We do get asked the strangest questions!
Being many miles from home some of our guests from time to time find themselves in need of something here that they might normally be able to put their hands on at home. This mornings question I think is quite high on the list of comical ones and that was “Have you got a soldering iron?” Well I know that we do try our best to overcome every possible eventuality, however a soldering iron is a little too specialist for us. Anyway our multi-tasking maintenance man Ray is well and truly on the job, if anyone can fix the broken glasses then Ray can.
Another comical one is the evening that a sorbet was retuned to the kitchen because it was “too cold”, after microwaving it into a warm liquid the guest ate it up quite happily. Never let it be said that our work here is boring…
Happy Valentines Day!!!
Thankfully we here at the Fowey Hotel are proving that romance is far from dead. We have accepted over a dozen bouquets over the weekend on behalf of many romantic people wishing to spoil their nearest and dearest. It’s been a really beautiful day with blue sky and sunshine, and a lot of couples have been enjoying a nice lunch and then a stroll in and around the town. The Restaurant is packed to capacity this evening and the chef has created a deliciously romantic menu for our valentine visitors.
I myself have enjoyed a perfect morning with my gorgeous boyfriend who has spoilt me rotten. Breakfast in bed, well juice and a cup of tea – but that is all I have. We then both opened our cards and I was given chocolates, a rose, a very cute cuddly toy and some beautiful bubble bath, what a lovely treat! Surprisingly, I haven’t even eaten one of the chocolates yet; I may not be able to say that tomorrow morning though!
I am a real romantic and I love to see older couples still enjoying each other’s company, holding hands and laughing. Some of whom are staying here at the hotel this weekend - Ahhhh how sweet!
Well this evening we are going to enjoy a quiet night at home, it is my idea to have an indoor picnic with both of our favourite foods - It’s a bit of fun, I’ll let you know how it goes. Happy Valentines Day Everyone!
Sorely missed, fondly remembered and never forgotten…….
It has been a very sad week for the Richardson group. A number of you will know Mrs Ann Richardson who sadly passed away suddenly last Thursday evening. As you can imagine, it has been a huge shock for the entire Richardson group as Ann has always been a very warm and welcoming part of The Richardson group. I am sure that there are many guests who have met Ann at the Fowey Hotel throughout the years. Many of you reading this will remember that Ann always put a great deal of effort and enthusiasm into meeting and greeting new and old friends at the Fowey. She was always incredibly generous and a lot of fun to have around, I would describe her as a ‘natural hosts’ and she will be sorely missed by myself and many of the team here at The Fowey Hotel.
Just beyond our reach…….
Just wanted to let you know that the South West Tourism Awards was a huge success last Thursday. Both Candace and myself dressed up in our evening gowns and had a really wonderful evening at the Headland Hotel in Newquay. I was lucky enough to bump in to an ex college lecturer Vince Falco and a few other ex students of Camborne College that night and it was so nice to enjoy some banter about “how things use to be”. As always the evening was well organised and the after dinner speaker was Kirstie Allsop from (one of my favourite programmes) Location, Location, Location. A few of us were a little miffed as to how Kirstie could be ‘linked’ to the catering and hospitality industry. However, she quickly explained that she owned a holiday cottage in the area and had always visited Cornwall as a child with her family. Kirstie gave a great (no notes required) speech and cracked a few ‘Cornish’ jokes which we all appreciated.
So I have waffled on and kept you in suspense for long enough, I expect some of you may be interested in how we did? As you may know we entered the hotel in for small hotel of the year. Last year we were delighted to receive the Silver award and this year we were awarded with the same again! So Silver two years running, which we are again very proud of. If you are visiting the hotel over the next few month do look out for the certificate and award displayed in the hallway.
Murder Mystery night at The Fowey Hotel is taking place on Saturday 28th November this year and is set to be another memorable evening in the very capable hands of the murder by appointment team. Anyone in the area wishing to come along for the evening can do so or similarly make a weekend of it and take advantage of our two night break from only £239 for a double room for the two nights! Visit this link for find out more http://www.thefoweyhotel.co.uk/murder_mystery.php .
