Name: Holnicote House
Address: Holnicote House, Holnicote, Minehead TA24 8TJ, UK, Minehead, Minehead, Minehead, TA24 8TJ, United Kingdom
Rating: 9

Smoke-free property

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

Reception desk

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Shower/Bathtub

Linens

Rooms

Coffee/tea for guests

Breakfast

Restaurant

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet access

Internet

Free parking

Parking

Outdoor pool

Seasonal outdoor swimming pool

Pool and beach

Baby sleepers

Kids

Pets allowed

Pets

Location

At the guest house

Room amenities

Allerford Museum

Exmoor Owl & Hawk Centre

Cardiff Airport

Exeter International Airport

Holnicote House

Minehead

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

16-beds

17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

20-beds

21-beds

22-beds

23-beds

24-beds

25-beds

26-beds

27-beds

28-beds

29-beds

3-beds

30-beds

31-beds

32-beds

33-beds

34-beds

35-beds

36-beds

37-beds

38-beds

39-beds

4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

As a centre for walking the location is great, with plenty of choice of footpaths from the door, and (in theory), our party had 3 walks of different lengths led by volunteer HF guides each day. The whole area is very scenic, picturesque Selworthy Village is a short walk away, and the coast is also close.

The house is owned by the National Trust but leased by HF. Sadly the accommodation is very run down, with ancient and peeling decoration, and signs of past leaks in the ceiling of our bedroom and bathroom. The furniture, both in the bedroom and in the public areas, has been better days. However, I have some sympathy for HF. In effect, HF is a mutual organisation, dependent on its members for capital, and does not have great resources. It was therefore particularly hard-hit by the Covid closures and restrictions.

HF has, I believe, brought in a standard menu across its properties as one way of dealing with staff shortages, and there are therefore no local specialities. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the food, which was of a good overall standard. The staff running the house were generally friendly and helpful.

HF depends here on volunteer guides for leading walks, and they are of variable quality. Our guides were not local, and we think if possible it would be much better if HF  employed local guides and paid them, even though that means higher prices. Two of our guides were good. However, the third guide was not. Although he had all the gear including a GPS tracker, he appeared to have difficulty reading a map! he therefore had to keep stopping to read the written walk instructions provided by HF. He didn’t appear to enjoy leading our party, and on the last day, spent much of the time way out ahead, so he was unaware when one of the party  fell and had to stop and rest.

In a great position for walking, but tired and dated accommodation

Stayed with my walking group for 4 nights and 3 days of walks. A choice of 3 each day and I chose the harder and longer 11 mile plus.
Accommodation was good . I paid extra for a premium room.
Walk leaders were excellent 
However the food was terrible. Inconsistent, over cooked and in some cases inedible. Not what you need after a hard days walk

Guided walking break

Holnicote House is large and in real need of an update. The decor is tired and dated and many of the chairs in the sitting area need replacing. Our bedroom was categorised  as good...bed very uncomfortable and pillows were foam and hard. Kindly staff replaced the pillows. The ensuite was small, paint chipped as was toilet seat

Good choice of food at breakfast. Due to low staffing levels dinner took nearly two hours between starter and finishing desert. The fish and chips one evening were very disappointing.

The house is well situated for walkers with some pretty paths through the woods up to Selworthy. However you really need a car to make the most of Exmoor and the coast

Tired, dated and in need of a revamp

Our party of 40+ arrived over two hours late for the evening meal. The staff stayed on and served a very tasty meal all done with a smile. 
All through out three night stay in this house the staff could not do enough for our party. Food and cleanliness perfect. Boot room was handy for all those wet boots and jackets.
The location is perfect for amazing scenery and interesting walks around Somerset.

Wonderful stay

Despite the worst that the weather threw at us we much enjoyed our stay at Holnicote House.   In the four days before the pandemic shut down HF houses, the small staff, led by deputy manager Nick, did all they could to make us feel at home, comfortable and well fed.   This is specially comendable given that, at the time we left, the live in staff were to continue to live-in and be fed but unpaid.   This is a superb location for serious walkers but also suitable for the more relaxed 'self-guided' clients, but these really need their own car to get to some of the best locations.
Holnicote is overdue for a 'face-lift' and HF has a dificult task negotiating a mutually acceptable work programme with their freeholder, the National Trust.   That should not put off walkers but possibly might make the location less acceptable for the on-site activity holidays where house facilities become more important.

Wet Walking!

