Set on its very own quay and overlooking Falmouth harbour, our stay at the 4 star Greenbank Hotel is definitely one I’ll be remembering!
Last week I turned 24, and what better way to celebrate than to spend a luxurious night in my favourite Cornish town of Falmouth. We both took the day off work and headed over early to enjoy an afternoon walk along the South West Coast Path from Gylly beach to Maenporth.
Unfortunately the rain and stormy weather meant we didn’t quite make it all the way to Maenporth, but by the time we got back to Gylly it was time for check in anyway. We drove over to the hotel and went to reception.
The setting of The Greenbank is very impressive; I love that it has its own quay, and the building itself dates back to the 17th century! It has not one, but two restaurants; the Working Boat pub on the ground floor which is cosy and nautical, and the two AA rosette relaxed fine dining Water’s Edge Restaurant on the level above.
We were given our keys and headed upstairs to our room, and were totally blown away by what we found! Staying in The Florence Suite (once visited by Florence Nightingale!), I knew it was going to be fancy but this space was incredible. Described as their most ‘lavish’ stay, this suite is definitely the best I’ve stayed in yet.
With super high ceilings, separate lounge area, two TVs, a beautiful bathroom with extra large shower, a huge private balcony with panoramic views of the harbour, and even a bath in its own window setting next to the bed, I felt completely and utterly spoiled!
Decorated by designer Matt Hulme, the room is full of rich, vivid teal tones combined with bright mustard yellow, giving it a modern nautical feel. The bed was enormous, and I was instantly drawn to the little seating area in from of the patio doors where you can watch the water from the warmth.
The hotel team had kindly left me a birthday card and bottle of champagne to enjoy too! Throughout our stay I was really impressed with the service at The Greenbank; we even had reception ring up to our room after we’d settled in to check everything was okay – a simple touch that made us feel really well looked after.
We spent the early evening out on the balcony taking in the views, and treating ourselves to some bubbly as we looked out at the boats coming in from the impending storm. And of course I had to take advantage of the setting by pouring a long relaxing bath too!
We were booked in for a three course meal in the Water’s Edge Restaurant downstairs at 7pm, and took our seats in the window to order some wine and view the menu. I love it when everything on the menu looks so good that you just can’t decide! There were some great options on there and we both really liked the variation.
To start, I chose the Falmouth Bay mackerel with pickled radish and beetroot, and Alex wanted to try the fine dining version of ‘ham, egg and chips’ (ham hock, fried quail’s eggs and straw potato chips). These were the perfect size for a starter, and the flavours were delicious!
For main course, I had the hake fillet with potato, cauliflower and red wine jus, while Alex went for the seared lamb with summer greens. I may have had a cheeky mouthful of Alex’s lamb which was super tasty and succulent.
When we visited The Working Boat, we both agreed that the desserts were our favourite course, so we were really looking forward to this part of the meal (the dessert chef is the same for both restaurants), and it didn’t disappoint! I chose a panna cotta with honeycomb, while Alex’s white chocolate creme brûlée with cinnamon raspberry donut was to die for!
We finished our meal and rolled upstairs to the room, peering out the windows at the storm outside before slipping into the huge, emperor size bed for the night.
Whenever I stay anywhere with a fantastic view like this, the first thing I do when I wake up is always run to the window and throw open the curtains, so I can lie in bed and watch the world go by with a tea in the morning. It’s one of my favourite things about staying in hotels!
It was so nice to have a bit of a lie in, but we both needed to head back to work so once we’d finished breakfast we packed up our things and went downstairs to check out. I was very sad to say goodbye to the amazing Florence Suite!
We had a wonderful stay at The Greenbank and I will definitely be recommending our suite to anyone wanting a unique, luxurious experience for a special occasion (I can very much imagine this would be amazing for a honeymoon!). The service at the hotel was above-and-beyond throughout our stay and meal in the restaurant, so thank you to everyone who made my birthday really special that evening!
* We were kindly invited for a complimentary stay, but all opinions are my own
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