The 25 Boutique B&B.
25 Avenue Road, Torquay.
"The Best B&B in the World": that's a pretty big claim, but that was the opinion of Trip Advisor travellers in 2019, and really the reviews speak for themselves.
The 25 Boutique B&B sits in an immaculate Edwardian villa where impeccable design meets cutting edge technology. It's just a 10 minute walk to the nearest (and best) beach in Torquay and about 20 minutes from the harbour and marina area.
This exclusively adults-only Bed and Breakfast presents a mix of tradition and ever-so-slightly wacky. The service though is quite simply superb. Breakfasts are a special feature and have won their own awards. Of course there's a full English with bacon that measures it's food-miles in yards, and eggs from a hand-picked Devonshire farm. There are kippers, eggs Benedict, lots of fruit, delicious breads and home-made preserves.
The six double rooms and suites are immaculately presented and the list of features and facilities just goes on and on. There are kingsize or super-kingsize beds, big flatscreen televisions, smart room controls via Amazon Echo, an iPad, a Nespresso coffee machine, a fridge and well-stocked tea tray. The bathrooms all have generous rain showers, hair dryers and straighteners, lovely fluffy bathrobes and luxury Elemis toiletries.
Torquay stands proud as the premier destination in South Devon. The gentle climate, sandy beaches and glorious coastline provide a myriad things to do. Around the harbour there are shops, pubs, cocktail bars and restaurants all within easy reach. And of course a visit to Torquay wouldn't be complete with venturing along the coast to Brixham and the Dart estuary, and up onto Dartmoor.
Here's a little taster of the reviews of The 25 (there are hundreds like these):
"I hardly know where to begin. I could easily wax on about the convenient location, beautiful property, funky design, unique and intimate rooms/interior designs, serious attention to detail, outstanding breakfast (no, really, outstanding - the side board items alone are better than most hotels), and all the personal touches (a welcome drink? daily, fresh, handmade pastries? lavender pillow spray? lip balm for your long walks on the beach? collection of "in-case-you-forgot" items, like cotton buds, ear plugs, etc.? iPad? Amazon's Alexa in each room? Smart TV and room/lighting controls? spa-quality in-room products? fresh milk and bottled water daily? a sweet handwritten departure note on my bed? a care package for the train?) The list goes on and on."
"This was our second visit to the 25b&b. It was just as great as our first. Id managed to get the Torre suite this time which was amazing. Big separate dressing room, massive walk in shower and of course Frank the Zebra. Breakfast is lovely with a lot of extra dishes as well as full English to choose from. Welcomed by Andy on arrival with a nice glass of wine and his famous chocolate brownies. Both Andy and Julian show an interest in where you're going and where you've been and recommend places to go and eat and advice on how to get around the area."
"From the time we arrived to the time we left, Andy and Julian made our stay amazing. Their hospitality was second to none, nothing was too much.
All of the rooms, guest and public were spotless. Our room was extremely comfortable with lots of touches that we haven't experienced before even in 5* hotels around the world. From, coffee maker, milk frother, ipad to home made cookies and treats left in your room each day.
The breakfast choice was extensive and was very high quality, with hot food freshly cooked to order."
We Say
There are no Hanging Gardens of Babylon or "herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plain" (I had to fit in a Fawlty Towers reference somewhere!) but The 25 and Torquay have just about everything else. Yes, quite possibly the best B&B in the world.