Bodmin Jail Attraction Reviews 92

We came here last year 025.
On our arrival staff welcomed us very friendly gave us ground floor No.1 Room as we have a dog.Very clean lots non alcohol drinks Dog bowls Blanket and treats ..
Stayed for one night .Regardless of other people's comments on here we had a great stay breakfast was brillant and the waitress Who helped us Lisa was superb along with the Barman he also was brillant told us some amazing stories of the place. Over Facilities v.good went through Booking Process well in advance so no problems here .

My partner and I did the lunch time guided tour with Gemma on 17/06/26, ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! So much interesting information, very well presented with enthusiasm, humour, (respect for those who suffered here) and interpersonal skill! This tour was the highlight of our holiday in Cornwall, visiting from Kent.

I went to bodmin jail a few years back before it was up graded to what it is today an much prefer how it was before .. all the honesty of what it was has gone very disappointing 😞 .. I went back again because I loved looking at how life was then .. no character left now .

We stayed at Bodmin jail and did the prisoner experience and wow. How impressive, the hotel itself was amazing and the food. We had a lady called Kat who did the evening hotel and ghost tour which was kind of scary. We had a welcome drink to start, full itinerary and then followed by a 3 course meal which was such good value and food was excellent. The rooms are very comfortable with a bath in the ensuite as well with under floor heated ensuite. The following day served again a lovely breakfast and then the 4D museum tour was again fantastic. Thougherly enjoyed our visit and stuck an experience we will not forget for our 14th wedding anniversary. Thank you so much and have already told everyone we have seen that should go and visit. 5⭐ from us both

What a disappointing disastrous stay
We arrived in the pouring rain (obviously not the hotels fault). However, this meant the sleepers between the parking spaces were unknowingly slippery and down on my left hip, arm and hand I promptly went. Tried to check in at 2.50pm as I was a little wet and shaken and room was advertised as available from 3pm so thought there was a reasonable chance to get in just 10 minutes early. However, room was not ready and we were asked to give it another half an hour at least and encouraged to make use of the (expensive) champagne bar - no mention of the (slightly) more affordable cafe, so as we were unaware of this having never been here before, we waited in the car park. Checked in and found previous guests rubbish was still in the bin - and this wasn’t emptied for the entirety of our 2 night stay. Paid a £40 supplement to take our dog. The ‘dog package’ wasn’t given (bowls, blankets etc). Although we took our own, it’s disappointing when you see and know others get it. I also feel a room should be thoroughly cleaned throughout between guests irrelevant of whether a dog has occupied some of the space or not and it doesn’t justify an extra £40 for cleaning when a bin doesn’t even get emptied. It’s just another money making tactic. Dogs were supposed to be offered a sausage at breakfast but we were charged £1 on the first morning - petty but equally frustrating. Then when we checked out they took a duplicated payment so £807 twice! The most alarming part of all is that despite ringing to try and resolve the duplicated payment issue we were asked to confirm the details in writing and they ‘would see if someone in accounts might be available the next day’. Our further concern here was I submitted an emailed complaint 4 weeks beforehand and aside from acknowledging receipt of my complaint, I had received no further response. I had followed up after a week and was basically told to wait and it would be dealt with in due course. Regarding the credit card issue, after 2 days we were no further forward with a refund from the hotel direct, despite providing them with copies of the evidence of the double payment at our end, so we had to go through the clawback process from the credit card company - this is wrong and it was stressful. £807 is a lot of money to us. On an account somewhere there must of been a £807 credit which didn’t belong anywhere or tally with anything and cause a concern at the hotels end but no, the hotel did absolutely nothing to help us whatsoever. I did then receive a reply to my complaint from a duty manager which was basically advising feedback was passed here, feedback was passed there etc. It didn’t confirm what if any action would be taken so that for example someone else doesn’t slip in the car park. The hotel didn’t even check if I was now ok after my fall. Feedback is pointless if action, follow up checks etc aren’t also implemented. It did however say ‘on your next visit, we will ensure that all appropriate amenities for your dog are provided, along with some additional treats and waste bags to enhance your stay.’ Enhance my stay with dog waste bags- wow - just wow!! I have them bulging out of every pocket anyway. I returned my complaint asking for it to be reviewed by senior management. I then received a reply to advise a telephone conversation would be needed so the Director of Hospitality can better understand my concerns. Really???? My complaint was quite detailed and also it’s strange how they ask for everything in writing but then to stall or perhaps put you off pursuing further, insist on a phone call. I’m at a loss to understand what they feel a reasonable let alone good or excellent level of customer service is, especially for the prices charged. We were prepared to pay these as a treat but did expect a good level of customer service in return. I’ve held off adding feedback but as I’m still waiting on the call so my complaint remains outstanding I’d like to share my experiences now in the hope it helps others. It ruined our wedding anniversary and this ‘luxury’ stay was also to help me get away following the loss of my mum shortly before. It’s just created a lot of stress and upset instead. If you are looking for a premium priced hotel to relax and feel spoilt in, please go somewhere else. Shame on you Bodmin Jail Hotel.

The staff were very knowledgeable and passionate about sharing their paranormal experiences when asked. Hotel in the old gaol is luxury standard. All staff are welcoming and happy in their jobs.

Food was Good setting was lovely service was OK

Poor service. Patronising staff. No empathy. No refund given for being unable to go due to bad health. Very poor treatment of staff. Avoid at all costs!

