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The best hotels in Cornwall
Cornwall is a perennially popular staycation spot for good reason – a place of rugged cliffs, golden beaches and hidden lagoons, and salt-lashed taverns serving Cornish ale and fresh seafood. Of course it's particularly ravishing in summer when, yes, there are crowds, but the blue seas and sunlit fishing villages are at their best. There's plenty to do outdoors, including the scenic Cornish Coastal Path wiggling along 400 miles of cliff edges, surfing and a world-class food scene to tuck into. Further inland lie waterfalls, botanical gardens to walk off cream teas in and innovative vineyards putting on regular tours and tastings. But where to drop your bags?
From elegant Riviera manors with a grand, maritime aesthetic to laid back and lovely coastal perches, here are the best hotels in Cornwall.
What is the best part of Cornwall to stay in?
When considering hotels in Cornwall, the first question you'll probably want to think about is, where exactly to go? The verdict on the very best area to stay in will vary depending on who you talk to, and what you're looking for in a Cornish break. Perhaps a bustling town with a scenic bay and quaint shops would suit; St Mawes or Penzance could be for you. Or maybe a more remote area for countryside walks and unspoilt beaches would be the dream - The Pig at Harlyn Bay would be a great base for a relaxing break.
1/15Atlanta Trevone, Trevone Bay
Picture a row of Victoriana terraces perched high above a Cornish bay – rockpools below, yolky, tangerine sunsets setting the horizon ablaze ahead. Five of these long Trevone Bay have been architecturally reconfigured and tastefully dressed by the previous owners of Harlyn Bay just along the coast (now occupied by The Pig). The resulting fresh, coastal classicism of Victorian roll-top baths, Neptune kitchens and log-burner-warmed sitting rooms is the home-from-home comfort families and groups of friends long for when chugging South West. Though technically self-accommodation, the food and concierge service go well beyond the laminated information pack gracing most Cornish rentals’ worktops. Chefs can be brought in to elevate the humble barbecue, or artfully whip up sublime Cornish fare into tasty plates while guests lean into board games and those House of Hackney sofas – the welcome hamper including freshly-baked bread, Cornish jams, bacon and butter have breakfast fully covered). Each property is assigned its own concierge to book in that late afternoon massage, babysitters so parents can skip off to Padstow’s culinary trove, or an introductory surfing session, maybe even some tennis coaching. Whether hunkering down in the eight-person Atlanta House with its log burners, the deliciously-designed captain’s house loft (courtesy of HÁM Interiors) or the new Plum Cottage (the maverick of the family over in Padstow), all offer that hotel-grade, meringue-crisp sheets, fluffy robes and softly-lit spaces, just without another guest in sight.
Atlantic Terrace, Trevone Bay PL28 8RB
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Bob Berry2/15The Nare, Truro
Cornwall’s hotels may increasingly constitute Hamptons-esque yachty club, surfer sanctuaries dressed in zany textiles and modernist design dens tipping over the water with angular balconies, but there’s something completely singular and comforting about its unapologetic traditionalists. The Nare is one of them – a coastal country house doused in nautical nostalgia and that unfiltered Cornish light. Expect morning games of doubles on court, heirloom mahogany dressers, elegant cream teas and thick, printed curtains, which frame views of the sea. The hotel’s privileged perch on the Roseland peninsula (one of Cornwall’s last remaining stretches of unspoilt coastline) offers a sweep with all but Portscatho’s white freckles in the distance, as well as wildly scenic pre-scone walks and jolly pootles along the coast on The Nare’s own motor boat. More stately home plunge than Riviera lido, the hotel’s heated pool is a particularly lovely spot to linger beside, listening to the waves roll in, or admiring those flaming orange Cornish sunsets with a glass of wine. Inside, classically-dressed rooms prioritise comfort above all else with enormous upholstered cushioned headboards, high-backed armchairs and soft carpets underfoot. Most inhale the sea air, with terraces or balconies a peaceful, private spot for sundowners before shuffling into the traditional dining room for just-caught seafood.
Carne Beach, Veryan-in-Roseland, Truro TR2 5PF
3/15Hotel Tresanton, St Mawes
Having grown up at the coalface of hospitality in the family behind the Rocco Forte group of hotels, Olga Polizzi has applied her insights and sharp design eye to this hotel on the fringes of postcard-pretty St Mawes. Here, she transformed a cluster of seafront houses and cottages into an understated, yet carefully choreographed Riviera retreat, with Mediterranean flourishes. Thick, textured curtains pull back to reveal sparkling views of St Anthony's Lighthouse, modern Cornish artists (including Barbara Hepworth) are showcased on the walls and shades and prints reflect the coastal scenes and botanical gardens outside.
