We pick some of the most luxe places to stay in the county.
Are you after a luxury UK-based, escape with a carefree holiday vibe? Cornwall offers a host of unique properties – from boutique B&Bs, to foodie destinations and dreamy hotels with exclusive beach-fronted dining and sea views. Whether you’re looking for an experience-led stay, an island getaway or a restorative escape, we’ve put together a handpicked list of the very best luxury stays in the county.
Chapel House, Penzance
Design-led escape
Head to West Cornwall and enjoy the bold and beautiful interiors of Chapel House – a heavenly townhouse just off the harbour. This beautiful brick and granite-fronted Georgian home, facing out over the port of Penzance, has been designed to provide an open-house experience, where quality and comfort merge.
You’re invited to relax amidst a backdrop of seaside hues and spectacular coastal vistas. Designed to minimalist perfection, owner Susan Stuart ensures attention-to-detail and informality of service lie at the heart, with meals served informally, supper-club style in her open-plan kitchen. Sit outside on the sun-dappled terrace, where exotic succulents and aloes thrive in the Cornish climate, and breathe in the salt-fresh air.
Carbis Bay Estate, St Ives
A luxury coastal escape
Embrace a luxury coastal vibe, set to a backdrop of a privately-owned 25-acre blue flag beach. Ideally positioned just outside St Ives, Carbis Bay Estate is a stunning spot to take time out. Myriad accommodation options include 36 individually designed rooms in the main hotel and eight luxurious beach lodges.
Set within 125 acres, the hotel’s dramatic waterside location is internationally recognised as one of the most beautiful bays in the UK. Steeped in over 100 years of tradition and history, the hotel is 25 minutes’ walk to the centre of St Ives, with direct access to the South West Coast Path. With its new C Bay spa, and diverse selection of eateries, it’s a memorable escape to the west Cornish coast.
Padstow Townhouse, Padstow
Foodie destination for a special occasion
Stay at Michelin-starred chef Paul Ainsworth’s handsome 18th century townhouse, offering six individually styled suites with their own unique furnishings - set high in the pretty Old Town of Padstow, tucked away from the harbourside hub.
Expect all the home comforts you could wish for, along with pampering treats and indulgent surprises; the astonishing attention to detail includes a superbly-stocked honesty pantry – think gin and whisky galore with the addition of indulgent homemade cakes - a flat roof turned-lawn and beautiful bedrooms, overflowing with thoughtful extras, such as flasks of a unique blended malt-hot chocolate at bedtime. Each suite is a haven of luxury -the kind of place you don’t want to leave.
The Scarlet, Mawgan Porth
For a restorative, eco-conscious escape
Experience a restorative coastal escape at a design-led, eco-friendly retreat, boasting an enviable clifftop location, with captivating sea vistas. The Scarlet offers a cocoon of warmth, allowing time to slow down within its cossetted surrounds. Lashings of style and comfort are met with breathtaking coastal views, making for the ultimate relaxing stay - a rejuvenating break, guaranteed to leave you walking on air.
A modern-minimal design with an eclectic collection of art - coupled with its eco credentials – makes this couples-only retreat a winner, whatever the season. In line with the hotel’s ethos, service is not to be rushed, ensuring you make the most of the dreamiest surrounds.
Fowey Harbour Hotel, Fowey
For an experience-led escape
A waterside retreat, set in an elevated position with eye-grabbing views across the River Fowey. With its immaculate split-terraced garden - bisected by the South West Coast Path and the foot-ferry to the fishing-village of Polruan, a stone’s throw below - it’s a prime position to explore the south Cornish coast.
Vibrant interiors, draw from Fowey’s rich history of exotic world-travel, creating a luxe colonial-chic aesthetic. Experiences lie at its heart – grab an easel and head out to paint the coastline, explore the coast on a luxury yacht, take a walking guide to the coastal path or hop on one of the hotel’s bikes - all enhanced with a specially-prepared picnic, packed with local produce.
Hotel Tresanton, St Mawes
For coastal adventures and seafaring activities
Expect a pared-back approach at this cluster of cottages-turned-coastal-retreat on the South Cornish coast. Hotel Tresanton is a luxurious retreat – nestled on a hillside with enviable sea vistas. Thirty beautifully designed boutique-bedrooms offer stunning views, whilst sub-tropical gardens, a beach club and private wooden yacht provide ample ways to relax on this unique stretch of coastline.
