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About Us
Steve & Kay Taylor
“What’s the story behind 4 Degrees West?”, we hear lots of people say.
Our story started on 8 December 1977 when we met as teenagers at school.
Over 40 years later and here we are, still loving each and every moment. What’s the secret? I think the sense of humour we share and compromise certainly are contributing factors.
Why Hospitality?
My parents had various holiday properties, including caravans, houses and a guest house in addition to running a pub for 25 years, so it was in my blood, so to speak. In the summer holidays between school and college I ran the 6 bed guest house, yet not alone; this is where Steve cut his hospitality teeth. Changing the duvets covers was such fun; we used to race to see which of us could do up the most poppers!
My first job from leaving college was at the local hotel as a receptionist, yet on days where we had guests of all the 72 rooms depart, followed by arrivals in all rooms too, I would also help the housekeeping team – I must have been mad; it’s such hard work on those days!
Skip forward a few decades and a cottage on Par Green was for sale. We knew that being in the centre of the village with level access to the amenities and local beach was something to look forward to in our later years. We have lived in the village since 1994 and prior to that only a few miles away. We enjoy walking along the beach with its soft sand and spending time in our garden in this very peaceful village. We feel privileged to live in this wonderful county.
In 2018 our long-term tenant, whose home this was from the moment we purchased it, moved away and it felt the right moment to come back to the hospitality world and transform this 1880s Cornish cottage into a holiday “home from home”. Many an hour has been spent considering how we may make your stay with us most enjoyable; a labour of love and thought. We do hope that you enjoy it.
The transformation…
Below is a slide show of Before, During and After photos which hopefully gives a feel of what happened during a few weeks in May & June 2018.
What makes us different?
That’s a very good question, so let’s imagine you come to stay at 4 Degrees West.
Each contact you receive is personal and from me, whether you have booked through an online travel agent initially or through our website which gives you the best price.
In advance of you arriving I provide information on local places to visit, features of the property, travel and check-in details.
We were brought up to believe that “if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well” and we want to ensure that every guest knows what there is available and where it’s located, both in the property and the local facilities eg pub, Post Office, shops, coastal path etc and therefore we provide our guests with a Digital Guidebook.
At 4 Degrees West Cottage, Amazon Alexa is waiting for you, ready to impart her vast knowledge base. She operates via the free unlimited WiFi . We also have USB fast charging points in each room.
What do you need after a long journey? If it’s a tea, coffee, chilled water or glass of fresh chilled milk, then it’s here just waiting for you; we hate those little long-life milk containers. Could you be tempted with a delicious, taste bud tickling Cornish Cream Tea? That’s our welcome gift to you. Just sit back and relax, soak up the atmosphere and let the unpacking wait for a little while. Isn’t it a pain either bringing condiments with you or buying them? That’s why you’ll find salt, pepper, & vinegar in the cupboard – just waiting to be put on your fish & chips from Val’s Place in Par, just around the corner from 4 Degrees West Cottage.
So, now you’re on holiday, do you just want to be left alone to enjoy it? That’s exactly what we’ll do, except…if there is anything you need during your stay, just let Kay know.
We want to make the stay of each and every guest special, so welcome suggestions of things which may have been overlooked. These can be communicated direct to us via email/text/WhatsApp/via the contact form on the website or via a good old-fashioned telephone call to Kay on 07766 135867.
Thank you so much for reading our story
Kay
PS Over the years we have also managed properties for other owners, however we feel that 2023 is the right time to step back and enjoy more quality time together and with our family.
Our availability this year is limited to just a few weeks ahead as the property is for sale. Don't worry - all bookings will be honoured as we only open the calendar when we are sure of this.