All 30 rooms assume a different character, some enjoying larger balconies or terraces than others, all with coastal views well worth the slog down the A303. Italian menus make the most of Cornwall’s freshly-caught seafood on smart white tablecloths and outside on the pelargonium filled terrace, a spot that brings a dose of La Dolce Vita to these south-western shores. Tresanton’s own racing yacht, Pinuccia, (available to be chartered by guests over the summer months) only adds to the effect.
27 Lower Castle Rd, St Mawes, Truro TR2 5DR
4/15Watergate Bay, Cornwall
At Watergate Bay Hotel, midway between Padstow and Newquay and overlooking a majestic two-mile stretch of white sand, expect endless vistas of North Cornwall’s big skies and rolling Atlantic waves, dotted with surfers and body boarders, and the occasional dolphin or seal.
Owner Will Ashworth and his wife Pix, in collaboration with the Clerkenwell-based design firm Household, have imbued the hotel’s relaxed beachside-chic interiors with a contemporary feel. Local materials – rustic sawn floorboards, granite cobbles, handmade tiles and natural slate – add warmth, and a subtle use of stripes provides a nautical nod without seaside cliché. What’s more, seven new beach lofts with floor-to-ceiling windows now allow guests to sit even closer to the water (and take surf boards directly from their chalet-style rooms onto the sand).
For action lovers, the Extreme Academy beach sports centre will get you Neoprene suited and booted to head into the Atlantic for surfing, kite surfing and body- or paddle-boarding, particularly now having partnered with Wavehunters – north Cornwall’s surf and marine aficionados . If taking it easy is more your scene, the hotel’s Swim Club spa has a 25-metre indoor infinity pool with the services of a swimming coach (lessons require pre-booking), as well as a yoga/pilates/cardio cycle studio, a gym and several treatment rooms.
On The Beach, Trevarrian Hill, Newquay TR8 4AA
5/15The Idle Rocks, St Mawes
Perched on the pretty harbour of St Mawes, The Idle Rocks and its well-dressed residents watch over a calm bay and ravishing sunsets. The Edwardian waterfront inn is currently owned by former Aston Martin chairman David Richards and his wife Karen, whose take on the English coastal aesthetic sets a cosy, home-from-home tone. Sofas and chairs are decked in ikat prints, while clam sconces and wooden slat lamps in the restaurant paint a maritime picture.
Downstairs, Carla Jones helms the kitchen at The Reef Knot Restaurant, where seafood takes centre stage (courtesy of the hotel’s dedicated fisherman, Gareth Austin, whose spanking fresh hauls from local waters guide the menu). This, along with Carla’s little black book of local suppliers ensures those sitting on the parasol-dotted waterfront terrace or in the charming restaurant booths can get a taste of the county’s seasons and the treasures of land and sea.
Harbourside, Tredenham Rd, St Mawes, Truro TR2 5AN
6/15Chapel House, Penzance
Having left a stressful career in finance for the (perhaps equally demanding) world of hospitality, Susan Stuart fell for a Georgian beauty that stands watch over the harbour of Penzance. Working with its elegant bones and maritime history as an admiral’s home, Susan has created clean, light-filled interiors to showcase local artworks (many from Cornwall’s Newlyn School). While four posters and imposing marble fireplaces nod to the house’s Georgian character, there is a fresh minimalism at play, with subtle modern touches such as a retracting roof that reveals the sky over the attic room’s bath.
The food is a highlight here, first sampled with the home-made brownies in the bedrooms, then later, downstairs in the flagstone kitchen where Susan whips up Ottolenghi-style plates for guests perched along the long farmhouse table. Her passion for cooking and locality is infectious, along with that of Penzance itself (you can tap Susan’s wisdom for the best independent galleries, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops and less-crowded swimming spots). A back door leads onto a courtyard where sandy feet and wetsuits are hosed down, and walking boots kicked off for a well-deserved stint in the sauna or hot tub (also the preferred way to round off a morning sunrise swim from Battery Rock, with dry robes and swimming boots provided). Wellness elements can be dialled up with herbal tastings, food foraging, breathwork and yoga.
Chapel St, Penzance TR18 4AQ
7/15Artist Residence Penzance
As with its fellow Artist Residences in the UK, the Penzance outpost functions as a gallery, a boutique hotel, and a restaurant, with rooms designed by local artists. The group's aesthetic hallmarks are very much in evidence: the reclaimed wood headboards, the rugged standalone tubs, the industrial lamps that illuminate furniture with plenty of patina.
