If you're looking for a special venue for a few days in Devon with the girls then The Carys Arms & Spa at Babbacombe Bay might just be the answer...

Cary Arms bar

Stay

Nestled within the historic limestone cliffs of Babbacombe Bay, The Cary Arms & Spa has the values of a good English inn with the style and comfort of a boutique hotel. An ideal venue to stay and play golf in Devon.

Accommodation

Each guest room overlooks the sea and luxury rooms have a private balcony or terrace. Additional accommodation consists of six beach huts and two beach suites on the property. Elsewhere more privacy can be found in three to five-bedroom cottages.

Each holiday cottage has a spacious sitting room with an open fireplace or wood-burning stove, a fully-equipped kitchen and fun essentials to keep the family entertained. All cottages host fluffy towels, fine Egyptian linen, and a welcome hamper to help you settle in on the first evening of your stay.

All five unique cottages are available on a self-rental basis, and guests are welcome to enjoy the hotel & spa facilities of The Cary Arms & Spa (just a 5-minute walk away). 

Image of Foxes Walk Cottage external

We stayed in the Foxes Walk Cottage, one of the self-catering cottages a short walk from the Cary Arms & Spa.

Nestled in the picturesque Babbacombe Bay, the 5-bedroom Foxes Walk Cottage is a pure fusion of nostalgic coastal charm and Nordic style. The clever artistry of the soft furnishing, paintings and colours, allow this stunning property to feel aesthetically-pleasing and harmonious.

The sea views are breathtakingly beautiful. The cottage sleeps up to 8 adults and 1 child.

The Cottage consists of 3 floors.

Upper floor:

Credit: Will Dolphin
Master Bedroom
Credit: Will Dolphin
Second bedroom
  • Master bedroom – Super king bed, dressing room and en-suite bathroom (bath)
  • 2nd bedroom: Super king bed (zip and link)
  • 3rd bedroom: luxury single room (small double bed)
  • Stylish family bathroom (shower over the bath)

Middle floor:

Inside:

Spacious coastal style fully fitted kitchen with large dining area
Charming sea view conservatory
Cosy sitting room with traditional fire
Eclectic library & games for all the family
  • Spacious coastal style fully fitted kitchen with large dining area
  • Cosy sitting room with traditional fire & library
  • Charming sea view conservatory
  • Cloakroom

Outside:

  • Large private terrace with hot tub
  • Garden with tranquil secluded 2nd terrace with amazing coastal‎ sea views
  • Turntable parking

Lower floor (separate entrance):

  • 2 king size bedrooms with en-suite bathroom and separate entrance
  • Games room with TV, TV games, football table

Fully equipped with tv, games, and for those nippy evenings a wood burner, it's home away from home. There are some lovely touches including a welcome basket with coffee pods (yes, there's a nespresso machine), tea, sugar, biscuits and fruit bowl. The library boasts an eclectic list of books and board games. There's also a large-scale chess board on one of the outdoor patios.

As golfers, we also appreciated the hot tub. What a treat after a day on the golf course!

Food

At Cary Arms & Spa, they serve gastro food cooked simply. The watchwords in the kitchen are fresh­ness and seasonality, with the specials board changes daily.

Lounge
Spacious kitchen
All mod cons in the kitchen

We enjoyed a melt-in-the-mouth steak & ale pie and fish and chips.

Cottage guests can choose to self-cater, order from the casual dining menu or, dine in the restaurant or more informal golf clubhouse and terrace. A takeaway food service from the bar is available in the high season and free food delivery is also available on site. There’s something for everyone.

WARNING: THIS VENUE IS NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!

A final word about the location. Cary Arms & Spa and Babbacombe Bay are beautiful AND secluded. This means a steep drive down to the Inn and cottages. But don't worry - there is an on-call shuttle service available between 8am and 9pm between the cottages and the hotel.

Spa

The Spa
The Pool

Lovely addition to the venue is the Spa - situated in the main building above the bar & lounge.

The glass-faceted sea-facing spa includes a waterfall hydrotherapy pool, relaxation area, steam room, sauna, exotic experience shower, gym, two treatment rooms and changing facilities.

