Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Carbis Bay Estate garners praise for its pristine cleanliness and stylish, comfortable atmosphere, with many guests appreciating the well-maintained rooms and lively ambiance enriched by live music. While the hotel's luxurious amenities, such as the spa and dining options, are often celebrated, some travelers question the value, citing room quality and service as areas that sometimes fall short.
The hotel's location is consistently lauded for breathtaking beachfront views and easy access to local attractions, although the room placement and facility layout have faced minor criticism. Guests have also called out the attentive and helpful staff, even though the service can occasionally be inconsistent.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Stylish
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Lavish
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The Carbis Bay Hotel is the epitome of a luxury coastal resort in the UK, truly outstanding on every level. My mum and I stayed for a week in a beach lodge and the experience was phenomenal ! The accommodation itself is perfectly situated just a couple of yards from the beach with relaxing sound of rolling waves ever present through open widows and the huge sliding door. Inside the furnishings are superb, the lighting and heating easily controlled in rooms or zones, the bathrooms are all of a high end finish and each room /floor seems to be fully soundproofed inside and , if that wasn’t enough, there is also a roof terrace with jacuzzi that looks directly out to sea.
The Hotel itself has been beautifully restored and proudly displays photographs and letters from its historic past . Together the whole resort is small enough to feel exclusive but large enough to contain a spa, pool, 4 restaurants and a deli, all of which serve excellent food and all set within beautifully landscaped pathways and gardens. The whole experience was added to in spades by the genuinely friendly and thoughtful staff, in particular Jamie-Lee who’s help and warm welcome was much appreciated on the stormy night we arrived and our amazing concierge, Paul, who quite honestly could not have been more open, helpful and kind throughout our stay . Hats off to you both for adding some ‘je ne sais quoi’ and making our stay perfect !
T
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Avoid large 4x4s - coast line is steep and lanes are narrow.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Attended here for our anniversary. 2 nights booked for a superior room. Upon arrival we were upgraded to a luxury apartment complete with private car parking space and two storey apartment with patio overlooking the beach. We were welcomed by staff who showed us around the hotel. The beach was stunning, minute walk from the apartment. Decorated beautifully and everything of a high quality. Breakfast was good, could have been a little better. Great selection of beverages in the bar and resonantly priced. Afternoon team tea was delicious and of a good size. Views from the conservatory were stunning. Complimentary access to the spa and robes provided in our room. I would say that the spa was a slight let down. One sauna pod which was not very hot, the heated pool was quite cold considering how warm we were told it was, no steam room and no other amenities apart from a small heated pool. The available jacuzzi is the other side of the estate on the beach and can be used for a separate charge. There is a relaxation room and waiting area downstairs where the reception and nail area is. Small changing rooms and separate treatment rooms. I would not pay to use the spa on its own. The relaxation room has a champagne bar, glass is used instead of plastic here. Signs requesting glass not taken outside, but ignored. Glass champagne flute taken into heated pool and smashed. Unable to use that for the rest of the evening. Food in the restaurant was superb, we ate in the sands. Braid yo three course menu. Staff are fantastic, polite and knowledgeable. Very welcoming and helpful. The estate is stunning, close to the beach and woodland walks that all part of the estate itself. 100% will come back in the future. I would say the main hotel is not very child friendly, we saw a lot advertised and did not have kids with us, but I would imagine they would be better off out of the main hotel during a stay in a cottage, lodge or apartment.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CatherineD3617, Front Office Manager at Carbis Bay Estate
Responded 14 Feb 2020
Thank you for your 5 star review and we are delighted you enjoyed your accommodation and dining experience. We note your comments on our spa. We can assure you, children are most welcome and really enjoy all our holiday activities and of course, they adore our beach! We hope you will come back soon. Best regards,
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Reception was excellent. We were shown to our room and around the hotel. The room had recently been refurbished and was excellent. The shower room was spotless (Though a shelf to put the soap would be useful). The room was nicely decorated and the tablet provided all the relevant information. The seating area was comfortable and almost provided views of the beach. The bath in the middle of the room beside a plan glass window was rather odd. The proximity to the beach is great for a bracing January walk, though access could be better signposted. We enjoyed afternoon refreshments in the conservatory with view across Hayle bay. The staff were all efficient and well trained but lacked any engagement. We were booked into the Restaurant for Dinner with an allowance of £30 per head. That didn't get us very far! We only had 2 courses and had to top up the allowance. The food was lovely but very expensive for what was essentially soup followed by fish and chips (£35). Breakfast (for what would have been £25 each) was very poor. The "full English" wouldn't feed a seagull - 1 sausage, 1 slice fo bacon, 1 egg, 1/2 Tomato and 1 small mushroom. The choices of cereals was limited and most importantly nothing was labelled (Allergies anyone!). The location is great. The room was great but the overpriced restaurant let the experience down. An alternative dining option should be considered - perhaps a bar meal - but to have no option apart from fine dining seems very odd. We would return but only on a room only basis.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CatherineD3617, Front Office Manager at Carbis Bay Estate
Responded 26 Jan 2020
Dear Neil, We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your accommodation and our location. Our Restaurant is 2-AA Rosetted and much appreciated generally by our guests. We do offer different possibilities for dining, having our Beach Club Restaurant on the beach and our Gannet Inn, for a more traditional British menu, which may be more to your taste. We hope you will return,as you mention, before too long. Best regards,
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Arrived 30th Dec, for 3-night NYE stay. Parking is a lottery, the public visiting the beach use it. We paid just under £1300 for 3 nights B&B, with dinner and trimmings for NY.
