Luxury Boutique Hotel: St Ives Harbour Hotel

The St Ives Harbour Hotel located overlooking Porthminster beach just stones throw away from St Ives town, is a luxury boutique hotel which boasts stylish decor and impressive coastal views. A true seaside escape with recently refurbished facilities - the St Ives Harbour Hotel is St Ives most chic hotel.

Part of the luxury Harbour Hotels group, the St Ives Harbour Hotel is clearly expected to be of high standards. The hotel recently undertook a refurbishment and a brand change from The Porthminster Hotel to its swankier name of St Ives Harbour Hotel. With contemporary colour schemes and classy bold interiors, the hotel definitely makes a statement. You’re never too far from the sounds of the waves or the views of the white sandy beach below. Like tropical beaches in the Caribbean, the water at Porthminster turns turquoise when the sun shines, as if a spell has been made.

We were shown to our room, one of their incredible Sea View Suites. At 35 square meters the sea view suite is the St Ives Harbour Hotel’s largest rooms with additional seating areas, living room and a balcony which boasts views to Porthminster. It’s the little luxuries that make a big difference - we made ourselves at home whilst we sipped on complimentary gin and sherry in our bath robes. The photos don’t do it justice.

One thing that stood out for me at the St Ives Harbour Hotel is the friendliness and willingness of the staff. Every member of staff that we encountered was extremely happy to answer any questions and made us feel like royalty. When I arrived I explored the hotel and quickly discovered that a wedding was to take place the following day - honestly, the hotel is such an incredible wedding venue and we actually got a glimpse of the wedding guests celebrating with drinks on the lawn under the blue skies.

One of my favourite things in life is books - especially coffee table books. I know, totally weird but I adore flicking through them and appreciating the words and carefully chosen photography. The St Ives Harbour Hotel has a lounge area for guests to sit back and relax as another option over the bar and terrace. I absolutely ADORED this room. With coffee table books spread over every surface I could have easily spent all day there, spoilt by words in Vogue and the surrounding deep blue interior. Josh found it hard to pull me away from that room.

The St Ives Harbour Hotel also has a restaurant and bar area which welcomes both hotel and day guests. A great date spot, we sipped on delicious cocktails whilst enjoying the view of the waves roll in below. In 2018 I had attended the hotel’s launch party for the HarbBar and fell in love with the bright red colour palette and marble surfaces.

After a few cosmopolitans and wines, we made our way across to the restaurant. To start, Josh and I both enjoyed the crab chowder, laughing at how we never go to a restaurant without picking the same dish (seafood lovers right there). The best soup dish that I have ever tasted.

For our main course, I decided to go for the Cornish sole coated in brown shrimp butter - faultlessly presented, it tasted just as good as it looked. Josh took full advantage of the steak options and tucked into a fillet teamed with a side of fries and peppercorn sauce. We shared a vanilla cheesecake for desert, despite being completely full. Federico, the lovely GM also sent over some chocolate and strawberries for us to take back to the room - a kind gesture as everyone knows that the little things go a long way.

Wander down the street beside the hotel and you’ll find yourself in Cornwall’s most loved seaside town, St Ives. We decided to stay in the hotel and enjoy its facilities on the first night but made our way into the town the following day. Home to cute boutique shops, bakeries that produce freshly baked goods and many bars and restaurants, St Ives is a great town to visit for a staycation. We explored the cobbled streets and treated ourselves to our favourite lunch at Talay Thai, the best Thai restaurant in Cornwall!

After filling our stomachs with king prawns and pad thai we made our way down the steps and onto the beach. The tide was out which meant that we could walk from one side to the other, enjoying the views to the lighthouse and boat jetty. We’ve recently been so lucky with the weather and that day was no exception - St Ives looked truly tropical and I managed to take the best photos that I’ve ever captured of the seaside town.

Perching against the cliffside and away from the wind, we soaked up the last remaining sun rays before heading back to the hotel for an evening at the St Ives Harbour Hotel HarSpa.

The HarSpa at The St Ives Harbour Hotel is complimentary to hotel guests and open at a charged price for day guests. The luxury spa features a heated swimming pool, hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room and fitness suite. The HarSpa is such a great spa for relaxation - it’s the kind of place where you don’t have to worry about being in peoples way or for being there for too long - the HarSpa had plenty of lounge chairs and also outside decking.

I was truly spoilt and also enjoyed a 55 minute full body massage by the lovely Lucy. Harbour Hotels also have their own brand of products made from natural and holistic remedies. Lucy took me into the relaxation room and went through the procedures and what I was looking for from a treatment. I normally opt for relaxing massages so this time I switched it up with an “uplifting” one. The following day I could really feel where the knots in my back had been broken down!

The St Ives Harbour Hotel is a true coastal escape. If you’re looking for a slice of luxury just stones throw away from Cornwall’s most loved seaside town, then this is the hotel for you. A huge thank you to the wonderful team at St Ives Harbour Hotel for making our stay so unforgettable.

*Our full stay was complimentary but all opinions are my own - we absolutely loved the St Ives Harbour Hotel and recommend it to anyone looking for a luxury escape to Cornwall.