The Fowey Christmas Market is again rapidly approaching and again the hotel is getting busy with booking for this time. Friday 4th and Saturday 5th is when the festivities begin with the turning on of the Christmas lights and carol singing on the Friday night, the main Christmas Market day on the 5th is always a fantastic day to get those final ‘local’ and unique gifts. With Cornish Christmas cakes, delicious local cheeses and the friendly family butcher you can’t go too far wrong. The Market opens at 10am on the Saturday so be sure to come along if you are in the area – it’s a great festive start to the season.
Farewell Emma Mac!!
Well after eight years of loyal service we sadly waved good-bye to our dear friend and colleague Emma Mc Kane, but don’t worry we made sure she had an appropriate send off to mark the occasion.
A dozen of the front of house team met at the newly opened Frankie and Benny’s in St Austell, it was a lovely evening as it was also a bit of a reunion too. Old staff members met up for the evening who had worked with Emma throughout her time here, so it was quite an emotional evening packed with a lot of laughs and a few nostalgic reminders. Natalie had made up a fantastic photo album which she presented to Emma, this had many photos of Emma and the team throughout the years – a really lovely idea which she very much appreciated.
Emma leaves The Fowey Hotel to study to become a nurse, a job that she has wanted to do for many years and one that we all feel she will be fantastic at – We wish you all the luck in the world Emma, go get um!!!
Saturday 28th November: If there are any super sleuths amongst you then you may be interested in the Murder Mystery night we have here at the hotel. The evening is open to non-residents for dinner and an evening of entertainment as well as anyone wishing to stay either one or two night. Please enquire with reception should you require any further information. Below is a brief synopsis of the evening, feel free to dress in appropriate costume should you wish to:
Welcome to the world of Bond - James Bond
The year is 1965. The Fowey Hotel invites you into the
world of James Bond, a world of intrigue and international
espionage. Join in the world of spies and seduction as prominent
members of MI5 and other Crime Organisations gather at the hotel
in an attempt to gain possession of a stolen decoding machine which is
vital to the safety and security of the western world.
Threats and blackmail eventually lead to a body being discovered!
Can you uncover the killer?
Ohhh ….. Its set to be another exciting evening. We look forward to welcoming you with a Martini or two – Shaken, not stirred of course!!!
Price: £39 per head including dinner and the evening entertainment, we recommend you book early to avoid disappointment.
Free phone: The Fowey Hotel - 0800 243 708
Cornwall Tourism Awards 2009, here we come….
We are very excited to announce that the Fowey Hotel has yet again been short listed by Visit Cornwall for the “Small Hotel of the Year” award. You may have read about this last year when I was delighted to announce that we proudly received the Silver award in 2008. Our neighbouring hotel The Old Quay House in Fowey deservedly received the gold award last year, but who knows what the future holds??? We will be finding out on the 15th October, fingers crossed from now until then.
UFO’s spotted over Fowey???
There were almost 50 UFO’s sighted floating over the Fowey river estuary last Saturday, and it was easy to see why it had caused such a commotion! If you have never seen them before you could be mistaken for thinking they were a mystical vision that silently floats in the September night sky, and they can almost appear ghostly as they are illuminated from inside with a slow burning taper.
These lanterns were lit and sent off into the night sky by guests from the wedding party that were here last weekend, it was perfect weather conditions and very romantic to see. With the weather continuing to behave itself it was a perfect ending to a perfect day……
Well, up until 2 days ago I would not have been able to tell you what the expression ‘jelly jazz’ meant. However, after last night I now understand a little more and was lucky enough to experience it first hand at our very own Eden Project, and what a night! It was being advertised as “The Monster 1st Birthday Bash” celebrating Funk, Live Graffiti, Hip Hop and Turntablism it was a fantastic atmosphere promoting a funky ‘new age’ style of music in a way that only Eden know how. For anyone visiting the area it is worth keeping an eye on the Eden web site to see when these nights are happening, as its well worth a look. www.edenproject.com
The hotel’s ‘Autumn’ offers are really taking off this year, with a record number of bookings coming in for the October and November months. It is possible that the hotel is benefiting from the credit crunch this year with a lot of guests choosing to visit the west country instead of taking their usual trip overseas. September and normally October are still busy months largely due to the climate remaining mild and the children returning back after the school holidays, and with our ‘Autumn Glow’ offers at (some would say) amazing prices it is well worth a quick break away before the nights draw in and the Christmas parties start. Take a look at out website on the ‘Special offers’ page should you be considering a last minute break away.
