Local Reviews
In September 2018, Isabelle D said about Fermain Valley Hotel
The hotel and surrounding areas are beautiful, but the service is below expectations.
Make sure you add a comment requesting to stay in the main building and not the Venue, which is the small annex building close to the main road (and up a steep hill). Although we booked 8 months ahead (family of four) we were located in the annex building, which is simply not the same experience. The beds are quite small.
Also make sure to book a driver beforehand to pick you up at the airport. We thought a shuttle was being organized and waited around at Guernsey Airport until we phoned the hotel (their phone line seemed disconnected, had to call 3 times) at around 6pm. The receptionist asked us angrily if we had arranged a driver and we said no... she then said ok the next available time for the driver to come pick us up is 8pm. So we just grabbed a cab (ride to hotel is approx. 10 pounds).
All in all the hotel is a lovely place, the food is delicious, but you might have a disappointing experience if you are unlucky.
Make sure you add a comment requesting to stay in the main building and not the Venue, which is the small annex building close to the main road (and up a steep hill). Although we booked 8 months ahead (family of four) we were located in the annex building, which is simply not the same experience. The beds are quite small.
Also make sure to book a driver beforehand to pick you up at the airport. We thought a shuttle was being organized and waited around at Guernsey Airport until we phoned the hotel (their phone line seemed disconnected, had to call 3 times) at around 6pm. The receptionist asked us angrily if we had arranged a driver and we said no... she then said ok the next available time for the driver to come pick us up is 8pm. So we just grabbed a cab (ride to hotel is approx. 10 pounds).
All in all the hotel is a lovely place, the food is delicious, but you might have a disappointing experience if you are unlucky.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In October 2018, Suzy134 said about Fermain Valley Hotel
My husband and I stayed here for a 3 night break, for our wedding anniversary, it is a friendly, clean and very relaxing hotel. The staff are all friendly and helpful, if a bit under pressure at times, this however did not detract from a lovely stay. The hotel is a 10 minute shuttle bus ride in to St. Peter Port, set in a tranquil valley with walks down to the bay and cafe, which unfortunately was closed when we were there, you can then walk the coastal path to St. Peter Port, which is undulating but not hard, it took us a leisurely hour, stopping to take in the stunning views. Our room number 26, was perfect, comfortable clean with everything you need , including loads of tea, coffee, milk etc. The view was a spectacular uninterrupted view of the valley and sea beyond. Breakfast was well cooked, well presented and very good portions, with an excellent selection to suit all tastes. I would definitely recommend this if your looking for a relaxing and friendly break without having to worry about anything, except what cocktails to choose from the bar or what’s for dinner. I would recommend eating in their own restaurant The Rock Garden , it was the best of all meals we had on Guernsey.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In October 2018, Burnell-Wilcox said about Fermain Valley Hotel
My wife and I can be called GUERNSEYPHII.ES. We love so much about the island, which we have visited many times. In the last ten plus years, since an old hotel was enlarged and refurbished as the delightful 4 star Fermain Valley Hotel, we have stayed there frequenly. This August we booked for the first week of October. Alas we had great disappointment. The staff were typically courteous and appreciative of our comments and suggested we put them in writing, which we will now share.
We asked the hotel to have their courtesy car meet us at the airport. That could not be since the driver ends his duty at 6 p.m and we arrived at 7 p.m., so we had to take a taxi.
We then asked for a dinner reservation in the main restaurant for 8.15, and were told that restaurant was closing for dinners from October. We could eat in The Rock Garden, a very pleasant, more expensive specialist, principally Steak restaurant or the Mexican restaurant. Such are excellent, but do guests eat nothing but steak and Mexican for their week's stay? Of course not, and on twos nights we ate out.
For whatever reason, there was a distinct shortage of staff. Those there seemed to be working as fast as they knew how, but one lunch time, when all we wanted was a sandwich, that took nearly an hour to be served! We were not alone in being unhappy. The staff seemed to be embarrassed that they could not do better. They were splendid, the trouble was staff shortage.
Of the hotel itself, much is good, BUT over the years we have noted little ways in which attention is not paid to detail. In our platinum room, No 28, the arms of the chairs were threadbare. There is little evidence of repainting, and such needs a rolling programme.
We will not say further. We have enjoyed staying here. We have introduced our family and friends, and they too have very happy. But, the points made here need consideration and attention. Whether we will remain loyal, remains to be seen.
We asked the hotel to have their courtesy car meet us at the airport. That could not be since the driver ends his duty at 6 p.m and we arrived at 7 p.m., so we had to take a taxi.
We then asked for a dinner reservation in the main restaurant for 8.15, and were told that restaurant was closing for dinners from October. We could eat in The Rock Garden, a very pleasant, more expensive specialist, principally Steak restaurant or the Mexican restaurant. Such are excellent, but do guests eat nothing but steak and Mexican for their week's stay? Of course not, and on twos nights we ate out.
