Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Now open Penally Abbey is a small Country House Hotel and Restaurant situated in an elevated position, adjacent to the 12th-century church in the pretty floral village of Penally. Penally is only 1.5 mls from the beautiful medieval walled town of Tenby with its cobbled streets, ancient ramparts, picturesque harbour, and long sandy beaches in the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park. The 'Abbey' is pretty rather than grand. The rooms are beautifully proportioned and sympathetically decorated and furnished to compliment the style of the building. Unusual features are the large ogee head doors and windows through which one can see views of Tenby Golf Course, Caldey Island and across the bay toward the Gower peninsular. We serve unpretentious food in beautiful surroundings. Our staff are friendly but not too intrusive. Our rooms are warm, clean and comfortable. We are only 800 yds from Tenby's South Beach. But most importantly we offer the warmest welcome in Wales.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to TheAA: The Automobile Association.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Family
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Penally, Tenby SA70 7PY Wales
Penally Abbey Hotel & Restaurant
455 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Been going to this establishment for 2 decades for dining. This is the first time staying there.
A regency era Rectory built in Penally in Tenby’s heyday. Love the beaches but I’m not a fan of Tenby’s commercial hustle during the peak seasons but areas like Penally, Manorbier, Stackpole and Waterwynch Bay offer quieter retreats that better capture the natural outdoor beauty of South Pembrokeshire. The Penally Abbey Hotel is one of them.
Come at the right time of year when the plants and shrubs are blooming and the gardens at the hotel can be stunning with a beautiful outlook to the sea, Caldey island. The garden includes its own derelict chapel.
The hotel accomodation facilities are excellent, we stayed in one of the eave rooms, the interior had careful and considered attention to detail and bags of character.
Service is warm, friendly and accommodating.
The restaurant has quality sourced ingredients and cooked beautifully. There was real invention in the starter dishes (brown crab caviar dish) and dessert dishes (Hafod cheeseboard but not a cheeseboard with apple sorbet). Top drawer dishes.
The main dish lacked flair and for £32 or £34, requiring an £8 side dish, pushing it over £40 for a main means you have to deliver something more than proficient cooking. Otherwise charge less.
Morning breakfast is a delight on a sunny day. I recommend the afternoon tea as well which we’ve had on separate occasions.
The hotel needs a little more attention to detail in housekeeping : the cleaning of surfaces in the lounge; the downstairs toilet near reception look tired and needed fresh towel linen.
Naturally we will stay again.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We arrived several hours early, but the lovely receptionist allowed us to park and do a partial check-in until our room was ready. Such a warm welcome. Room #5 absolutely amazing with high ceilings and triple aspect windows. The washroom is 5 easy steps down in your suite with an automatic light sensor (very handy at night). Staff incredibly friendly and provided lots of information on the abbey, hotel and it's history. My only criticism would be the room does not have a mini fridge. It would have been nice to be able to keep cold drinks at hand. While we did not stay for a dinner, all the breakfasts we had were superb and vegan accommodations no problem. I would most definitely stay again if in the area.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Rooms #5 and 7 have the best views.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Absolutely gorgeous small hotel in a pretty setting. Our visit was for 7 nights. We had a large room with views over the garden to the sea. The bathroom was quite small with a walk in shower, toilet and washbasin close together. We are only small so it was fine for us. Larger people may find it too tight. We were going to eat in the restaurant each evening but cancelled only because my husband has had digestive problems recently and we thought the food would be too rich. Other guests said how nice it was. The breakfasts were delicious and there was plenty to choose from. The staff are all lovely. Very friendly, smiley and helpful. We would highly recommend this lovely small hotel. Thank you to all the staff, we had a lovely stay with you.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
THE place to stay on one’s way to the Pembroke ferry to Ireland. Boutique hotel with charming staff, who greeted us with homemade cake on arrival. It was worth paying the premium for a beautiful room with large windows looking onto the Tenby bay. The hotel is only a 10-minute walk to the beach. Room, bed, and towels and bed linen high luxury and we had a very comfortable night’s stay. The restaurant cuisine and experience was top-notch with a very good wine list. It added an extra dimension to our long weekend break. Shame it’s far away from London but we will come again.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Pay the premium for a large room.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There is definitely a change at Penally Abbey. Its not as clean as it used to be, dust in the corner of the dining room were we sat, was there all week. The cottage bedrooms were dusty, and my daughters room had more than a few spiders and their lovely webs around her room and en-suite. The food is overpriced, I had a pea risotto at £28, it was not edible. It felt like I was eating a tin of mushy peas. On reporting this, I was told that they have to use up the summer vegetables!!! When we checked out I mentioned this to another member of staff, who simply said she would inform the kitchen. The biggy for me, was that we all had booked the tasting menu on the Thursday at £80 per head. My daughter does not eat lamb, so we asked in plenty of time, if this course could be altered, they checked in with the chef, who said no, as all cuts of meat were already prepped. Crazy answer as much of what was on the tasting menu was also on the main menu as well. Are there some great bits? Yes there are. 99% of the staff went out of their way to help, without hesitation, the Abbey should be very proud of their staff. The location is superb, with a train station and bus stop near by. The setting is fab. Would we go again, I very much doubt it. When you spend thousands of pounds for a few days away, I want my issues sorted, I want a clean bedroom and to be spoilt. Dont get me wrong, we knew the prices before we went, and we are happy to pay, but when the price out does the service, then no.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at Penally Abbey for three nights while we explored the wonderful Pembrokeshire coastline. The hotel is set in a lovely peaceful area away from the hustle and bustle of Tenby but close enough to walk if feeling energetic. The hotel faces the sea and there is a beach just 10 – 15 mins walk away. There is adequate parking but it can be a little congested at times although we had no problem with access. We felt very welcome at Penally Abbey as all the staff were friendly , courteous and attentive. The décor was also warm and cosy, particularly in the restaurant, lounge and communal areas. We stayed in one of the top floor rooms which was full of character and had all the amenities we expected from a good quality hotel. The outstanding feature of this hotel , for us, was the restaurant where we enjoyed the excellent food in a beautifully decorated setting . Much of the lighting, in the evening, was provided by candlelight which created a relaxed and warm atmosphere. On top of this the restaurant has a view of the sea which we thoroughly enjoyed at breakfast. Meal times including breakfast are staggered presumable to prevent an influx of guests arriving at the same time, consequently it was necessary to book a time slot for breakfast on arrival. This worked very well for us as we had very short waiting times for meals. If you wish to dine in the restaurant for dinner we suggest you book this well in advance of your arrival to secure a table. Our overall experience of Penally Abbey was excellent and we look forward to returning.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is a lovely hotel with a hospitable, welcoming atmosphere and friendly and accommodating staff. It's a lovely location, a short walk from the sea.
