Mr Foodie Pray tell, where’s the best place to stay in Penzance?
Chapel House is a beautiful Georgian townhouse in the centre of the historic Cornish town of Penzance. Built in 1790, the building has been lovingly restored for use as a boutique hotel with rooms given a modern, functional makeover. There are six bedrooms in total, each ensuite and we were reliably informed that it is the best place to stay in Penzance. They are also family and dog-friendly.
Don’t worry if you’ve forgotten to bring something, they stress on their website, as they have a boot room full of spare clothing, flippers, toothbrushes and shaving gear etc.
A warm welcome
There are a number of public areas within the room, two seating rooms, like the one below; a kitchen, which residents are allowed to use; a public toilet; and there’s a raised terrace in the garden too. Check in is from 4pm and we, along with the other guests, were offered homemade cake and tea on arrival. How could we say no?!
It’s the simple things like this which make an impression and make you feel glad you chose to stay here. Not enough hotels greet you like this! The tea was a good strong brew and the cake was moist, fruity and delicious. We were also advised that there is always home made cake in the kitchen for any snackage requirements.
Books
There are a number of bookcases throughout the house with books for you to peruse and even take to your room. Titles are mostly geeky and historical, there’s also plenty of maps, like the four rows of Ordnance Survey maps above, which was ideal for a couple of geeks like us!
The top floor
We stayed in bedroom Four, the first of three in the attic (access via stairs only) and from up here there’s a glass roof providing a unique view over the town below. You may even meet a seagull friend up here, like us!
The view
The view from our bedroom wasn’t half bad either! We had two windows, both looking towards the sea and boats in the harbour below. There was tea and coffee with REAL milk, a bottle of water and magazines, a map and tide times beside the window too.
The bedroom
Our room was light and roomy with mood lighting and pastel shades of green and blue – a definite coastal sea theme.
The bed was large and comfy, our only gripe was the wooden frame which we both weren’t used to so hit against getting in and out the bed, ouch!
There was also a TV with plenty of channels, WiFi, a hairdryer, seating, a radio, a pure alpaca throw across the bed and a mini iPad with information on the local area. Should you want ‘room service’ you can contact staff via FaceTime! But, that’s not all, look in the far corner for the main highlight of the room…
Bath goals!
For there is a bath, the one you’ve been waiting all your life for! Large and curved – once you get in you may not want to get back out!
The ensuite
But if a bath isn’t your thing then not to worry as there’s also a walk-in shower with 2 shower heads, including rainfall / waterfall; robes; slippers; and Pure lemongrass soap, citrus zing shower gel and ylang-ylang & lime hair cleaner and conditioner.
Breakfast
Gather around this table for breakfast. in the mornings there’s a selection of healthy smoothies, juices, pastries, bread, cereals and tea & coffee of course.
For hot food, I had avocado, sourdough toast, bacon and a poached egg while the Mrs had a bacon sandwich. We didn’t want to eat too much as we had a lunch reservation at Mount Haven, just outside of Penzance.
The verdict
Chapel House provides a relaxed, informal place to stay in Penzance. It’s within walking distance of pretty much anywhere you’d want to visit. We had a great night’s sleep in the comfortable bed and both the bath and shower were excellent. The tea and cake on arrival was a lovely touch. Breakfast looked impressive but unfortunately we only sampled a few things due to having a lunch engagement. The breakfast was still filling, we were struggling to create some tummy space even by lunchtime!
We were also happy to see a house with as many books as ours! The weather was patchy when we visited so unfortunately we didn’t get to sit out in the garden. Would we stay here again, yes, absolutely yes, even if just to leaf through some of the books again!
You can dine at Chapel House but should you want to eat elsewhere staff will be happy to suggest somewhere. We ate the Shore, which is less than 10-minutes awalk away and is highly recommended, especially if you love seafood.
Also in the local area…
Quirky Chapel Street
Further up the hill, there are some unusual finds, including The Egyptian House and a ship with Flat Eric of Mr.Oizo fame and a Dalek from Dr Who (sadly not for sale!) in the window. There’s also a number of pubs. We had a few drinks at The Turks Head Inn, the oldest pub in Penzance which sells real ale and a number of Cornish gins. Admiral Benbow the closest pub to Chapel House looked worth a visit too.
Jubilee Pool
A 5-minute walk down the hill you will find the Jubilee Pool Penzance, an art deco lido which is still in use today should you want a swim. There’s a cafe here too.
Location
Chapel House, Chapel St, Penzance, Cornwall TR18 4AQ
Booking / Contact
Room rates are from £150 B&B To book call 07810020617 or 01736362024, or email hello@chapelhousepz.co.uk
Website: chapelhousepz.co.uk
Getting there
We arrived by car and were able to park just outside where there is limited space so if you’re last to check-in then you may need to park a bit further away but it’s free to park on the nearby streets. Note that Chapel Street is one way only.
Penzance also has a railway station which is only a 10-minute walk away.
TL;DR
+ Attractive bedroom and communal areas
+ Welcome tea and cake
+ Massive bath, rainfall / waterfall shower
+ Lots of fresh breakfast choices
+ Fresh milk provided
+ FaceTime for room service is a great idea!
+ Loads of books to peruse
+ Ideal location for Jubilee pool, pubs and restaurants
– Limited parking outside
– Communal eating area may not suit everyone
– watch out for the edge of the bed, ouch!
Disclaimer: we received a complimentary one night stay.