For whatever reason, there was a distinct shortage of staff. Those there seemed to be working as fast as they knew how, but one lunch time, when all we wanted was a sandwich, that took nearly an hour to be served! We were not alone in being unhappy. The staff seemed to be embarrassed that they could not do better. They were splendid, the trouble was staff shortage.
Of the hotel itself, much is good, BUT over the years we have noted little ways in which attention is not paid to detail. In our platinum room, No 28, the arms of the chairs were threadbare. There is little evidence of repainting, and such needs a rolling programme.
We will not say further. We have enjoyed staying here. We have introduced our family and friends, and they too have very happy. But, the points made here need consideration and attention. Whether we will remain loyal, remains to be seen.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In October 2018, James M said about Fermain Valley Hotel
Stayed for a couple of days in October. The hotel has a great hidden away location with it's own gardens and a path that leads down to the coast where you can access the beach or the coastal path for some great walks.
There is plenty of parking and the hotel has several restaurants onsite that are really very good (Mexican and Steakhouse) and both worth a visit in their own right.
Within the hotel there are several areas where you can find space to relax, including a library and drawing room, not to mention a charming tea room, serving afternoon tea and cakes.
The room was great with almost everything you need, including fresh fruit, water, chocolate and even a decanter of sherry to sip whilst you look at the view.
The mobile coverage is patchy, but you can switch your network to a different network which sorts this.
The one issue I had with the room, was that most of the sockets were lamp / 3 pin design and the few normal plugs sockets in the room were a very long way from the bed, so charging your phone/laptop whilst in bed meant not having access to it, unless you bought a 3M cable. A silly thing, but there isn't many people who don't have this requirement nowadays and this is the first hotel I have stayed in for a very long time where I had this issue. It's also a simple fix for the hotel.
Other than that minor niggle, this hotel was perfect. I would stay here again for sure and highly recommend it.
There is plenty of parking and the hotel has several restaurants onsite that are really very good (Mexican and Steakhouse) and both worth a visit in their own right.
Within the hotel there are several areas where you can find space to relax, including a library and drawing room, not to mention a charming tea room, serving afternoon tea and cakes.
The room was great with almost everything you need, including fresh fruit, water, chocolate and even a decanter of sherry to sip whilst you look at the view.
The mobile coverage is patchy, but you can switch your network to a different network which sorts this.
The one issue I had with the room, was that most of the sockets were lamp / 3 pin design and the few normal plugs sockets in the room were a very long way from the bed, so charging your phone/laptop whilst in bed meant not having access to it, unless you bought a 3M cable. A silly thing, but there isn't many people who don't have this requirement nowadays and this is the first hotel I have stayed in for a very long time where I had this issue. It's also a simple fix for the hotel.
Other than that minor niggle, this hotel was perfect. I would stay here again for sure and highly recommend it.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In October 2018, Alison23lufbra said about Fermain Valley Hotel
Lovely hotel down a lane with sea views .. nice light and airy coffee shop and with seating inside and out. Helpful service, nice coffee , and good cakes too. Hotel looks very attractive with gardens on a slope towards the beach and balconies looking over the sea.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In October 2018, Pharehaven said about Fermain Valley Hotel
Before talking about the hotel, the service and staff need a special mention. The friendliness and helpfulness of the staff was second to none, especially those on the reception desk.
Check-in was efficient and plenty of advice on things to do, and places to eat locally was provided. Some of the rooms are in a remote annex (a few minutes walk up a hill) and a car is available to transport you to them. The rooms themselves were large and clean. The bed was extra large. There is a TV, a safe, tea and coffee facilities, fresh water, fresh fruit and even a bottle of sherry for you in the rooms. The room also had a desk and chair to work at. The bathroom had a bath and shower and a good choice of toiletries which were topped up each day.
Breakfast consists of a continental buffet, as well as a hot menu which you can order one item from in addition to the buffet. There are also three restaurants on the site so you don't need to travel far if you wish to have dinner. There is a swimming pool and also a cinema on site, which shows films in the evening on request and even has popcorn.
Check-in was efficient and plenty of advice on things to do, and places to eat locally was provided. Some of the rooms are in a remote annex (a few minutes walk up a hill) and a car is available to transport you to them. The rooms themselves were large and clean. The bed was extra large. There is a TV, a safe, tea and coffee facilities, fresh water, fresh fruit and even a bottle of sherry for you in the rooms. The room also had a desk and chair to work at. The bathroom had a bath and shower and a good choice of toiletries which were topped up each day.
