A great love for St Ives infects folk from all echelons of society. Some save their pennies diligently for access to this seaside charmer, and with it some of the best beaches in the UK (Porthmeor, Porthwidden, Porthminster and Harbour Beach), while some spare no expense and visit many times a year. So there’s a down-to-earth mix of people sharing the soft, golden sandy beaches along this stretch of north Cornwall. Because of its broad popularity, the best places to stay in St Ives include an extremely broad range of accommodation options from campsites out of town, to guesthouses, B&Bs, inns, pubs-with-rooms, spa hotels and upscale luxury resorts.

St Ives used to be a fishing village, and its charming, historic part, the bit between the beautifully bobbing harbour, and the near-perfect arc of Porthmeor Beach, is a wonderful warren of old stone cottages, with lichen-pocked slate roofs and whitewashed facades. You’ll find some of the best places to stay in St Ives here, along with numerous holiday lets and artists’ studios, galleries and minimalist delis. Just behind Porthmeor Beach is the wonderful white façade of the Tate St Ives, and behind, and above, the Tate are more B&Bs and Barnoon Hill and the Barbara Hepworth Gallery. St Ives has a long, long history of being loved by artists – it’s still a wonderful place for artists and art lovers today.

If you’re hoping for a lively time, the best places to stay in St Ives are probably those found close to the harbour, which is also were you’ll find cobbled lanes of boutique shops, galleries, cafes, bars and restaurants. But if you’re looking for peace and quiet to accompany your appreciation of the near-magical shades of watery blue off this section of coastline, then you’re more likely to find your idea of the best places to stay in St Ives overlooking Carbis Bay, just around the headland from the harbour. Carbis Bay is about a half an hour walk from central St Ives, along a very pretty coastal path. Whoever you are, and why ever you love St Ives, or are interested in seeing if you love St Ives, it’s worth visiting the Tate – even if it’s just to visit the café and incredible sun deck. St Ives also has a maritime museum, a sculpture garden, and an old fashioned amusement park.

The Best Places to stay in St Ives

For a Beach Break

• Despite the very Cornish name, Pedn Olva is a clifftop hotel with a distinctly Mediterranean feel to its 30 rooms and relaxed terrace restaurant. Built into the headland, just along from St Ives Bay, this hotel is a modern build with large windows in each of the rooms. There are a number of good family options, from suites to rooms with bunk beds, and the restaurant is friendly, with a family-friendly menu. The pool is right up against the cliffs overlooking the water. Our Gurus recommend the balcony rooms, and the ones with roll-top baths right in front of water-view windows.

For Water Views

• The Primrose Valley Hotel is nine room hotel, converted from a compact, Edwardian-built house on the hill that rises up from Porthminster Beach. The redesign of this charming house has squared off the some of the edges and opened out spaces, so that the whole places feels light and airy. It’s decorated in neutral colours and contemporary country style. No restaurant, but you’re right in the heart of lively St Ives.
• The Boskerris is a sophisticated seaside hotel, with 15 rooms and suites - the best with views out over Carbis Bay, and a wonderful sun terrace. The light, refreshing, contemporary décor has an air of the Mediterranean. Take your sundowners on the terrace – from which you can see Virginia Woolfe’s lighthouse, and your breakfasts, afternoon teas and suppers in the dining room, from a small, regularly changing menu.

For a Beach Resort Vibe

• The St Ives Harbour Hotel is a luxurious choice positioned just above Porthminster Beach, with sea views from some of the rooms, and from the terraces, bar, restaurant, pool and garden. The hotel has 52 rooms and suites, smartly decorated in whites with bold coloured accents. If you appreciate a spa and gym on holiday, then the St Ives Harbour Hotel is a good option for you, it’s got other resort-vibe facilities, like a sauna and fine dining restaurant too. Ideal for a relaxing treat.
• The Carbis Bay Hotel is a luxurious resort hotel overlooking the many shades of blue of Carbis Bay. Its 47 rooms and suites vary a great deal in size, from generously proportioned rooms, to vast suites, and apartment-sized family suites. All are decorated with individual charm, and high quality contemporary furniture. Most of the rooms have incredible views, and some of them are absolutely spectacular, with floor to ceiling windows directly overlooking the beach and bay. Some of the rooms have private hot tubs, some roll-top baths set in front of huge sea-view windows. There are resort-standard facilities onsite, including a watersports club, a spa and gym, and a choice of six dining options.

For Romantics

• West by Five is a stylishly nautical guesthouse, converted from an Edwardian terraced townhouse in a central spot close to the harbour and the Barbara Hepworth Gallery. There are just four guestrooms, all with large bathrooms and fantastic sea views. The breakfast room is light and airy – and indulgent breakfasts are served here, and there are plenty of places to sit and relax, inside and out.
• Headland House is a boutique-style B&B with fabulous sea views over Carbis Bay, and a friendly welcome. This seven room option is just around the scoop of the bay from central St Ives, in a quieter spot, but a very pleasant stroll from the busiest part of town, where you can find the majority of cafes, bars and restaurants. Each of the rooms has been individually decorated, and some have fancy roll-top baths. Breakfast is generous, and there’s a well-stocked honesty bar for your evening tipple, which you may want to enjoy in the pretty courtyard.