I must say though, the food in the restaurant is seriously overpriced for what you get.
Even worse: cocktails are £14, or in some cases £16 a go.
Last time we stayed here a couple of years ago I tried a vodka martini and it was poor; I asked for a dry one and it was anything but. This time, I risked an Old Fashioned. Too dilute.
Quite honestly no-one should be asked to pay £14 for a cocktail anywhere. I chose to overlook the price this time but the least I was entitled to expect is that it would be expertly made. It was poor; far too dilute.
I've had Old Fashioneds made by talented cocktail waiters in even more sumptuous and elegant surroundings at substantially lower cost. Penally - if you're going to offer cocktails made by enthusiastic amateurs, at least reflect this in the asking price.
If I could I'd offer a score of 3.5 here. An "average" rating seems miserly, but "very good" would be overstating it.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Avoid the cocktails, they dont know what they're doing
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My wife had booked this as a 'big' birthday treat for me and we'd been looking forward to it for ages. The hotel and its location are fantastic - the bedroom and all of the interior decor are stunning, especially the restaurant. We had the 'shared platter' menu in the evening which was also excellent, as was the service from the restaurant staff. Our room was very good, but there were about 20 dead bees on the bathroom floor and more appearing at intervals from the fireplace in the bathroom. They'd clearly been 'treated' in some way as none survived. There was thick dust on top of the doors and cobwebs in the window, so not a first class cleaning job. The receptionist wasn't particularly welcoming or engaging and the breakfast waitress was grumpy and clearly wanted to be anywhere but where she was. So lots of good points but for the high price tag the service was patchy and not good enough.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Afternoon tea … Well we arrived on time it says don’t park in car park but I have a knee problem we had to ! It was tight ! We were greeted and seated on a tiny table once all the tea stuff was on you didn’t have room … Service average Tea average We weren’t asked if we wanted water … just offered a hot drink
Sandwiches were ok
Scones were nice warm and tasty
It was ok .. worth £78 no it wasn’t … I wouldn’t go back
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Steep climb to the Abby no parking … not great value for money …
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Staying at this hotel has been a wonderful experience ! Everything is so lovely, well designed and thought, the staff is so friendly and the place so beautiful that I don't know where to start from ! We arrived in the late evening and were welcome by a very nice and friendly gentleman who took us to one of the most gorgeous rooms I ever stayed in: room 3. Recently renovated with great taste, it is a very large room with a fantastic bathroom, all decorated in dark red, creamy and sandy shades. The only default of the room is that it is located over the restaurant, or so it seemed, and in the morning it was a bit noisy - but nothing that ruined our pleasure to be here. Before going to bed, we had a herbal tea in the bar, where we were served by one of the nicest bar tenders I ever met! In the morning we discovered the beautiful view over the ocean and had a tasty and well cooked breakfast in the restaurant. Everything was pretty in this room, and the lady who served us was pleasant and helpful. Special thanks go to the blonde lady who checked us out and went out of her way to help us with tourist information about the area. Thanks to her sound advice, we visited St Davids first, and on our way back, we enjoyed beautiful Tenby. I only regret that we have stayed too little time to explore the surroundings and enjoy an afternoon tea at the hotel - we should have booked it in advance, as they were fully booked the afternoon of our stay. Thanks to you all for making our Pembrokeshire experience such a lovely one!
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Sarah
I am very sorry to advise that we are closed in August. We had a fire at the hotel in late May and we are now carrying out restoration works to the building.
Kind regards
Lucas Boissevain
London, United Kingdom216 contributions58 helpful votes
We stayed in the main house where the rooms are lovely and given the taste of the owners, I would be very surprised if the annexe rooms aren't equally appointed.
There are more places to choose from in the Penally area.
PRICE RANGE
₹20,819 - ₹24,809 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
penally abbey tenby, hotel penally abbey
LOCATION
United KingdomWalesPembrokeshireTenbyPenally
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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