Chapel House PZ

Rooms

All 6 bedrooms are bathed in light, decorated in sea tones, and have views of the sea - in most cases, to Mount’s Bay and the Lizard beyond.

Décor is immaculate, a blend of period and contemporary. Renovated floorboards have been painted white, and topped with rugs. Large Georgian windows are shuttered and sashed, enormous beds have been hand-crafted from oak, there are easy chairs and sofas in beautiful colours, and if your child needs a spare bed, chances are it will be an Ercol.

Bedrooms 1, 2 and 3 are on the first floor, cleanly furnished with elegant antiques; Room 2 has a wood-burner. Rooms 4, 5 and 6 are more contemporary in feel, set on the top floor beneath the rafters, where a glass dormer gives views to the harbour, and the church tower above. Room 5 has no curtains or blinds, as "the views are too good to cover up". Happily, it still gives plenty of privacy plus you can sit in bed and watch the sun rise. Room 6 is a real wow, with a free-standing bath under a sliding glass roof so you can enjoy a soak beneath the stars.

The attention to detail is second to none: fresh flowers and nice bevvies, even shaving kits. Smart TVs and tea/coffee-making facilities are yours if requested, and each room has an iPad which includes Facetime for room service and a hand-picked selection of walks, beaches, galleries, pubs and eateries - brilliant.

Bed linen is crisp, mattresses deep and bathrooms are exquisite. All are stocked with locally-made soaps and big white towels, deep tubs and/or waterfall showers.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• WiFi

Eating

Keen cook Susan is mad about fresh produce and offers you Cornwall’s finest. We loved our breakfast. It is served at chunky tables in the sleek basement kitchen-dining room, where coffee, tea and scrumptious cake is on tap all day. Tuck into Greek yogurt, just-squeezed juices, artisan breads and warm pastries, along with local preserves and homemade smoothies, sizzled cods' roes (a west Cornish speciality), smoked haddock, buttered samphire, and eggs any way you want them. If you're feeling lazy, light breakfasts - breads and pastries or hot breakfast sandwiches - can be brought to your room.

Other meals on offer are Sunday brunch, Sunday lunch (roast or vegetarian) and Monday-Saturday Kitchen Suppers, served communally around a big table. On sunny days you can eat in the walled garden and hotel guests get a free pre-dinner drink. Expect a short menu designed around seasonal Cornish produce: lobster, scallops, bowls of crab ravioli, risottos, bouillabaisse, cheeses, bread and butter pudding… The wines flow and the food is a treat.

For a change of scene, cross the road to the Cornish Barn at Artist Residence for small sharing plates, cocktails and a buzzy vibe or visit the Admiral Benbow for traditional pub grub.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Communal dining
• Dinner by arrangement
• Kids' meals
• Organic produce
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Away from tourist mayhem, Penzance is a lovely little town to walk around, with subtropical gardens, a reinvigorated Art Deco lido and a breezy prom. Chapel Street is its most historic, all period frontages, quirky galleries, and the jolly Admiral Benbow pub
  
• Walk the coastal path from St Ives to tiny Zennor (6 miles) then stagger into the Tinner’s Arms. Enjoy a really good lunch by a crackling log fire or tuck into crab sandwiches in the garden overlooking the sea
  
• For first-timers, the picturesque fishing town and harbour of Mousehole and the tidal island castle of St. Michael's Mount are must-sees
  
• The Minack is a cliffside theatre (bring all-weather togs) with breathtaking views, whose first performance in 1932 was lit by batteries and car headlamps. If there are no performances during your stay, you can tour the stage and visitors' centre
  
• Just below the Minack are the white sands and turquoise waters of Porthcurno - heaven on earth
  
• Two miles from Penzance are the sub-tropical Tremenheere Gardens, among the loveliest in Cornwall. Find trees, streams, sculptures, James Turrell’s Skyspace, a ‘camera obscura’, an excellent restaurant and, from the top, views of Mount’s Bay
  
• Zip across the Penwith Peninsula to Sennen Cove, a vast sweep of sands just north of Land’s End with a café and a surf school. En route, drop in on the village of St Just and the 'last proper pub in Cornwall', the Star Inn: no food, no telly, just crisps, coal fires and great ales (great on a stormy day)
  
• Tie in with one of Chapel House’s demo cooking events or foraging weekends

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cooking classes
• Foraging
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Plantlife / flora
• Shopping / markets
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Theatre

Kids

Parents and children are warmly welcomed at Chapel House. The kitchen/breakfast room is stocked with complimentary teas, coffee and cake. There are books, games and colouring things for rainy days.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years)

Family friendly accommodation:

All bedrooms are big, with lots of space for a baby cot (all rooms) or rollaway bed (Rooms 4 & 6). All bar one (Room 5) have a bath. Rooms 4, 5 and 6 can be taken together to create a family suite with a large sofa’d landing. Kids will love the in-room iPads! Note, there are no twin rooms

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Shops: 1 minute

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Chapel House is in the heart of Penzance, on Cornwall’s southern coast. It's a short walk from the harbour, if you're combining it with a trip to the Isles of Scilly.

By Air:
The nearest airport is Newquay (64km), but you'll find more flights to Exeter (188km). Transfers aren't available and taxis are expensive, so we'd recommend hiring a car if you fly in. There's gated parking nearby.

By Car:
Penzance is just off the A30, the main road through Cornwall. It's 5 hours from London and 3.5 hours from Bristol.

By Train
There are regular trains to Penzance from London, Bristol and elsewhere in the UK. The station is a 10-minute stroll downhill, or a short taxi ride.

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.