For Families

• Una St Ives is a collection of eco-villas, cottages and lodges in a patch of flat, green countryside just outside of St Ives. There are 29 little ‘homes’, with a choice of one, two, three or four bedrooms, arranged so that the larger properties have plenty of privacy. With natural wood-cladding on the outside, and Scandi-esque interiors – that incorporate fully-equipped kitchens, dining and living spaces, these are stylishly modern places to stay. Because this is a little holiday complex there are holiday facilities onsite, like pools and a spa, a gym, and a casual restaurant.
• The Gannet Inn is a small, chic inn in Carbis Bay. Its 20 rooms have been individually decorated, with contemporary, minimal style, neutral colours and a preference for fabrics with animals printed on them. Rooms range in size and features from ‘Cosy’ to ‘Quirky’, but all are comfortable. The bar and restaurant are stylish and comfortable too, and serve hearty, British cuisine.

Best Pubs-with-Rooms

• The seaside might not seem like the perfect match for pub-with-rooms accommodation? Sand and fireplaces don’t spring together in one’s mind easily? but The Queens Hotel is a surprisingly good match, even in the sunniest weather – and it’s perfectly cosy when the weather starts to squall. The pub and restaurant downstairs are light and airy, decorated with a mix of old and new, with a menu packed with locally sourced goodies. Upstairs there are ten rooms, also light and airy, with white walls, exposed beams and works by local artists. Chic and friendly, with places to store your bike, and your surfboard.
• The Lifeboat Inn is right up against the harbour wall of St Ives, overlooking the pretty bobbing of boats, and the water with its changing hues. This is a small pub, but a nice one, with a friendly atmosphere and an easily pleasing-you-menu with lots of seafood dishes. And upstairs there are seven rooms and suites including family rooms with bunk beds and family apartments with self-catering facilities, and beds for four. Expect sea views and contemporary country style.

Best B&Bs

• Trevose Harbour House is a nautical-inspired B&B with wonderful views of the Cornish coastline. It has just six rooms, all of them stylishly decorated by someone with a good eye for mid-century furniture, and using colours reminiscent of the sky and water of St Ives. The breakfasts are all organic and locally sourced, and there’s an honesty bar in the charming snug. It would be difficult to stay closer to the harbour without risking getting your feet wet.
• 3 Porthminster is a charming, four room B&B in St Ives, close to the large car park on the hill overlooking the bay and harbour. 3 Porthminster is just a short downhill stroll to the beach, and to all of St Ives’ café, bars, restaurants and boutiques. Our Gurus appreciated the summery colour scheme in the four rooms: predominantly white, with pops of summer yellows and ocean blues. Breakfast is an indulgent affair, served in a light and airy breakfast room. No children, so the atmosphere can be quite romantic.
• Storm in a Teacup is six room B&B on the hill above the Tate St Ives, with stylish, contemporary décor and an arty edge. Some of the rooms are laid out for families, with bunk beds as well as a large double, and it’s just the right distance from the centre of town for it to be peaceful, but also within an easy walk. And guests are just 550yards from Porthmeor Beach.

Prefer a Private Apartment or Cottage?

• If you'd prefer the privacy of a self-catering option then browse through the wide variety available online with our partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• The closest airport to St Ives is Cornwall Airport Newquay, which is about 50minutes away by car or taxi, or three and a half to four hours by public transport. Exeter and Bristol Airport are some the other local alternatives, Exeter is about two hours away by road, or about four hours by public transport, and Bristol Airport is about three hours away by car or taxi, or six hours by public transport. If you’re travelling via London trains leave from Paddington, and the quickest journeys change in Hayle, and take about five and a half hours. Making London’s airports comparatively convenient too.
• If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• St Ives is busiest in the summer, when many families beat a school-holiday path to a gorgeous, golden sandy beach within driving distance. But, while many of the best beach-side properties in St Ives are holiday lets, this town has plenty of life to it out of season. The Tate St Ives, and the Barbara Hepworth Museum are big draws, but the boutique-y shops, friendly cafes, and numerous cafes and restaurants, make this a wonderful year-round destination. And the balance of sunshine and rain errs on the side of sunshine every month, so there’s a great chance you’ll be visiting on a sunny day even if you visit in the dead of winter. Our Gurus do remind you never to travel anywhere in the UK without wet weather gear, though.

Still not sure where to stay?

• You could expand your search to include all the best places to stay in Cornwall?
• or expand your search just beyond St Ives, to include neighbours, like the best places to stay in Penzance, Zennor, Mousehole or Marazion?
• Or you could refine your search by the type of accommodation you’re looking for? And consider the best hotels in Cornwall for families? Cornwall’s best pubs-with-rooms? the most romantic hotels in Cornwall? Or Cornwall’s best sea view hotels?
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.