The Woolacombe Bay Hotel

I cannot stress enough how poorly staff are treated at Woolacombe Bay Hotel. From day one, it was evident that this is a company that doesn’t care for the well-being of its employees. They regularly break work laws, with their split shifts that start at 7 am and end late into the evening, with little regard for proper rest in between. The culture here is one of bullying and cruelty. The head chef Eddie and a colleague named Carolina seem to take pleasure in picking apart their staff's flaws. Andrea, the head waitress, is known for regularly targeting staff with unnecessary harshness, including shaming individuals in front of the whole team. Despite numerous complaints, the management, is complacent and does nothing to address these toxic behaviours. The hotel itself, while grand in appearance, is in dire need of refurbishment, especially the breakfast room. Go to breakfast at your own risk, there were multiple occasions where gone off milk was accidentally served to guests. When I mentioned we should change suppliers as this happens often I was shot down. However, the most concerning aspect is the appalling staff accommodation, which is not only disgusting but also violates multiple safety and health laws. There are fire hazards everywhere—no fire exit, no fire door, windows that don’t open, and live wires exposed in several flats. The living conditions are horrendous, with many rooms lacking proper lighting. In one apartment the roof fell through and it was just left to deteriorate further. The front doors of the staff accommodations are so old that the apartments are freezing, and the outdoor stairs are incredibly dangerous, especially when it rains. I personally fell down the stairs twice, and when I reported it to the manager, I was told nothing could be done. This sums up the management's complete disregard for staff safety and comfort. To make matters worse, most of the staff seem to struggle with addiction issues, which is likely a result of stress and poor working conditions. The owner, Sally, is rude and dismissive of any concerns, only caring about the hotel’s profits while completely neglecting the welfare of their team. I would strongly advise anyone considering employment here to look elsewhere. The owners attitude towards their employees is reflected in the dire living and working conditions. If you are thinking about staying at the hotel, I would recommend you don’t and that you choose a business that truly values its staff.

We went to celebrate my wife's birthday, spending the last weekend of October.at the hotel. The service we received was first class, nothing was too much trouble. The staff were so attentive and made our stay very enjoyable. Special thanks to Jonathan who was always smiling and chatty, making us feel really welcome.

what a brilliant hotel could not fault anything from the moment we arrived to the moment we left food was tasty and well presented the staff were so helpful and friendly we had a room with a sea view amazing we also had spa treatment felt so good afterwards could not fault this stay will be back for sure