Dine & Stay Recommendations: Fairyhill Hotel Review

Have I ever mentioned we live just at the edge of the beautiful Gower? The UKs first area of outstanding natural beauty? Well, we do, and we love it. There's no place like home. But sometimes it's really easy to take your home for granted.

When we look for places to stay as a treat, they usually involve somewhere farther afield. But sometimes if you look closer to home, there can be some fantastic treats just on your doorstep. Fairyhill Hotel is one of those places. We ate there last year for my birthday, but had never thought of staying the night until we were invited to stay as part of a blogger review.

Here are our thoughts about the fabulous Fairyhill Hotel

Location

Set in 24 acres of parkland in Reynoldston, Gower, the location of Fairyhill is pretty hard to beat. You feel like you're tucked away in the beautiful countryside, but also have the benefit of spectacular beaches within 10-15 minutes drive.

I loved driving up towards the Hotel, passed a sign that said 'restaurant with rooms'. These are my favourite places, where you know you can look forward to a Hotel that prides itself on its restaurant, but also has rooms so you can totally over-indulge and then sleep it off afterwards.

The surrounding gardens were gorgeous, with ducks and a secluded herb garden. Having recently got married we thought of how lovely the grounds would be for a wedding, playing croquet on the lawn and relaxing in the terrace overlooking the beautiful landscaping.

Comfort

This was the big unknown for us. We already knew we loved the food after our previous visit, plus the Fairyhill has an excellent reputation locally. But we had never stayed there, nor did we know anyone who had stayed there.

We were very pleasantly surprised by how luxurious the hotel is. The bed was super comfortable, the room (principal) was spacious and welcoming with so much attention to detail. We had a TV in our room (with DVDs available at reception), a high tech Bose sound system with Karl Jenkins music available (a well known local musician- just think of the Cheltenham & Gloucester mortgages advert from the 1990s with the pearl divers and Adiemus as the soundtrack). There were welshcakes and tea and coffee facilities, fresh apples, bottled water, gorgeous toiletries (which I started to put on just as a hand cream then ended up using it all over as it smelled so good!)... the list goes on!

Not only were the rooms relaxing and luxurious, but there was also a cozy bar, and a lounge with a grand piano and sofas you sunk into perfectly. Add to that the beautiful terrace you're not short of places to relax and unwind.

Service

The service was excellent. What we particularly liked was the laid back, natural feel. You want to enjoy a bit of luxury and opulence, but without feeling stuffy and pompous. The Fairyhill manages this perfectly. The quality is excellent and the service very personable meaning you can totally relax.

My husband is the laid back sort and doesn't like too much fuss, and even he said how much he enjoyed the whole stay. Partly due to the fact they did everything they could to make us feel at ease, and not like we were standing on ceremony.

I always take a look at how they treat the guests around me too, and the service was consistent throughout. Everyone was happy and enjoying.

Food

The menu was particularly good, with specials and a regular menu. All featuring as much local produce as possible. The cost of the meal was a particular surprise at just £35 for 2 courses and £45 for 3 for the evening menu. This is very well priced, and very competitive when compared to other Restaurants With Rooms that we've stayed at.

The food was one of the biggest highlights. We had:

Canapes of chicken parfait with almonds, smoked salmon and cockles. Washed down with a nice bottle of Rioja. It's worth noting that the Fairyhill pride themselves on their wine selection, and not only are there recommended wines of the day but also an extensive wine list. The staff are very obliging if you have any queries, which is nice as someone who doesn't know their wines, to have expert advice.

Carrot and orange soup, with orange and pistachio

Salad of heirloom tomatoes, charred cucumber, lemon, guacamole, smoked and spiced salt.

Fillet of welsh beef, cabbage with ox tail and mustard, roasted beetroot and carrots

I loved how clever the cabbage was, you opened it up and it was filled with shredded cabbage and oxtail. So good

The fillet was cooked to perfection. And the jus was so good I could have licked the plate (you'll be glad to hear that I didn't).

Loin and slow cooked shoulder of Gower lamb, Gower asparagus, peas and garden lovage, baked potato rosti.

This again was cooked to perfection. My husband loved it.

Vanilla pannacotta, berry compote, sorrel

This was so good we were almost fighting for it!

Fairyhill duck egg custard tart, garden rhubarb, clotted cream.

After dinner floater coffee and petite fours. The caramel truffle was particularly good!

All rounded off with a glass of Moscato Passito 2011 dessert wine, which was a little too easy to drink.

But what about breakfast?

Another treat. I love pikelets so was thrilled to see them on the breakfast menu. The breakfast room was light and had a gorgeous view, we didn't want to leave.

And a Welsh breakfast for him.

Would we go back?

Absolutely. Next time we're thinking of staying away as a treat I will definitely think of staying closer to home and revisiting the Fairyhill as the standards far exceed the price. It's fantastic value for money and a perfect bit of luxury nestled in arguably one of the most beautiful places in the whole of the UK.