Breakfast consists of a continental buffet, as well as a hot menu which you can order one item from in addition to the buffet. There are also three restaurants on the site so you don't need to travel far if you wish to have dinner. There is a swimming pool and also a cinema on site, which shows films in the evening on request and even has popcorn.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In October 2018, scansjones said about Fermain Valley Hotel
We've recently come back from a 3 night stay at the Fermain Valley. On a second try as we had to cancel the first due to ill health. Claire very kindly helped us and sorted out the re-booking. Couldn't fault the hotel or any of the staff. The only issue we found was the mattress on the bed was too hard for us, but that's personal preference. Its really good they offer a curtesy shuttle bus service (has to be booked in advance) which we used on a few occasions with no problems. we ate in the Steakhouse restaurant twice as unfortunately the fish restaurant is closed from October and we didn't want to eat Mexican. The meals were of good quality. However, the 2nd visit was on a Friday evening and as it was full, the noise level was loud, which was too much for us, so we ate a main course and took the rest of our wine back to our room. Breakfast was freshly cooked per your order, and we enjoyed all the choices we made. If you want a bit of exercise then walk into town via the coastal route. We also used the local bus service quite a lot. very easy, just pay a £1 each time. If we come back to Guernsey, we would happily stay again (although seeing if there is a softer mattress somewhere).
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In October 2018, Stephen H said about Fermain Valley Hotel
An unusual aspect of this hotel is that it is in two quite widely separated buildings, one being up close to the road between the airport and St Peter Port, and the other being a couple of hundred yards down through the gardens, with its own vehicle entrance/drop off and parking. I can't comment on the upper building because I have never stayed there, but I suggest that at the time of booking you should make sure which building you might be in. The two are very different in character, and maybe should be marketed as two separate establishments with some shared facilities.
Personally I value a bit of peace and quiet, and Guernsey is a small island, so I want to see the sea. For those reasons I would always choose Fermain Valley's main lower building. And if a room is available there, I will always return.
Fermain Valley's main lower building is a charming and comfortable hotel, beautifully located in what is effectively its own wooded valley looking out across the sea to Jersey. I've stayed there three times now, and I empathised with another recent contributor to this site who clearly had not been alerted to the fact of the hotel having two such different buildings, and was very frustrated and disappointed by his experience.
Having said that, the same contributor was downright rude in the review. I can't say how that negativity kicked off, but I believe that a lot of what you get from a hotel is what you bring to a hotel, and at Fermain Valley I have never experienced anything less than efficient friendliness from reception staff and all others.
It's a complicated building with some hidden gems: the library, for example, small but very comfortable, and the more widely advertised indoor pool. On my first visit I was pleased to be offered a tour of the hotel by the receptionist on duty. I might not have
found those other rooms otherwise.
Bedrooms no problem: there are of various quality levels, of which I chose Gold. These are of a good size, including a pleasant sitting area (two armchairs, fruit bowl, welcoming decanter of sherry) and with nice sea-view balconies. These and slightly smaller Silver rooms are in the modern spur to the original building in the valley. Platinum rooms are in the original valley building, varying in size.
Breakfasts were good: hotel breakfasts are important to me, and in addition to the Continental offerings, there was a nice variety of fresh-cooked options.
During this winter season there was/is a catering limitation, and again this is something to be aware of. The Ocean Restaurant is closed for the winter season, so staying in for an evening will involve either room service (which is good) or a trip to the Rock Garden brasserie. In some ways I really like the RG -- welcoming, stimulating, nice food -- but on Friday nights I will tend to let the 20-somethings have their loud and wonderful time there. I love it and them -- just can't hear through the joyful Friday night din.
I would emphasise that there is no noise disturbance in the bedrooms.
Saturdays are calmer and with the RG's strong focus on steak, there is some delicious food here: which helpfully can be ordered and priced by the 100 grams.
If you have no car in the island, a practical benefit from Fermain Valley is the complimentary shuttle service. Check times and book. The bus service is also efficient. If you do have a car, you may park either in the upper car park or the lower.
Personally I value a bit of peace and quiet, and Guernsey is a small island, so I want to see the sea. For those reasons I would always choose Fermain Valley's main lower building. And if a room is available there, I will always return.
Fermain Valley's main lower building is a charming and comfortable hotel, beautifully located in what is effectively its own wooded valley looking out across the sea to Jersey. I've stayed there three times now, and I empathised with another recent contributor to this site who clearly had not been alerted to the fact of the hotel having two such different buildings, and was very frustrated and disappointed by his experience.
Having said that, the same contributor was downright rude in the review. I can't say how that negativity kicked off, but I believe that a lot of what you get from a hotel is what you bring to a hotel, and at Fermain Valley I have never experienced anything less than efficient friendliness from reception staff and all others.
It's a complicated building with some hidden gems: the library, for example, small but very comfortable, and the more widely advertised indoor pool. On my first visit I was pleased to be offered a tour of the hotel by the receptionist on duty. I might not have
found those other rooms otherwise.