Last Sunday we went to the Bodmin Jail Hotel for afternoon tea. From the moment we arrived we were greeted by friendly and welcoming staff. Our afternoon tea was out of this world. In fact, I'd say it was the best I've had in Cornwall... and I've had a few! Our waiter was so lovely, the food was absolutely delicious and the venue was stunning, unique and comfortable. Thank you to everyone who made our Sunday afternoon so enjoyable and memorable. We're now planning to return for dinner and an overnight stay in such an original hotel venue.

Very disappointed 😞. I've been many times before with pupils from my school, so thought I'd take my 16 year old Granddaughter who'd never been. Firstly the parking was moved, and as I'm registered disabled, this was a hard 10 minute walk! Not good.
Next, due to a glitch in the system we couldn't go in on time, as the guided tour had to go around first! We then caught up with the guided tour who were then in the way of us seeing rooms.
No where near as much in the rooms as normal. 😞 Disappointed as I'd told my granddaughter so much about what would be there and wasn't.
Then to the hanging. You used to see the girl and the executioners as she's about to be hanged, but no longer see them. Again disappointed 😔
I'm afraid I won't be back.

Waste of money . Modernised , special effects , not much to see , paid for 3 hrs parking in and out in 1 HR

Visited on the 21/9/25.
Had the guided tour with Jasmine she was excellent very knowledgeable only doing it a couple of months, 5⭐️for her.
Recommend the guided tour.

Great experience and our tour guide Jasmine was very knowledgeable considering she had only been working there a few months, she answered all our questions and had some humour too, real asset to the company, thank you Jasmine xx
Car park was a fair walk away, we assumed we could park on-site, but not the case!
The jail and cells for us to experience were only a small fraction within the huge building,as the rest was used for the hotel.
All in all a great experience and Worth a visit, but probably wouldn’t return.

Visited today and had a fantastic time! Our tour guide Jasmine was fabulous, full of energy, enthusiasm & knowledge. Really pleased that we opted for the guided tour as we found out so much of the jail’s history. I’ve visited in the past before the big revamp and wasn’t sure why the jail had been changed and worried that the atmosphere had been lost, however with the explanation of why this happened I’ve got to say that they’ve done a fantastic job and saved a huge part of Cornwall’s (and Britain’s) history.

Waste of money, waited in queue as didn't want to miss our time slot. Then was sent into a bookcased room where we had to wait again. A women came in and said we'd be seeing a short film. We went down a number of stairs and eventually into a dark room where a film started. The rooms are not real but plastic. Lead into a few more rooms took about 20-30mins in total. No way to get out and I was bursting for the toilet! Eventually got into the jail bit (only one floor) but as needed toilet I had to go upstairs through the door (once through this door there's no way back in).
The film and special affects were good but the jail was very poor, don't be fooled by the size of the building it's mostly an hotel!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (for the staff)

I’m giving 5 stars purely for the staff and the effort they put into our After Dark (witchcraft) experience. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and really tried to make the evening engaging and enjoyable.

That said, the prison itself has unfortunately lost much of its “supernatural” atmosphere due to the extensive renovations. New flooring, windows, and other modern features have taken away a lot of the authenticity and sense of history, which feels like a real shame. I do understand that these changes were likely necessary to make the site suitable for daytime family visits, but it has come at the cost of the original character.

Because of this, we didn’t feel much of the energy or atmosphere we were hoping for upon entering. While this is absolutely no reflection on the amazing staff, it did impact the overall experience.

Sadly, I don’t think I’d return for another After Dark event here, but I’d happily recommend the team - they really do go above and beyond.

The dark walk was really good but we were really disappointed with how little of the jail we actually got to see. We recently visited Shepton Mallet Jail and there we found out about all the prisoners but also their every day life etc.... and were taken around a lot of the jail and told of the history of the building which we were expecting from Bodmin. We came with teenagers and they also commented on how little of the actual jail you get to see. Such a shame. Maybe we needed a guided tour?? But we are all disappointed and the whole thing only took us 1hr 15 minutes.

Our family of seven visited this attraction today. We opted for the guided tour. Our host was Jess. It was immediately obvious that she was going to be an excellent guide. Her explanations throughout were presented with very obvious historical references which put things in historical perspective.
She was immensely sensitive to the needs of her group. Her interactions with the group encouraged questions for even more information.
It was obvious that her subject knowledge was of the highest order. And if Jess is representative of the other guides you should be very proud of your staff.
The whole experience was professional, informative and thought provoking.
The whole environment was enjoyable. Congratulations. Keep it up!

What a fantastic immersive experience. The dark walk was great fun and then you can take your time looking in the rest of the jail (I would not take children into the hanging section but it was really interesting as an adult). Great value and a super way to spend a rainy morning. Best of all, I am normally claustrophobic but didn't feel at all worried or uncomfortable in any of the jail. You need to allow 5 mins to walk from the car park but it's worth it.

Very disappointed with this venue, for a start parking was not clearly sign posted & then realised it was about 10 minutes walk from the prison.
When we got into the building it was just a walk around plastic props & silly effects. After the first bit I thought we would walk around the prison looking in cells & find out lots of history about the building but we walked out of the dark & that was it!! What made it even more frustrating was my husband & I was asked to leave a room because the guided tour wanted to come in!! We've paid as well & I was trying to read the information & look at the little bit of history that was actually there!!
I assume the rest of the prison must be the hotel, I came away not knowing anymore about the prison than when we started.
As for the cafe, £5 for a soggy sausage roll!! Didn't bother with lunch with those prices!!