Hotelier Olga Polizzi created the first truly fashionable and chic British seaside bolthole - over 20 years on, it effortlessly holds its own without any pretention. Stay for endless memorable experiences, including lunch on the terrace or supper in the restaurant, fashioning relaxed Italian cuisine that showcases Cornish suppliers and seasonal ingredients.
The St Enodoc, Rock
Beach chic stay
Perfectly positioned in the sought-after coastal town of Rock, the St Enodoc is nestled on the hillside, boasting sweeping views over the Camel Estuary - home to a large terrace, stunning gardens, and a coastal-chic style with a heated outdoor pool and a small spa.
Under new ownership, guests can experience some unique spring/summer alfresco foodie events. Guy Owen heads up the kitchen, creating seasonal dishes that showcase the very best of Cornwall’s produce within his nine-course tasting menu at Karrek – offering a fresh take on fine dining. It’s the perfect spot to explore the rugged coastline, enjoy water sports in the protected estuary, and cycle along the Camel Trail.
Talland Bay Hotel, Porthallow
Dog friendly/walkers’ paradise
A boldly designed boutique hotel, housing an eclectic collection of artwork, in a stunning coastal position, overlooking Talland Bay Beach. Expect mouth-wateringly good, seasonal plates brimming with freshest seafood, coupled with an extensive gin-menu and spectacular scenery.
It’s also exceptional for dog-owners, and describes itself as being ‘head and tails above the rest’ – with a jar of dog treats in the bar, plus a pamper pack for pooches left in the room and printouts of local-walks and attractions at reception.
The hotel ticks all the boxes for a relaxing coastal escape within beautiful surrounds – an absolute walkers’ paradise, perfectly positioned for exploring the South West Coast Path.
Karma St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly
For an island getaway
Situated on St. Martin’s - one of five inhabited islands in the Isles of Scilly - Karma offers a stunning beachside retreat and utter tranquility in a sub-tropical haven, with its own private quay and breathtaking views of the neighbouring islands. Enjoy laidback luxury, to a backdrop of white sands, turquoise waters and an abundance of wildlife.
Luxury and comfort are fused in this hamlet of cottages - designed to blend into the natural environment - a stone’s throw away from the beach, with panoramic views over to Tresco and uninhabited Tean island. The hotel boasts waterside dining and a spa treatment room, with ample outdoor seating to soak up the surrounds.
Coombeshead Farm, Lewannick
A countryside escape with a field-to-fork experience
A farmhouse-guesthouse with 66-acres of farmland, a wholesale-bakery, restaurant and farm shop, situated close to the Devon border in the charming village of Lewannick, between Dartmoor and Bodmin.
This restored dairy-farm offers a rustic-styled country retreat, designed as an open-house - unwind in peaceful surrounds and savour chef, Tom Adams,’ homegrown-produce; Mangalitsa loin from pigs - bred and reared onsite - swede, kales and freshly-baked sourdough – before sinking into simply styled bedrooms, with garden views and treats of homemade-fudge and choux-buns with cream and haskap jam.
Downstairs, enjoy an open living-space; log-burner, kitchen-with-range, wine-cellar, snug library with board games and honesty bar - help yourself to seasonal-fruit-gin-infusions, strawberry-liqueur and kombuchas. Wake to a memorable breakfast.
Watergate Bay Hotel/Beach Lofts
A surfers’ paradise - great for families and foodies
A popular family hotel with a contemporary-coastal vibe, Watergate Bay appeals to all generations; kick back and enjoy great food at one of Cornwall’s best surfing beaches - with a focus on ‘active relaxation’- the two-mile expanse of sand is renowned for its exceptional surf.
Now guests can stay in one of seven Beach Loft rooms, with views across the bay. All boast stylish en-suite bathrooms with free-standing baths, sliding floor-to-ceiling windows directly above the beach, plus a well-stocked pantry full of local treats for a leisurely breakfast. Enjoy complimentary surf lessons, treatments at the Swim Club and dine at four on-site eateries, including Emily Scott’s award-winning beachside restaurant.