This was our first time at Holnicote, but not at an HF house. Friendly staff and warm welcome. Beautiful setting, just off the A39 but very quiet with great views across the valley to Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor. Food good and varied although, because of a temporary shortage of staff, dinner was late every evening! 

Victor the manager is a great character, somewhat theatrical, likes to be the centre of attention. But he is very good at his job and has built a great team. One innovation that I would like to see copied at other HF houses, is to serve everyone at a table with each course at the same time, so there is no embarrassing wait until everybody is served. Nick, his deputy, is quieter, but just as friendly and efficient. All the staff are very approachable.

Rooms well appointed and clean, if smaller than usual in HF houses (we had room 5). I found the bed very firm, and certainly less comfortable than in other houses. The sound on our TV was poor.

Holnicote is a good centre for walking and/or touring and we hope to go back for more.

Happy Holnicote

This is the first house I visited with HF in 1993.
I have been on many HF holidays, and this holiday again reminded me how Great, these holidays are.
The house is in a peaceful setting, with an outdoor pool, and wonderful grounds.
I stayed in a Better single room, and had views over the pool and Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor.
As with All HF holidays, all the needs of the walker are very well catered for....the comfort of the room, the boot room and drying facilities, ample food and drink, and entertainment in the evening if you wish.
Victor is the Manager and is keen to ensure the holiday is the best it can be.
Nick, his deputy likewise and they are both very approachable.
The house staff, who do all the household duties are lovely too, very attentive and keen.
The grounds and maintenance man, too was very informative about certain trees, one of which, was the first to be introduced to this country. He is third generation working at the house.
All HF walking leaders, are prepared for all eventualities and are diligent in ensuring the descriptions of each of the walks are accurate, and take meticulous care to ensure that the routes chosen are followed.
Our leaders, Julian, Paul and Richard, were excellent.
There was a Tai Chi group also there.
I thoroughly recommend this House, and Thank you for a Wonderful holiday.

Another Wonderful H F Holiday

It was my first time at Holnicote House. The bedrooms are smaller than I am used to with HF, but they were very clean and adequate. I'm not used to a very firm single bed, so I didn't sleep well.
The manager - Victor - is quite a character! Very entertaining, and nothing is too much trouble. Pleasant, polite, and friendly staff, who give excellent service.
The food was very good. Great choice at all meals.Good range of drinks in the bar. They had a cask of Exmoor Ale, as well as some local ciders.
The outdoor pool is great, though not very warm.
Minehead is very near, and has supermarkets with cheap fuel.

Great HF House

Holnicote House which is owned by the National Trust, and leased to HF Holidays is an easily found, attractive, traditional, spacious property in a scenic location, with an excellent heated, outdoor pool, tasty food which improved as the week went on, and industrious, efficient, friendly Staff. The drive to the property is off the A39 west of Minehead at Selworthy, but NOT in the Village.

My Wife and I had an enjoyable stay here for one week whilst on the HF Holidays Somerset & Devon Garden Tours which were expertly led by the very knowledgeable and entertaining Christine Walden.

We were very comfortable in the large, very clean and well decorated twin bedded, Premier Room 4 which overlooks the Pool and the surrounding countryside. The room has ample storage space, and two large mirrors. The spacious en suite has twin basins, a large, excellent shower with plentiful hot water, and the wc.

The evening entertainment was good including Christine’s “Gardeners Question Time”, a presentation by the very enthusiastic Emma about Drift Wood, a tuneful performance by the immaculate Hand Bell Ringers which included audience participation, the B-B-Q, regretfully with no steak other than burgers, but with some music from our youth,  the slide show from Helen who led a "working" Holiday for Artists and an Exhibition of some of their very talented work which they had completed whilst away (we did not  participate in the quiz and the bowls). 

On our “Free Day” we used one of the excellent HF Guides for the walk to the nearby Selworthy Village where we visited the Church which welcomes walkers even with muddy boots, enjoyed the scenery and had refreshments at the Tea Shop. Later, whilst my Wife was otherwise engaged following her swim, I used a Guide for the interesting short Estate Walk.

Many thanks to Victor, Steve and all Staff for looking after us so well.

Angela & Terry

An excellent property

We stayed here for a long weekend with Nottingham Wayfarers. The rooms are very comfortable, the staff very friendly and helpful and the food outstanding. I am coeliac and I could completely relax with the food provided. It was an absolute pleasure to have confidence in the food and kitchen staff and house manager. The surrounding area is wonderful for walking

Holnicote House

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