The Good Hotel Guide
Hotel: Hillcrest House
Town: RAMSEY
Address: May Hill, Ramsey IM8 2HG Isle of Man IM8 2HG
Phone: 01624 817215
Fax:
Email: admin
hillcresthouse.co.uk
Website: www.hillcresthouse.co.uk
"The lovely Isle of Man, popular with film-makers (I Captured the Castle, etc), belongs neither to the UK nor the EU, so this no-smoking guest house is a maverick Guide entry. The spacious, bay-windowed building is in an old town on the north-east coast. With its marble fireplaces, wood panelling, moulded ceilings, period furniture, patchwork quilts, and 'eclectic selection of pictures and books', it is 'romantically Victorian'. Aurea and Anthony Greenhalgh are hospitable hosts, say fans. One liked the fact that the three bedrooms each have a name: Lichen ('a good-sized twin'), Rowan and Clover, rather than a number. Others wrote of the 'comfort and peace', the hostess's 'good sense of humour', and the 'personal but unobtrusive care'. Each room now has a CD-player. Breakfast includes freshly squeezed juices, home-made bread, leaf teas, Manx kippers, pancakes, home-made yogurts. Organic ingredients are used, and vegetarians are catered for. A simple evening meal is sometimes available in winter ('we are crusaders for healthy home cooking that tastes like "real" food,' writes Mrs Greenhalgh). Her husband runs a traditional Chinese medicine clinic from the house: guests can try his acupuncture treatment. There are many country walks in the area, along uncrowded lanes and footpaths; sandy beaches are close by. The island is rich in Celtic and Viking history, and Peel is home to the fine 'House of Mannanan' interactive museum."
(see also the description from the 2004 Good Hotel Guide)
Rooms: 3 double. No telephone.
Facilities: Lounge, dining room. No background music. Small front garden. Sandy beach 1/4 mile. Unsuitable for disabled.
Restrictions: No smoking. No dogs.
Credit Cards: None accepted.
purchase
The Which? Good Bed & Breakfast Guide
(awaiting text)
Manx Life Style Magazine - September 2001
The magazine published a full article about the Archway "Bed, Breakfast & TLC".
It concludes:
"...[the] unique atmosphere and tender loving care Aurea gives her guests. There really isn't another guest house like it anywhere in the Isle of Man"
Organic Holidays (source)
"A delightful Victorian home full of original character. Beautifully decorated throughout with a stylish mix of antiques and interesting old country furniture. The owners are enthusiasts for good food and dedicated to the idea of using only the best of fresh, and almost totally organic, produce. Aurea bakes bread every day, using organic wholemeal flour, and makes her own organic whole milk yoghurts, as well as finding time to make marmalade and breakfast preserves. Vegetarians are particularly well catered for, and the separate vegetarian breakfast menu with an interesting selection of home made goodies, demonstrates rather well that they take their cooking seriously."
Read unbiased opinions about hotels and vacations at TripAdvisor
Tripadvisor Guest Reviews
(a few recent reviews, for more see the TripAdvisor website)
"We stayed at the end of June for five nights. Aurea and Tony made us very welcome from start. I can understand the other positive reviews given for this establishment. There was a Victorian/Edwardian feel about the house but, at the same time, it had the benefit of all the modern conveniences. The breakfasts were superb; home-made bread, jams and quality sausage, bacon and wonderful black pudding! The B&B is only a few minutes walk from the town, harbour area and the tram terminus. We took advantage of the 3 day travel pass which cost £20 each and covered all tram, train and bus journeys for 3 consecutive days. If you are a National Trust member take your cards they are accepted at all the main government & Manx Heritage tourist locations.
We are happy to recommend Hillcrest House to you."
20 July 2006 
"We were delightfully surprised with everything about Hillcrest. It is furnished in the style which it would have been when the house was new, except the bathroom which was very modern. Usually the first thing that I do in a hotel is to put the soap that is provided to one side as it is never of a quality that I would use at home and full of dodgy ingredients that we avoid. However, Aurea provided high quality organic soap which I was very happy to use. The breakfasts spoil you for other places - everything home made, delicious and of course organic. The sound of the juicer and coffee grinder were most welcome in the morning. Also, along with the tea and coffee making things was a little tin where we would find some home made biscuits every day which was very welcome. On the limited time that we had on the Isle of Man we were keen to see and do as much as possible and every question that I had was answered most helpfully by Aurea who even found something out for me unbidden re. my family history researches."
14 July 2006
About Organics (source)
"A delightful Victorian Home, full of original character and beautifully decorated throughout. Good food is served using only the best of fresh, and almost totally organic, produce. Aurea bakes bread every day using organic wholemeal flour; makes her own organic whole milk yoghurts, as well as finding time to make marmalade and breakfast preserves."
Guardian Unlimited Travel (source)
The Guardian Newspaper. Saturday September 11, 2004
On the Good Hotel Guide 2005 Great Britain & Ireland:
"The Guide's only entry for the Isle of Man is a Victorian, bay-windowed guesthouse with three bedrooms in an old town on the north-east coast. Aurea and Anthony Greenhalgh offer personal, unobtrusive care. Healthy home cooking with organic ingredients; home-made bread and yogurts for breakfast." Desmond Balmer.
Superseded reviews
The Good Hotel Guide 2004
"The 'most beautiful' Isle of Man belongs neither to the UK nor the EU, so this 'idyllic' little no-smoking guest house, run by Aurea and Anthony Greenhalgh, is a maverick Guide entry. It is a bay-windowed building in an old town on the north-east coast: with its marble fireplaces, wood panelling, moulded ceilings, period furniture and patchwork quilts, it is 'romantically Victorian'. Only three bedrooms, Lichen, Rowan and Clover. The 'comfort and peace' are loved by its fans. One wrote: 'Excellence in every way. Beauty and warmth in every room.' Breakfast includes freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, home-made bread, leaf teas, Manx kippers, pancakes and home-made yogurts. Organic ingredients are used, and vegetarians are catered for. A simple evening meal is sometimes available. Guests with aches and pains can arrange acupuncture treatment by the host, a qualified practitioner. The Greenhalghs promise 'wonderful walks in the glens and along the coast', and 'nearly traffic-free roads'; sandy beaches are close by. More reports, please."
Other Review Sites Listing Hillcrest House
Ciao Europe-Search XOM-reviews Travel-Directory Welcome2Europe