Any traveller would be happy to enter through the turquoise front door on Penzance’s higgledy piggledy Chapel Street, ready to pull up a chair for home-made granola and oversized croissants lathered in jam. Lunch and supper show off Cornwall's excellent seafood, with fish of the day drenched in parsley butter and salt and pepper squid, while the restaurant’s own smokehouse works its magic on the barbecued ribs and lobster.
Warmed by log fires, the communal areas form a cosy refuge of shabby leather chairs and flour sack cushions to return to after bracing walks along the coast to Lands End or St Michael’s Mount. Families or those wanting more mealtime flexibility can book into The Cottage or The Lookout for their kitchenettes and dining tables, though all rooms ooze rustic-industrial luxe, with West Country Bramley toiletries in the bathrooms and Cornish minibar treats to graze on.
20 Chapel St, Penzance TR18 4AW
8/15Carbis Bay, St Ives
Carbis Bay blends acres of emerald green Cornish countryside with its own photogenic beach, so that mornings can be lost in manicured gardens and woodland, with a lunch stop at Carbis Bay’s The Gannet Inn; then afternoons can unfold on Carbis Bay’s blue-flag beach. Scattered over the grounds are various self-catering cottages or smart, Scandi-style lodges – all benefitting from the same efficient service and shimmering sea views as the main house.
The main house is something of a maritime grande dame, where gilt mirrors, elegant sofas and chandeliers still dress the laid-back communal spaces, though the bedrooms upstairs, restaurants and surrounding lodges have more of a contemporary style. Treloyhan Manor opened in 2024, perching guests right on the coastal path for the utmost privacy and Carbis Bay’s slick service and experiences (from private chefs to boat trips to hidden coves, with picnics), and the term ‘beach lodges’ somewhat belies the elevated interiors and contemporary architecture of these cavernous, light-filled private spaces that spill onto the soft, sandy beach . Meanwhile the hotel’s new PODS are a luxe, blonde-wooded spin on glamping, tucked away in the wildflower meadows, a short drive from the beach yet a more rural, secluded take on the Cornish bolthole..
Loyal fans keep coming for the superb C Bay Spa treatments, and to relax in its hydrotherapy pool or swim in the heated outdoor pool with birds eye views of the bay. Hungry walkers can settle in for Adam Handling’s locavore menu at the Ugly Butterfly, or at the unbuttoned Beach Club for Cornish crab and home-made pizzas.
Carbis Bay, Saint Ives TR26 2NP
© Jake Eastham9/15The Pig at Harlyn Bay
Some would say this is the loveliest hotel of all the Pigs. It’s certainly the moodiest - an uneven warren of darkly-painted, Dickensian spaces where Londoners pace the flagstones. Rooms are dressed in velvets, brooding heritage shades and botanical wallpaper, which adds up to the lived-in country house style the group has become known for.
Blustery walks from the front door of this greystone cliff top hotel are rewarded with Poldark-worthy views; in the warmer months, the surrounding gardens and meadows are full of wildflowers, so that guests can sip Cornish sparkling wine and admire the views across the Camel Estuary. Long lunches from the menu (which focuses on suppliers with in a 25-mile radius) are easily walked off along Harlyn Bay, watching the surfers bop up and down on the water like seals.
Harlyn, Padstow PL28 8SQ
10/15The Scarlet
Smug in its clifftop perch overlooking Mawgan Porth’s golden sand on the north Cornish coast, The Scarlet is an adult-only eco-sanctuary where calming interiors take their cue from the outdoors. The views from every room, restaurant chair, bed, and bath are eye-wateringly pretty, with the dramatic cliffs circling in an amphitheatre-like formation around the sea. People come here to recalibrate, to breathe in the sea air, to relax in the nature-first spa or to watch the sun set from the log-fired hot tubs.
Rooms are aesthetically an extension of the spa, where guests can retreat after long cliff walks to the Bedruthan Steps or Watergate Bay, sinking into an aromatherapy-infused bath. The hotel has year-round appeal, with a glass-encased pool keeping nature close (and the warmth in) and a seasonal menu of, say, smoked mussel paté and Cornish day boat brill.
Tredragon Road, Mawgan Porth TR8 4DQ
11/15Coombeshead Farm
This is Cornwall at its bucolic best: a farm-to-fork trailblazer whose on-site bakery and orchard jam mornings have been emulated up and down the country. Indeed, it’s top-to-toe home-spun heaven, from the old flagstones and heavy pastel quilts to the piquant Mettwurst sausages with crab apple and nettle. Gastronomes typically pin Coombeshead to the very top of their south-west pilgrimage list, marvelling at the made-from-scratch philosophy of owners and ex-New Yorkers Tom Adams and April Bloomfield.