Bedrooms no problem: there are of various quality levels, of which I chose Gold. These are of a good size, including a pleasant sitting area (two armchairs, fruit bowl, welcoming decanter of sherry) and with nice sea-view balconies. These and slightly smaller Silver rooms are in the modern spur to the original building in the valley. Platinum rooms are in the original valley building, varying in size.
Breakfasts were good: hotel breakfasts are important to me, and in addition to the Continental offerings, there was a nice variety of fresh-cooked options.
During this winter season there was/is a catering limitation, and again this is something to be aware of. The Ocean Restaurant is closed for the winter season, so staying in for an evening will involve either room service (which is good) or a trip to the Rock Garden brasserie. In some ways I really like the RG -- welcoming, stimulating, nice food -- but on Friday nights I will tend to let the 20-somethings have their loud and wonderful time there. I love it and them -- just can't hear through the joyful Friday night din.
I would emphasise that there is no noise disturbance in the bedrooms.
Saturdays are calmer and with the RG's strong focus on steak, there is some delicious food here: which helpfully can be ordered and priced by the 100 grams.
If you have no car in the island, a practical benefit from Fermain Valley is the complimentary shuttle service. Check times and book. The bus service is also efficient. If you do have a car, you may park either in the upper car park or the lower.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In November 2018, Martin W said about Fermain Valley Hotel
Selected because of '4 nights for price of 3' and 'flights included' package, this was a step into the unknown at first. However, from first phone contact to arrange airport transfers to the end of our stay the Fermain Valley team were excellent.
Quiet time of year with not many around but the room (in the lower main hotel) was excellent, had everything we needed and stunning sea view - spot on with the unseasonably good Oct/Nov weather. Breakfasts ample, good and despite the main restaurant being closed off-season in the evening, the in-house Rock Garden steak restaurant was a great alternative and, after a busy day exploring, also provided a friendly, prompt room service. Didn't use the tea room other than to sit in but St Peter Port locals using it for a drop-in treat is a good pointer.
Situation is also good with about an easy 20-25 min walk into town as a morning freshener - or just take the complimentary hotel bus! Also a more adventurous cliff/coastal path from Fermain Bay into town if you prefer. Finally, Guernsey buses go everywhere, have a stop at end of the hotel drive, are regular and v.economical - they, plus a bit of walking, cover the entire island with no need to hire a car.
Overall, we wanted a quiet, very comfortable and well-looked after break for 2 and got just that. Our thanks to all at the Fermain Valley for their efforts where nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them.
Quiet time of year with not many around but the room (in the lower main hotel) was excellent, had everything we needed and stunning sea view - spot on with the unseasonably good Oct/Nov weather. Breakfasts ample, good and despite the main restaurant being closed off-season in the evening, the in-house Rock Garden steak restaurant was a great alternative and, after a busy day exploring, also provided a friendly, prompt room service. Didn't use the tea room other than to sit in but St Peter Port locals using it for a drop-in treat is a good pointer.
Situation is also good with about an easy 20-25 min walk into town as a morning freshener - or just take the complimentary hotel bus! Also a more adventurous cliff/coastal path from Fermain Bay into town if you prefer. Finally, Guernsey buses go everywhere, have a stop at end of the hotel drive, are regular and v.economical - they, plus a bit of walking, cover the entire island with no need to hire a car.
Overall, we wanted a quiet, very comfortable and well-looked after break for 2 and got just that. Our thanks to all at the Fermain Valley for their efforts where nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk
In November 2018, Loopyloo_8 said about Fermain Valley Hotel
my huband, daughter (14) and I stayed at this hotel in October 2018. We booked on line and were collected from the airport in their car, no extra cost to us. A short journey to our accommodation with great company from the driver. We were swiftly checked in and our room was large, roomy and tastefully decorated.
There were several restaurants on site with exceptional food and service. A lovely warm swimming pool and sauna, its own beach. The walk to and from the beach was very steep the driver offered to collect us from the beach if we wanted him to. We didnt but was great to have the offer.
We used the bus service so easy to get around the island. Each journey costs £1 or buy a puffin card, even cheaper. We got the bus into St Peters Port one day and just missed the bus we didnt want to wait and rang the hotel and they collected us. It was very much appreciated.
Very friendly staff with great service. Would I return? Most definitely.
There were several restaurants on site with exceptional food and service. A lovely warm swimming pool and sauna, its own beach. The walk to and from the beach was very steep the driver offered to collect us from the beach if we wanted him to. We didnt but was great to have the offer.
We used the bus service so easy to get around the island. Each journey costs £1 or buy a puffin card, even cheaper. We got the bus into St Peters Port one day and just missed the bus we didnt want to wait and rang the hotel and they collected us. It was very much appreciated.
Very friendly staff with great service. Would I return? Most definitely.
Source: tripadvisor.co.uk