St Ives Bay Hotel

I booked for one night at a good price despite the awful reviews, and actually had a great stay. For an extra £12 I got an upgrade to room 32, a small double with a sea view, and it was worth it. The room was modest but comfortable, in nice order, with cracking views and a little balcony overlooking Porthminster beach. The bathroom was clean, the linen was good and the bed was very comfortable. Breakfast was very nice, with a choice of hot food served at the table. Reviews are fair that the hotel is past its best overall, though the upgraded ground floor areas are very nice. Reception staff said the new owners (Saudi) have big plans to turn it into a luxury hotel with spa facilities, relatively soon after their sister hotel in St Mawes completes in June '26. That helps explain why the upper floors are tired, as other reviews mention. Make the most of this grand old lady while you can still afford to stay here!

The view over Porthminster Beach was stunning, and the beds were new, with clean sheets and towels. The bathroom also looked recently updated. But the rest of our room had grubby carpet and purple walls that could give you a headache. We were a family of five with our small dog, staying one night. The entrance had shabby paint and rubbish piled to the side, though the receptionist was helpful. On the third floor the carpets were threadbare, the paintwork poor and the decor clashed. The floors creaked, and a care-home-like smell completed the haunted hotel feel. Breakfast was a disappointment: poor-quality bacon, suspicious sausages, beans, chopped tomatoes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast, croissants and cereal. The coffee tasted like instant granules. The waiter was lovely and set us up with our dog in the other room. The location is prime, but it felt poor value, and the night had plenty of “did that floor just move?!” moments. This place badly needs a full refurbishment or a total rebuild. We survived, but wouldn’t return.

Our family room was spacious, the beds were very comfortable and everything was clean. The decor is dated, but the staff were lovely and the view was wonderful. We were apprehensive after reading the previous reviews, so came away pleasantly surprised. This is a friendly, comfortable place with easy access to St Ives town centre. If you’re after luxury, 5* accommodation, it isn’t for you.

The view is hard to beat, and we had no trouble with noise even though our room was by the main walkway between the stairs. Maybe the off-season helped. There are good walks nearby. The room was okay once we got used to the smell, but there was a strange oily stain on the curtains, silverfish in the bathroom sink and water stains on the wall. For a premium room there was only one pillow each. We didn’t have enough toilet roll or tea and coffee supplies, and I didn’t like the single-use plastic cups. Still, it’s a roof over your head.