About Polraen
So much more than a B&B
When you stay at Polraen Country House, you can expect warm friendly hospitality from hosts, Gill and Martin Bridges, whose award-winning reputation at Polraen spans 21 years.
You also enjoy spacious facilities more expected of a small hotel, making it so much more than the usual Bed and Breakfast.
Hotel Facilities
The combination of space and licensed facilities, only open to hotel guests, allow you to fully relax and recharge in a quiet stress-free environment. With plentiful onsite parking, Polraen is the perfect peaceful alternative to staying in a hotel or bed and breakfast in Looe.
We delight in sharing our local knowledge to help you get the most out of your holiday in Cornwall and will happily share the history of Polraen, our 18th-century coaching inn. If walls could talk…
Parking & Transport
Finding a Looe hotel or B&B with plentiful free parking is a rare thing, but to also benefit from easy access to both bus and Looe Valley train is unique. It means you can enjoy the convenience of planning your days exploring Cornwall with or without your car.
The level access is particularly appreciated by those with restricted mobility and young families.
Country Garden
With its large flat lawn, tended flower beds and mature shrubs, our country garden is yours to enjoy. Share a picnic spot with a visiting pheasant and listen to the birdsong. At night, gaze at the stars in our dark skies above the Looe Valley.
In an amphitheatre of trees, our country garden makes a beautiful backdrop for garden party style celebrations and weddings with an everchanging palette of colours according to the season.
Dining room conservatory
Polraen’s sunny conservatory overlooks the garden. Feel free to ‘dine at home‘ with a picnic or takeaway. We supply crockery, cutlery and glassware and do your washing up!
In Spring and Autumn, this facility may not be available on midweek nights if we are serving evening dinner.
Family Facilities
Additional facilities for families include a high chair, cot and bed guard. A doll’s house sits discreetly in the guest lounge complete with Winnie the Pooh characters and dinosaurs which always prove popular and there’s a stack of board games and a toy cupboard.
We can store pushchairs, bikes and beach amenities.
The history of Polraen
The 18th century Cornish landmark building certainly has an intriguing past. From its origins as a coaching inn at the hamlet of Sandplace on the old road from Liskeard to Looe, Polraen remained part of the Morval Estate until it was sold to Peter Bessell, Liberal MP for South East Cornwall in the 1960s.
His role in the infamous murder conspiracy trial of Jeremy Thorpe was recently told in the Hugh Grant TV drama ‘A Very English Scandal’.
Seized by the bank after Bessell fled the UK, Polraen was sold and returned to its roots in hospitality, converted to a hotel in the ’70s. It was run by several predecessors until the Bridges Family took over the reins in 2000.
the Bridges family
The Bridges Family swapped London for Looe, moving to Cornwall with two very young daughters in the year 2000. We took on the challenge of restoring a beautiful historic country house, refurbishing every room, adding a conservatory and landscaping the garden. What a journey it’s been!
Polraen became our home and our business and as a family, we all still love where we live with a passion. During 21 years of family-run hospitality, many guests have become our friends and we’ve won several awards from the AA and Tripadvisor.
We take the time to help our guests discover the best of Cornwall and continue to deliver what we believe is one of the best bed and breakfast holiday experiences in Looe.
Book Direct
Telephone Gill & Martin
UK: 01503 263956 / International: 00 44 1503 263956
Telephone Gill & Martin
UK: 01503 263956
International: 00 44 1503 263956