Their lofty standards keep farmhouse fare rustic but ravishing, with the farm’s own butter lathered over still-warm bread and seasonal plates leaving the garden produce to speak for itself. Coombeshead’s past as a dairy farm is referenced with the original wooden floorboards, the timber beams (woven with hops in the restaurant) and vases of golden wheat. Antique finds fill nooks and shelves, sofas bask in the glow of fisherman sconces and the gardens surrounding the wisteria-covered farmhouse are filled with foxgloves and cottage flowers until they meet the fields.
Coombeshead Farm, Lewannick, Cornwall, PL15 7QQ
12/15The New Inn, Tresco
In the depths of summer the island of Tresco could, for a split second, be mistaken for a Caribbean counterpart. It’s certainly the UK’s best shot at the blue sea, white sand vibe, as part of the Scilly Isles scattered off the Cornish coast. As in much of Cornwall, England’s pastures roll right up to the sand with the odd grey-stoned cottage or maritime tavern occasionally in their way. The New Inn on car-free Tresco is one of these, a desert island take on the classic Cornish tavern.
A recent renovation has preserved the inn’s heritage, scattered with relics from the island’s rich history, trinkets rescued from shipwrecks off the coast and the original gnarled timber pub skeleton which remains intact in the Driftwood Bar. Fisherman lanterns set a warming glow in the evenings and upholstered banquettes and armchairs contribute to a Nantucket-meets-Scilly aesthetic. When not cooling off in the outdoor pool or tucking into the Scillys’ best seafood, guests can wander north east along the coast to weather-beaten forts steeped in English Civil War legend, or take a paddle board out into the sea following a wood-fired pizza at hipster-surf hot spot, the Ruin Beach Cafe.
New Grimsby, Tresco TR24 0QQ
Mark Cocksedge13/15The Castle Lodge at Trematon Castle, Saltash
Famed for their eccentric and wildly imaginative wallpapers and prints, House of Hackney have brought their east London maximalism to Cornwall’s Trematon Castle on the Tamar Estuary. In the hands of the Duchy of Cornwall since the 12th century, this motte-and-bailey Norman foundation has played a starring role in England’s history – first strengthening the hold of William the Conqueror, later serving as a hiding place for Sir Francis Drake’s looted Spanish treasure, and, as it fell into ruin, into the capable hands of Benjamin Tucker who built a grand Georgian beauty overlooking the castle courtyard, heavily influenced by Sir John Soane’s passion for symmetry.
Now under the spell of House of Hackney’s founders Frieda and Javvy, rooms mirror the shades and textures of the whimsical tangle of gardens surrounding the castle. Naturally, irreverent prints abound, as do the (all-for-sale) artworks, artisanal accessories and furniture that have been carefully curated to showcase the best of UK craft. Visitors can rest their heads at the Cabin (a renovated apple shed in a woodland glade) or the off-beat Gate Lodge, both with access to the estate’s Indian-style swimming pool and the herb-infused gardens, redolent with roses and lilies.
Castle Hill, Saltash PL12 4QW
14/15The Sandy Duck, Falmouth
Decked out with calming Scandi design features in its eight bedrooms, the charmingly named Sandy Duck sits atop a hill overlooking Falmouth Bay. The boutique B&B was converted from an Edwardian townhouse, with most rooms boasting a sea view. Varied breakfast options made from local ingredients are served in the bright and airy breakfast room, which is decorated with cane chairs and paintings by members of owner Freyja's family. Do note, that lunch or dinner is not available at the hotel.
12 Pennance Rd, Falmouth TR11 4EA
15/15Fowey Hall Hotel, Fowey
With an enviable position perched over the sweep of the Fowey Estuary, this hotel is a jewel of a destination in itself. It prides itself on its family friendly credentials, and there's plenty here to entertain kids of all ages, including a creche, games room, gardens with a zip line, and a cinema room. There's a beach nearby, and the hotel lends buckets and spades (and wellies) to cater for outings, but the heated pool is the place to be in summer. Dogs are also welcome for a small fee.
Adults will find much to love as well, from the elegant minimalist design of the interiors to the relaxing spa with Bramley and Ishga products. The restaurant prioritises Cornish food and local produce, including freshly caught fish.
Hall Hotel, Hanson Dr, Fowey PL23 1ET
