Lanhydrock Hotel near Bodmin turns 20 after 200,000 guests

Lanhydrock Hotel & Golf Club near Bodmin is marking 20 years since its hotel first opened, and the family behind it can now count more than 200,000 guests through the doors since July 2006.

From golf club to hotel

The hotel was added to the existing golf club business in 2006 by Graham and Clare Bond, part of a major diversification project that turned the site into what is now Lanhydrock Hotel & Golf Club. The family-run business has since hosted those 200,000-plus guests alongside a long run of weddings, celebrations and golf breaks, and has built a name on its countryside setting and community atmosphere.

Clare Bond, owner and director, said the early days came with plenty of hope and not much certainty about where it would lead.

“When we opened the hotel in 2006, we had such excitement about what it could become, but I don’t think we could ever have imagined the incredible journey it would take us on over the next 20 years,” she said. “We’ve welcomed so many wonderful guests through our doors, many of whom have become friends over the years, and we feel enormously grateful for all the support we’ve received.”

A month of celebrations

To mark the milestone, the hotel is running a month-long campaign through July that includes a new anniversary film and a limited-edition ‘Cheers to 20 Years’ package.

The package covers a one-night stay for two in a course-facing double or executive twin room, breakfast, a Cornish cream tea on arrival, dinner in the Nineteen Bar & Bistro and a bottle of bubbly in the room. The hotel is also giving the package away to one winner through a Facebook competition running throughout July, and the 20th booking made will get a free upgrade to a Superior Suite.

Community, and a pandemic spent on site

Clare put much of the hotel’s staying power down to the people who keep coming back.

“What makes Lanhydrock so special is the community that’s been built here over the years,” she said. “We have guests who return year after year, people who’ve celebrated so many milestones with us, anniversaries, birthdays and weddings to name a few. There’s a real sense of familiarity and warmth here that we’re incredibly proud of.”

The 20 years have not been without difficulty. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Graham and Clare temporarily moved into the hotel to help carry the business through one of its hardest stretches.

“We’ve had so much laughter, hard work, happiness (and chaos!) over the years, and of course we’ve also had our ups and downs along the way, especially during the pandemic when we had to adapt quickly,” Clare said. “But what’s always mattered most to us is creating a place where people feel welcome, relaxed and looked after. This celebration is really about all of the people who have been part of our story.”

📷Graham, Clare and Christian Bond with their two dogs, Bruce and Basil outside the clubhouse at Lanhydrock Hotel and Golf Club

Investment and the next chapter

The site has kept changing over the two decades, with money going into an indoor golf simulator, a fitness suite and, most recently, renovations to the Clubhouse exterior.

Full details of the anniversary offer are on the Lanhydrock Hotel & Golf Club website, with the giveaway running on its Facebook page through July.

“Twenty years feels like a huge milestone for us as a family business,” Clare said. “We’re very proud of what Lanhydrock has become and very excited for the next chapter.”

📷Clare and Graham Bond - Owners