Short Stay: The 25 Boutique B&B, Torquay, Devon, UK /

When a B&B wins Best B&B in the World (Tripadvisor Travelers Choice Awards) not once, but two years in a row, it’s hard not to notice. Combine this with a Gold Award for B&B of the Year in the national Visit England Awards for Excellence, Unique B&B of the Year for Britain in the AA B&B Awards and a host of other accolades, and the record becomes all the more impressive.

Such is the achievement of The 25 Boutique B&B, owned and run by Andy and Julian Banner-Price, who are no strangers to the tourism industry, having previously turned around the fortunes of North Wales country house hotel Plas Dina. Their latest venture, an Edwardian villa in Torquay, is a much smaller affair, but one that is incredibly successful. We visited to see why.

The welcome

After parking in The 25’s free car park and walking up the handful of steps to the entrance, we were greeted warmly by both Andy and Julian and given the key to our room, the Torre Suite, one floor up.

The room

The Torre Suite covers 30 square meters and was redecorated in 2022 in a funky Art Deco style. An entrance hall leads to a master bedroom with an exceptionally comfortable super king-size bed, with all bedding sourced from the UK Fine Bedding Company. Despite the renovation, the room is still the famous home of Frank the Zebra whose yellow sunglasses have been replaced with gold wings and a halo. The decadent midnight green walls contrast with a burnt orange bedspread and headboard (which can be backlit with mood lighting).

Also in the room is a striking central lighting fixture, Smart TV with Netflix, air conditioning and free Wi-Fi, while a large, sun-filled bay window is taken up by two chairs and a coffee table. There’s an iPad with the Kindle app that can be used to read a selection of books and magazines, as well as an Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant that lets you listen to music or control the room’s smart functions.

What first appeared to be the door to a small closet was in fact a separate dressing room with a dressing table (or work space if, like me, your work travels with you) with special lighting, another TV, chest of drawers, hanging space, bathrobes and slippers , ironing board and iron, a safe and one of the most comprehensive and well organized guest information folders I have ever come across.

The bathroom

The bathroom has a large walk-in shower with power rain shower head, bathroom TV, floor to ceiling heated towel rail and mood lighting.

A supply of luxury Elemis Spa toiletries can be found in the bathroom, as well as Elemis pillow mist and lip balm in the bedroom.

The facilities

There is a lounge area where you can help yourself to a drink on an honest basis.

At an award-winning B&B you can expect breakfast to be special and you won’t be disappointed. There are continental options such as Andy’s homemade muesli and yogurt, fresh fruit and a smoothie shot of the day.

A full English dish is of course among the cooked choices, but there’s also scrambled eggs and smoked salmon (made to Julian’s family recipe), kippers, the Banner-Price beans on toast and smashed avocado served on toasted sourdough, topped with poached eggs, with or without crispy bacon. Pictured are the Full English and Eggs Royale options.

Meats come from nearby Prentice Butchers, while free-range eggs come from Eggs on Legs, a local farm in Starcross, just 30 minutes up the coast.

Rent

The 25 is just a stone’s throw from Torre Abbey and within walking distance of Torquay’s seafront, where there are numerous restaurants, bars and shops. Extend your walk for about 20 minutes and you will reach Torquay harbour.

Other nice keys

There are some thoughtful extras that you wouldn’t expect from mainstream bed and breakfasts. Guests are offered a complimentary welcome drink upon arrival, which is a nice way to start your stay. In your room you will find ‘Andy’s daily treat’ which changes daily, but happened to be a homemade ginger biscuit on the day of our arrival. We also received a goodie bag with snacks and water on departure.

cost

The Torre Suite costs £275 per night, including breakfast, usually with a minimum stay of 3 nights.

The best bit

The best thing about The 25 Boutique B&B is the really meticulous attention to detail. It’s easy to overlook and take it for granted. Everything has been thought of, whether it’s the way items are arranged when a tray is brought to guests, something as simple as a used tea bag container in your room, or how the labels on the jam all face forward when the breakfast. These may sound like small – dare I say, silly – things, but together they somehow make a difference and set The 25 apart from the competition.

The final verdict

In less than a decade, Julian and Andy have accomplished so much at The 25 Boutique B&B, and seemingly with incredible standards and consistency. To top it off, they recently passed their 1,000 Tripadvisor reviews, with all reviews – without exception – achieving 5 stars. To our knowledge, no other B&B has ever achieved this and it is a testament to their hard work and dedication.

Disclosure: Our stay was sponsored by The 25 Boutique B&B.