We took advantage of two treatments with one of the experienced therapists:

  1. Back, shoulder and neck massage. Ideal for a post-round game of golf. A choice of three scents and pressure determined by you.
  2. GAIA Skincare facial. Ideal for a treat. My face was glowing for hours afterwards.

A perfect post-round treat!

Play

Golf

Teignmouth Golf Club

From the Carys Arms & Spa it is only a short drive - 30 minutes - to Teignmouth Golf Club.

Teignmouth Golf Club is justifiably proud of its heritage. The course was designed by the legendary Dr Alister MacKenzie and opened in 1924, some 9 years before he completed his most famous work at the Augusta National, home of the US Masters.

Teignmouth’s course is situated near the South Devon coast and, at 800 feet above sea level, it commands spectacular views of the sea and nearby moors.

The 18-hole moorland links present a great test of golf for players of all abilities. Features include six varied and challenging par 3s and no fewer than 11 two-tier greens, a true MacKenzie trademark.

From the breathtaking views on the 1st tee, you really do feel on top of the world. There is a strong women's section at the Club which is great to see and the spacious Clubhouse and outdoor seating area has fantastic views over Teignmouth Harbour. The post-round sandwich was fresh and appealing and the staff super friendly.

The verdict

Great golfing and spa facilities, fantastic accommodation, excellent food, and staff who happily tend to your every need.

Perfect as a base for golf - the accommodation is ideal for a group of female golfers or a family holiday. You can stay for a short or long seaside getaway. We can highly recommend Teignmouth Golf Club (in the Top 10 of Devon courses according to Top 100 golf courses website and there are a number of highly rated courses in the area.

It’s a ‘yes’ from the team at Women & Golf!

Here are the fast facts about The Cary Arms & Spa in Devon...

Location

The Carys Arms & Spa sits just above Babbacombe beach, 5 miles from Paignton, and easily accessible from the A380 from Newton Abbott.

Travel Time (approx.) from

  • Birmingham: 180 miles - 3hr 30 minutes 
  • Bristol: 105 miles - 2hr 15 minutes
  • London (North): 240 miles - 4hr 40 minutes 
  • Manchester: 262 miles - 5hr 20 minutes 

WIN A LUXURY HOTEL & GOLF BREAK AT THE CARYS ARMS & SPA in DEVON

The Prize

The prize includes a two-night stay for two people at The Carys Arms & Spa, with one dinner with house wine, a daily breakfast, one spa treatment and two 18-hole green fees at Teignmouth Golf Club.

TO ENTER

To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, answer the question below.

Deadline 30th November 2022

LATEST OFFERS

The hotel offers the perfect Christmas and New Year escape with a lively program of events for families and couples looking to get away over the festive period. Wrap up warm and enjoy brisk coastal walks or just indulge in winter-warming treatments in the new glass-fronted spa with panoramic views of the sea.

The Christmas House Party Package

Includes a 3-night stay (24 - 27 December 2022) in a room or cottage of your choice and celebratory mulled wine with mince pies followed by a Christmas Eve cocktail party followed by Christmas Eve supper and live music with Elvis! Christmas day kicks off with a champagne breakfast followed by a five-course lunch; the days can be spent playing billiards, a game of bridge or perhaps even forty winks in front of the fire. Followed by a buffet dinner with plenty of live entertainment, including Crazy Quiz Night. And finally, English Breakfast on Boxing Day before departing. 

Prices start from £2,200 for a stay in a Double Room or £2760 in a Beach Hut based on 2 adults sharing for 3 nights. Cottages start from £5505 for a stay in a Smuggler’s Cottage which can accommodate a maximum of 4 adults and 2 children.

Twixmas Package

Is available from 27 - 30 December 2022. During the festive season, the Cary Arms & Spa offers a three-night getaway which includes a delicious 3-course gastro supper in the inn and a full English breakfast.  For guests wanting to relax - they should also take full advantage of their state-of-the-art Thalgo Spa and new GAIA Spa Menu.

Prices start from £1035 for a stay in a Double Room based on 2 people sharing for 3 nights. Suites start from £1,125 based on 2 people sharing. Cottage rental is also available from £1,750 for three nights. 

To book call 01803 327110 or visit caryarms.co.uk and don't forget to mention you are a Women & Golf reader.

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