The old Oystercatcher Hotel is now a pub with 7 self-catering apartments, and a self-contained cottage in the grounds close to the main building and overlooking the sea. We stayed in The Cottage. The 2 cottage bedrooms are small but adequate; the main sitting and dining room has views over the bay and access to a large outside deck, again with sea views. The main fabric of the building shows signs of age but this did not detract from the stay; if anything it adds character. Central heating is efficient and the cottage felt clean, warm and dry. Considerable investment has brought the fittings and equipment up to date and most of the kitchen appliances are new or nearly new. There is a large widescreen TV and DVD player in the sitting room.
The master bedroom has squeezed in a comfortable double bed, free-standing wardrobe and chest of drawers. The second bedroom contains bunk beds and a single bed. Neither of the bedrooms had a 220v ac power socket however there were sockets in the sitting room where phones etc could be recharged. The separate toilet is adequate but not wheelchair accessible. The bathroom has a bath with shower and there was always plenty of hot water. The small kitchen is well equipped with modern appliances including a microwave.
The staff at the pub were welcoming and helpful. The large main pub bar is clearly a meeting place for younger locals and a large TV shows mostly sports programmes. However it is possible to dine in a quieter area. The meal we had was acceptable but not outstanding. Overall our visit proved excellent value for money (out of season); the views from the cottage across Polzeath Bay were a huge bonus. It is very convenient for the beach but the walk back up a very steep hill might not be to everybody’s taste. Recommended.