Globalista

Always beautiful, always bucolic, England’s most south-westerly county has, over the last decade, embraced a new-found cool. Home to some of Britain’s most breathtaking landscapes (craggy cliffs, rolling fields and mile upon mile of golden sand pounded by surfable waves), it has always been popular, but never more than now.  No longer a place of old-fashioned inns and chintzy hotels, Cornwall is in the throes of a style revolution. From wonderful boutique hotels to fabulous restaurants and great gastro pubs, this sunny corner of the British Isles, leads the country when it comes to coastal chic.

You can preview the Best Hotels featured in our Globalista Report below. Or buy the full Globalista Report for this destination, available at the bottom of the page.

St Mawes

One of the most elegant hotels in Britain, Olga Polizzi’s Tresanton offers a masterclass in chic décor, fabulous food and great service. Close to Falmouth in the pretty seaside village St Mawes, the Tresanton dates back to the 1950s when as a fashionable seaside hotel it entertained the likes of the Queen Mother. After falling into disrepair in the 70s and 80s, it was bought by Polizzi in the 1990s who transformed it into a stylish 29-room hotel. Decorated in light, seaside tones with beautiful bathrooms and a lovely collection of local art, there is a cinema, bar and wonderful restaurant. Children are well catered for with two family suites, a playroom and children’s garden. Guests can sail around Falmouth bay in the hotel’s stunning Pinuccia yacht.

Also try the Driftwood Hotel overlooking Gerrans Bay near St Mawes. With 16 rooms including a wonderfully romantic rustic cabin and an atmospheric restaurant with an emphasis on locally-sourced food, it has an intimate, unpretentious feel.

Fowey

Fowey Hall, an imposing 19th century mansion turned boutique hotel is believed to have inspired Toad Hall in Wind in the Willows. Overlooking the coastal town of Fowey, the location is wonderful, although it’s the fabulous child-friendly ethos that makes this a great choice for families (who make up the vast majority of guests). Childcare and facilities are provided for children of all ages while the new Aquae Sulis spa caters for tired parents.

Nearby, the chic Old Quay House Hotel is more suitable for couples. Overlooking the Fowey Estuary, there are 11 individually decorated bedrooms (choose the penthouse for the views), a wonderful waterside restaurant and relaxed seaside feel. It doesn’t get more quintessentially English than Botelet, a quite wonderful farm offering bed and breakfast, self-catering and yurt camping near Liskeard (around a half hour’s drive from Fowey). Enjoying an idyllic inland setting surrounded by rolling fields, guests can stay in the farmhouse, hire one of the two cottages or sleep in a meadow in one of the two Mongolian yurts.

Best Hotels - Southern Tip

Penzance

Offering both self-catering accommodation and bed and breakfast, Enny’s is a wonderful 18th century farmhouse in the small village of St Hilary near Penzance. Accommodation is spread between the main house and pretty cottages in the grounds. Guests can make use of the heated swimming pool and grass tennis court or explore nearby beaches and attractions like St Michael’s Mount (see Best Sights). Also try the Abbey Hotel in Penzance. Owned by 60s model Jean Shrimpton, its cosy, traditional style will appeal to those who prefer antique-stuffed rooms to clean lines.

Self-catering

Enjoying a truly spectacular location overlooking the craggy Lamorna Bay, The Cove offers 15 sleekly styled self-catering apartments with added extras of a hotel (daily cleaning, concierge, restaurants, room service and shared pool). The apartments sleep between two-four and have a Cornish coastal meets contemporary feel with all the mod cons. Ask for number 14 which comes with its own private garden or number 4 for the view.

St Ives

A contemporary family-run hotel on the edge of St Ives, the Boskerris Hotel has 15 elegantly styled rooms, varying in size but all with a light, airy feel. The views over the ocean are superb and on a balmy summer’s evening, there’s nowhere better than the hotel’s large outdoor terrace. From the team behind the much-loved Felin Fach Griffin in Wales, the Gurnard’s Head in St Ives is a fabulous gastropub with seven rooms. Offering fantastic value, a wonderful menu and relaxed atmosphere, it’s something of a hidden gem.

Best Hotels - North Coast

Padstow and environs

Chef Rick Stein is Padstow and you’ll be unable to escape his influence if you choose to holiday in this part of Cornwall. As well as food, Stein has cornered the market in accommodation with 40 rooms spread between various buildings throughout town including The Seafood Restaurant, Rick Stein’s Café and St Petroc’s Hotel, a small 10 room hotel with views over the estuary and Padstow. The most stylish rooms can be found in St Edmunds House, Prospect House and the one-bedroom Bryn Cottage.

A 15 minute drive from Padstow in Wadebridge you’ll find the newly revamped St Moritz, which has clearly been designed with the weekending urbanite in mind. First opened in the 1930s, the hotel still retains an art-deco feel with a choice of rooms, self-catering apartments and villas, all with flat screen TVs, iPod docking stations and hair straightners. The six-room Cowshed spa (from the Soho House group) is fantastic as is the restaurant from Elliot Ketley who was previously head chef at Soho House, New York and London’s J Sheekey.

Just across the Camel estuary from Padstow lies the infamous Rock. Infamous, if only for the hoards of public school children who descend there for the summer holidays. The child-free would do well to avoid during peak season, but it is a great place for families. Above the village lies the St. Enodoc Hotel with 20 comfortable rooms, an outdoor pool and a restaurant that in June will be taken over by the Michelin-starred Nathan Outlaw.

Bude

One of only three licensed organic bed and breakfasts in the UK Bangors Organic near Bude offers four contemporarily designed bedrooms spread between the main house and adjoining coach house and stables. The breakfasts are fantastic, made with locally-sourced produce while the restaurant uses vegetables grown in Bangors’ garden.

Coming Soon

Opening in August 2009 in Mawgan Porth, The Scarlet is a 37-room hotel with an eco-conscious ethos, ayurvedic spa and restaurant from Michelin award-winning chef Ben Tunnicliffe.

For more quality travel information on this destination, simply buy the full Globalista Report (£15) for Cornwall or St Mawes:

Globalista's Pick of the Press

25 April 2009 - The Times - The great British weekend: Penzance, Cornwall
19 September 2008 - The Guardian - Surfing for food in Cornwall

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