I gave a lift (to the top car park) to a lady and gentleman this morning who were spending a few days together before he started his “end to end” cycle trip from Lands End to John o’groats. He is expecting himself and his group to do the 800 + mile trip in just 18 days, we wish him and his cycling buddies the best of luck in their cycling adventure. I wonder if Andrew (GM) at The Metropole would be interested in joining them, I would need to warn the others that he is a bit of a speed demon and takes some corners at quite an angle on occasions – hope the bumps and bruises have healed now Andrew!….
Jelly Jazz at Eden?!
Well, up until 2 days ago I would not have been able to tell you what the expression ‘jelly jazz’ meant. However, after last night I now understand a little more and was lucky enough to experience it first hand at our very own Eden Project, and what a night! It was being advertised as “The Monster 1st Birthday Bash” celebrating Funk, Live Graffiti, Hip Hop and Turntablism it was a fantastic atmosphere promoting a funky ‘new age’ style of music in a way that only Eden know how. For anyone visiting the area it is worth keeping an eye on the Eden web site to see when these nights are happening, as its well worth a look. www.edenproject.com
The hotel’s ‘Autumn’ offers are really taking off this year, with a record number of bookings coming in for the October and November months. It is possible that the hotel is benefiting from the credit crunch this year with a lot of guests choosing to visit the west country instead of taking their usual trip overseas. September and normally October are still busy months largely due to the climate remaining mild and the children returning back after the school holidays, and with our ‘Autumn Glow’ offers at (some would say) amazing prices it is well worth a quick break away before the nights draw in and the Christmas parties start. Take a look at out website on the ‘Special offers’ page should you be considering a last minute break away.
I gave a lift (to the top car park) to a lady and gentleman this morning who were spending a few days together before he started his “end to end” cycle trip from Lands End to John o’groats. He is expecting himself and his group to do the 800 + mile trip in just 18 days, we wish him and his cycling buddies the best of luck in their cycling adventure. I wonder if Andrew (GM) at The Metropole would be interested in joining them, I would need to warn the others that he is a bit of a speed demon and takes some corners at quite an angle on occasions – hope the bumps and bruises have healed now Andrew!….
Ohh the lengths we managers go to….
When it comes to staff members taking time off I have pretty much heard every excuse under the sun. So when our night porter said that he had to have a few nights off because of his in-growing toenail it did evoke some suspicion in me. I have since learnt just how incredibly painful this can be and poor Stuart does sounds as though he has been in a lot of pain over the last few days.
So with Stuart off on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night that left 3 nights that Candace, myself or Natalie had to pick up. Thankfully, on two of the three nights there was a room free. However on the Saturday night there were no available rooms and guess who’s turn it was to be the night porter that night? You’ve guessed it, yours truly! So in true Girl Guide fashion, I pulled out the only spare z bed and made this up in my office ready for an interesting night ahead.
When I received my hand over from Candace on the Saturday she reluctantly informed me that there was a bride and groom arriving “after 1am” as it happened they turned up at 2:10am! Just a smidgen later, but I didn’t mind. It wasn’t as though I was worrying about the ghosts and gremlins that come out when everyone has gone to sleep, noooo not me. That night a friend of mine reminded me of the age of the hotel and the likelihood of the hotel being haunted – I was so grateful, so thanks Jon he he…..
So once the happy couple had arrived and tip toed off to bed I then turned off the lights, locked up and took myself down to my little office/bedroom on the fourth floor. I must have been asleep for about half an hour when the phone rang (this is the phone that acts as a switchboard in the night). I was a little disorientated and as I shot out of bed I managed to hit my shin on the bed frame before turning on the office light to then find the phone….. It was some-what of a comedy moment (well I can see the funny side now), because just as I had turned on the light and grabbed the phone it stopped ringing – yes I may have muttered a rude word under my breath, but at the time it was appropriate to do so.
As you would imagine I didn’t get much sleep after that and the icing on the cake came when Harrie (receptionist) called down very apologetically at 7am to say that I had locked her out of the office, I assured her it was fine as I was already awake. So I promptly marched up in my pyjamas to let her into the reception office. So all in all it was a very eventful evening and one I hope I don’t have to repeat for some time.
