting area, large bedroom area, a fridge, 3 apples on a plate and a decanter of sherry which I thought was a nice touch.
I had a meal in the Brasserie which was top quality with attentive service. Didnt get time to use the pool or spa area but it did look good. Hotel has free wifi internet throughout which was very useful - too many hotels these days charge for web access in my opinion.
As a hotel you won't find much better in Guernsey. The bonus is the location in the lovely Fermain Valley. If you need to get into town then the hotel run a complimentary shuttle.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In May 2010, TuckersSomerset said about Fermain Valley Hotel
When we arrived we were greeted and given a guided tour around the hotel before being shown to our rooms. The room was superbly decorated and very clean. Bath robes and slippers provided. The food was excellent and the waiting staff very professional. Nothing was too much trouble. Very polite friendly and courteous. The gardens are very well maintained. Although situated a few minutes from St Peter Port this was not a problem as the hotel runs a mini bus to take guests into town. We will certainly use the hotel again one day on our return visit.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In June 2010, Tish said about Fermain Valley Hotel
This hotel has a beautiful setting with wonderful gardens. View out to see is limited ..so sea view is more a glimpse. The lounges are lovely and cosy and the bedrooms comfortable but only double bed in Gold Rooms and rooms are small no bigger than the Cruise Ships we have sailed on.; Bathrooms disappointing with cracked base of bath and peeling paint off the side panel. Brasserie prices high, and menu not really catering for vegetarians. The first two nights we were there we were kept waiting for almost an hour for main course even though it did not appear to be too busy. Also brasserie was very cold. Breakfast was generally good, but why not refrigerate the yoghurt which sits out and will invariably be put back into the fridge, some ice in a bowl would suffice. The staff were extremely helpful and courteous except for one. This woman's manner was enough to put you off your food!! Had no knowledge of the menu which does not fill one with confidence. If you want a quite break and no noise do not book rooms over the terrace which looks out to sea as it can be very noisy with other guests sitting out, and also the dragging of tables and chairs on the terrace early in the morning and late at night. We also had one night when there was a fracas outside our bedroom at 3am. Members of staff apparently. This was dealt with by the head waiter and no one else apologised to us about it. Beware of phone charges we tried to call someone else on the island only to discover that each time the number is engaged it still costs 25p a try and cost £3.00 for a short call!!
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk