Review: Cary Arms and Spa, Babbacombe, Devon, UK
The upscale Cary Arms and Spa is nestled among rocks that are perched over Babbacombe Bay in south-east Devon, an area twice visited by Queen Victoria when she was in her late twenties and early thirties. Accommodation consists of 10 contemporary bedrooms and suites, 6 luxury beach huts and 2 beach suites, all with incredible sea views.
The inn also rents out a number of coastal cottages in the immediate vicinity and is a member of the international collection of de Savary Properties, that includes Mount Cinnamon in Grenada and a number of different UK properties, from the 16th Century The Merry Harriers in Surrey to the treehouses and shepherds huts of Dittisham Hideaway, also in Devon.
The welcome
The descent down to the hotel is a steep one, but don’t be alarmed by this – there’s a valet parking service on hand that makes check-in a breeze. There are three parking spaces immediately outside the hotel entrance and a driver will kindly take your car to the hotel’s car park which is just a short distance back up the hill. You can collect it from there or have someone bring it to the entrance for you as and when you need. After parking outside the entrance and unloading our luggage (they’ll help if you need it), we were personally accompanied to our accommodation.
The room
We stayed in beach hut number 4 – the huts have a mezzanine floor with a super-comfortable king-sized bed with a brightly-checked throw, TV and a porthole at pillow level that looks straight out to sea. A large propeller ceiling fan helps to keep the hut cool in the Summer months.
Back on the ground floor, a large bi-fold glass door lets in lots of natural light and a large sofa and colourful art add to the bright and airy atmosphere of this contemporary hut. There’s a Netflix-enabled smart TV, DVD player and Sonos music system, Smeg mini fridge, Nespresso machine, electric kettle and free WiFi.
Outside, a sundeck with two wooden loungers and footrests, plus a gorgeous sea view, gives guests the perfect setting to peacefully relax and keep an eye out for Sammy the seal (we saw him!) or dolphins that visit the bay.
Although we were visiting during the Summer, the beach hut is suitable year round, equipped with a contemporary, crackling effect, fireplace and underfloor heating.
Each hut, including its outdoor space, covers 560 sq ft (52 sq m) and is dog friendly.
The bathroom
The bathroom in our beach hut, also on the ground floor, has a large walk-in rainfall shower.
White Company toiletries are supplied, as are bathrobes, slippers and a hairdryer.
The facilities
The Cary Arms operates an informal 1 AA Rosette pub-style restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, cream tea and dinner, led by Head Chef Steve Poyner. If the weather is favourable, as it was during our stay, you can dine al fresco on the delightful stony terraces that spill down into the sea.
The Captain’s Table – an elevated platform that signals the panoramic views around the bay – is available for private dining but must be reserved in advance. Next to it is a bell which you can ring if you spot dolphins, to alert others of your sighting.
There is a sun-lit conservatory for indoor dining, as well as a cosy residents lounge where guests can enjoy an aperitif or nightcap, with a fireplace, chess board and shelves full of books. The menu has a good range of classic dishes and seafood specialities. Anything special that is not on the menu (eg. lobster or a seafood platter or any other favourites) can be ordered by giving 24 hours’ notice.
We had the most delicious dinner during our stay. Our starters were the pan-seared Brixham scallops, beautifully-succulent and presented with a pea purée, basil pesto and chorizo, and the smoked duck breast, with peaches, rocket and toasted almond panzanella salad, and a balsamic glaze.
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For our mains, we had the West Country fillet of beef, cooked just to my liking (rare) with hand-cut chips, onion rings, tomato, mushrooms and peppercorn jus and, from the specials, a delicious battered monkfish burger with a chorizo jam, garlic mayonnaise, fries and a mixed leaf salad.
The dark chocolate brownie, chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream rounded off a lovely evening.
We didn’t use it on this visit but the hotel also has a spa with two treatment rooms that use the GAIA Skincare brand, as well as a sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool.
Location
Scenically perched over Babbacombe Bay, and on the route of the South West Coastal Path, The Cary Arms lies 23 miles south of Exeter. It is only a one minute walk to Babbacombe beach below, or a 15-minute walk to Oddicombe beach situated on the opposite side of the bay. The town of Babbacombe has its own theatre and can be reached on foot from the hotel or via the funicular railway from Oddicombe beach.
The inn is just a short drive from the harbour towns of Torquay (8 mins), Paignton (20 mins), Brixham (30 mins) and Brixham (55 mins), whilst the edge of Dartmoor is around 30 minutes inland. Nearby attractions include Babbacome Model Village (4 mins), Torre Abbey (10 mins), Cockington Country Park (15 mins), Berry Pomeroy Castle (25 mins) and the National Trust’s Greenway (30 mins).
There’s also no end of activities to enjoy nearby – golf at Teignmouth Golf Club (20 mins), horse riding at Haldon Riding Stables (35 mins), watersports and river cruises. We were in the area to attend a national sailing competition run out of Royal Torbay Yacht Club in Torquay.
Although there is much to see and do in the area, your days could equally be spent simply soaking the immediate environs of the hotel. My son, who was competing in the sailing competition but also takes part in triathlons, enjoyed swimming across the bay and running along the coastline.
Other nice touches
A decanter of complimentary sloe gin, some snacks and a Smeg mini-fridge pre-loaded with a bottle of wine, soft drinks and water are just some of the litle extras we found in our hut. A turndown service is also available if you’d like one.
The hotel also has a selection of fishing rods available for complimentary use. The pier on Babbacombe Beach is a popular place to cast a rod with local fishermen tending to land a healthy catch of mackerel. If you are successful and wish to bring your mackerel back to the hotel, then the kitchen team will be more than happy to cook this for you. Lightly baked and served with butter, lemon and salad is their recommendation!
Cost
Luxury beach huts start from £475 per night, with breakfast included.
The best bit
Whilst there is much to admire about The Cary Arms, it’s hard to look beyond the inn’s stunning seaside location as the stand-out highlight. Couple this with the ability to dine al fresco in this stunning setting and you are left wondering whether there is ever a need to travel abroad.
The final verdict
The Cary Arms and Spa exudes a very special charm with a laidback atmosphere. Known as ‘the inn on the beach’, this five star property is informal and easygoing, but nevertheless professionally run with attentive staff – the perfect recipe for a relaxed getaway in the English Riviera.
Disclosure: Our stay was sponsored by The Cary Arms and Spa.
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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We’ve stayed at this delightful property. I quickly understood why it was a favourite with royalty once the train could quickly whisk them down to Devon. Back then that blue sea and red cliffs must have seemed like another world. Personally I think I’d have much preferred a Devon break to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.
I agree, Jeff… OSborne House is without doubt a magnificent building, but I think the Cary Arms comes with much less formality in an equally stunning location.
It looks absolutely idyllic. I can’t believe that I knew nothing of this idyllic destination until I read this post.
Hi Caroline – it’s quite tucked away that even people visiting Babbacombe might miss it. I spoke to people in Torquay about where we were staying and a number did not seem all that aware of its existence, even though it is less than 10 minutes away.
It looks to me as if those beach huts have a New England clapperboard thing going on. From those photos they look uber stylish. I bet they were cooled nicely by the sea breezes when we had that really hot weather. What a great place to be based when you want to go for a dip in the sea.
They are a certainly nice and airy, even in the hotter months. The bifold doors can be fully opened to let the sea breeze in. We had good weather during our stay, but never felt too hot in our accommodation. Plus there’s an enormous ceiling fan to keep you cool should you need.
There can’t be too many English hotels that have a more attention grabbing image than that? Seeing that perfect picture wants to make me book a long weekend get away right now.
Go for it, Alex! I am confident you will not be disappointed!! The location is to die for.
I love Devon and always have done since holidays there as a little girl. Lately when we’ve visited it’s been very crowded. The Cary Arms looks as if it’s away from all the busy proms and a bit closer to nature too.
Yes, Freya… the beaches attract a good number of people but we were there in peak season and it never felt overly-busy. And as dusk starts to fall, the non-residents vacate the area and, but for the odd fisherman on the pier, you’ll likely find you and other residents have the whole area to yourselves.
What I like is that it is an authentic pub. So often hotel bars are really artificial and characterless. Guests have a drink before dinner and a few guys return to the bar after dinner but that is about it.
Yes, Bob… despite being a five-star hotel, there is nothing pretentious about the place. No stuffiness or over-formality, just a relaxed dining environment, yet still with five star service – a difficult balance to get right, but one they seem to manage!
This pub / hotel looks perfect for an autumn break. A few nights away down on the English Riviera, where summer often lingers, would be a wonderful tonic.
Definitely, Laura… to be honest, I think it has many different attributes year-round. Visiting at different times of year would no dobut provide you with varied experiences, but each magical for their own unique reasons.
Did you have a go with the fishing rods? Did you catch anything?
Unfortunately we didn’t, Brian… we were attending a sailing event in Torquay so sadly didn’t have time. But we did see people (local, I’m guessing) fishing off the pier at dawn and dusk and I would imagine they were having some success.