Tucked away near Britain’s southwestern tip, Penzance is frequently overlooked in favour of picture-postcard Cornish towns like nearby St Ives. But those who dismiss do so at their own cost. Unlike some of the county’s more popular tourist traps, it bustles with activity all year round, with a fiercely independent and creative spirit that is quite unlike anywhere else.
Visitors who do venture to this distant part of Cornwall are seldom disappointed with its earthy old seaman’s pubs, exciting restaurant scene, museums, art galleries, stunning subtropical gardens and, of course, the Jubilee Pool, the largest saltwater lido in the UK.
What’s more, it’s the perfect base for exploring Cornwall’s wild west. Marazion and St Michael’s Mount are just three miles to the east; the honeypot fishing village of Mousehole three miles to the south. The pristine beaches of Porthcurno, Sennen and Praa are all within easy reach, as are the charming harbour towns of St Ives and Porthleven.
To help you plan your visit, here are the best places to stay in and around Penzance.
The best hotels in Penzance
At a glance
1. Artist Residence Penzance
If you’re looking to stay somewhere that captures the spirit of Penzance, you could hardly pick a better spot. Vibrant and creative, with more than a touch of eccentricity, the Artist Residence quickly became a firm favourite after taking over a pair of Georgian townhouses on historic Chapel Street back in 2010. Today, its convivial restaurant and bar are frequented by guests and locals, as is the courtyard garden, where live music, games and an outdoor bar draw in the punters at the weekends.
Upstairs, there are 22 rooms scattered throughout its winding corridors, each one quite different from the next, although all have an artfully worn-looking vintage industrial vibe, with sliding warehouse doors, exposed wooden beams, ‘distressed’ furnishings and retro artworks on the walls.
Address: 20 Chapel St, Penzance TR18 4AW
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2. Chapel House
This sleek and stylish boutique hotel occupies another of Chapel Street’s 18th-century houses, although any similarity with the neighbouring Artist Residence ends at the front door. The interiors are gleaming white and contemporary in look, with mid-century modern furnishings, various vibrant works from the Newlyn School of Art, and occasional Georgian accents that stand out all the more amidst their pared-back surroundings.
There are six rooms in the main house, each with its own character and quirks: a couple in the eaves with exposed wooden beams and skylight views; some with free-standing bathtubs and wood-burning stoves. Then there’s a pair of duplex suites in an annexe: each has a bedroom on the ground floor and a living area upstairs, the latter with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Mounts Bay. The hotel doesn’t have a restaurant per se, but does run a Supper Club, with guests and non-residents invited to dine together around one table.
Address: Chapel Street, Penzance, TR18 4AQ
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3. Hotel Penzance
Situated high on a hilltop at the eastern end of town, this elegant Edwardian villa has what could well be the best views of any hotel in Penzance. It’s also handy for the train station, which is just a five-minute walk away. The 25 rooms are simple but inviting, decorated in soothing shades of sea green, with charming vintage railway posters on the walls depicting sunny scenes of Cornish seaside resorts.
There’s an airy restaurant that opens out onto a pleasant dining terrace overlooking Mounts Bay, with a small but punchy menu of hearty dishes, such as chicken roulade, lamb chops, and fresh fish sourced directly from nearby Newlyn Harbour. There’s also a small bar and, perhaps best of all, an open-air pool.
Address: Britons Hill, Penzance, TR18 3AF
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4. The Old Coastguard
A little way down the road from Penzance, on the outskirts of Mousehole, you’ll find The Old Coastguard. This charming seaside hotel fuses Victorian character with New England coastal cool, with breezily painted panelled walls, antiques scattered liberally among the bedrooms and public spaces, and plenty of jaunty nautical touches. Its location makes it the ideal base for exploring what Dylan Thomas described as “the loveliest village in England”, with the idyllic little harbour just a minute’s walk away. Penzance, meanwhile, is a 10-minute drive along the picturesque coast road.
A definite highlight is the palm-fringed garden, which slopes down from the restaurant terrace toward the sea. There are benches scattered about, and an open-air bar where guests and locals mingle in good spirits on balmy summer evenings. The restaurant is also a popular haunt, and has garnered plenty of accolades for its innovative menus.
Address: The Parade, Mousehole, TR19 6PR
Price: From £197.50
Read more: How to visit this popular Cornwall beach town without the crowds
5. The Godolphin
Is this the inn with the best view in England? There can’t be many that can claim better. The Godolphin sits on the waterfront in Marazion, facing directly out towards the looming outcrop of St Michael’s Mount. The vista is extraordinary, and best enjoyed over a plate of top-notch pub fare in the boho-chic Shutters restaurant, or drink in hand on the expansive sun-trap terrace, which juts out over Marazion beach (incidentally a fantastic spot for watersports, and particularly windsurfing).
Some of the hotel’s 10 bedrooms also face out towards the Mount, and the best have private terraces where you can sit and watch the sun set over the bay. The others face towards town, although all are kitted out in equitably comfortable style, with soft beds, mod-cons, and quirky individual design touches (tropical prints, Art Deco furnishings, period Georgian features) that make them pleasant spaces in which to hang out.
Address: West End, Marazion, TR17 0EN
Price: From £96
6. The Gurnard’s Head
Driving across the West Penwith Moors, you’ll find it hard to miss the bright yellow facade of this iconic gastro-pub. With the rugged hills to one side and the blue Atlantic to the other, the location is breathtakingly romantic, albeit quite remote, with Penzance and St Ives roughly six miles away in either direction. Nonetheless, it’s become something of a cult hit over the years, thanks to the quality of the food that comes out of its kitchens. The menu is kept short and simple, but varies from day to day depending on whatever ingredients happen to be available.
Those who wish to combine their meal with an overnight stay have the choice of seven different bedrooms, each one en-suite and all with Vispring beds, Roberts radios, and views of either the moors or the sea.
Address: Nr Zennor, TR26 3DE
Price: From £167.50