A young, small framed female offered to show us to our room. Our car was parked 100 yds away AND up a serious incline. She offered to help with the bags, (enough for 3 nights, inc NYE + walking attire), not sure I felt comfortable agreeing (being a bloke) so I declined and made the trips myself. Why weren’t the parking bays reserved? Why didn’t they use the golf buggy parked up?
The staff seemed to be at odds with each other, hotel & spa staff don’t communicate...difficult getting dry robes after using the spa. When using the spa we were not offered water/alcohol, etc.
The meal, after queuing for drinks, on three occasions (we were never offered drinks whilst using the lounge) we alerted the restn't mgr that we’d arrived! No one approached or showed us a menu!
An hour later, we rec'd our starter...it wasn’t good, but hey one starter doesn’t define any establishment.
Main course: Having hunted for the salt & pepper for seasoning, (accepting no rosette restaurant will actually provide any (I get that)), we continued. Quite what we ate, I’ve no idea. Saffron potatoes? Really? Tepid/tough/textured/dried out, ghastly.
The staff don’t engage, they just serve. Fine I guess, but with much of the decor, it’s clinical, austere & lacks personality. It’s sterile. You’re made to feel as if you’re being “processed”.
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Date of stay: December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CatherineD3617, Front Office Manager at Carbis Bay Estate
Responded 10 Jan 2020
Following your comments, you will know that we have indeed spoken directly to you and discussed further whilst you were staying and we were able to ensure you enjoyed the remainder of your visit, which has been confirmed. We appreciate your further comment and recommendation for a nice stay, thank you so much. Best regards,
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Situated right on the beach it was a stunning location and breakfast was overlooking the beach and St Ives, the rooms were clean and very pleasant staff were always on hand to assist when required. The food was excellent in the beach hut restaurant which gave an excellent choice of meals, the 1894 I found disappointing and not good value We managed to get a deal on the stay through secret escapes and would definitely do this again . The rooms were very good, clean and comfortable however at the time of our stay the spa was only available to those paying for extra services Overall a very enjoyable and comfy stay
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Date of stay: September 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Catherine Duffey, Guest Services / Front Office at Carbis Bay Estate
Responded 19 Sept 2020
We are pleased to learn you enjoyed your stay, thank you. We do hope you will visit us again. Best regards,
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Don’t be fooled by the hype, except for the superlative location. Without going into detail, this hotel has so much potential but it falls miserably short in reality. I am afraid that a fabulous location, architecture and soft furnishings doth not maketh a luxury hotel. A hotel needs to run a tight ship with consistent standards. I do not expect to need to complain about the room being left dirty following cleaning. Nor did I wish to spend £400 per night overheating in a room without air con and with a view of the kitchen extractor with stereo sound. You did offer me other rooms, but without access to air, until I opted for a miniature room - where you couldn’t open the door to the shower room without knocking into the 5ft bed- but which had a door onto a terrace facing the sea. So we tolerated, cramped conditions, cracked tiles, pencil marks on ceiling and rusty bathroom furniture to have some quiet ventilation and a great sea view. The view was much appreciated but the patchy service and overpriced poor food was not. So, after trying three restaurants, including the Sister Gannet Inn, we voted with our feet and, to our delight, found a hidden gem five minutes away. UNA a small inland resort served marvellous fresh food at nearly a third of the price in smart Scandinavian style. Instead of the dry, hard lump of fish served in all Carbis Bay hotel restaurants, I feasted on succulent, flaky oven baked Fresh Cornish hake. Shame on you at CBH for expecting your high paying guests to eat such sub standard fare. We also had a delicious takeout from a great nearby Spanish restaurant which had been too busy to dine in. Then we went to a local popular fish and chippy for honest, tasty fish and chips in basic surroundings at a mere fraction of the cost, and where our party of eleven could dine together. My mother always said that the test of a good chef was whether they could make a decent scrambled egg or omelet. Well, the solid, lumpy and dry scrambled eggs, served twice in a row despite my requests to have it cooked properly, says it all. You are promised luxury and comfort but the lack of transparency is startling. One of the reasons for choosing CBH was the outdoor pool. We arrived to find it closed - no notice, no apology. The beach may be privately owned, but they don’t tell you it is open to the public! The joy of this stunning location is, in part, eclipsed by the shortcomings of this establishment. Shortcomings that could so easily be fixed by better management and an ambition to give your best rather than seek to gain the most. The greed of this hotel is palpable.
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Date of stay: August 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Catherine Duffey, Guest Services / Front Office at Carbis Bay Estate
Responded 28 Aug 2020
We note your comments; however, some have been raised with the site provider as not being appropriate in this context. Best regards,
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We have recently stayed at this hotel for one night with a secret escape deal.
Despite requesting a sea view room before we arrived, we were allocated a room facing out the back of the hotel right by the door leading to stairs, so not only did we have absolutely no view (and let’s face it that’s why you would choose the hotel), but we were also constantly disturbed by people walking past banging the fire door.
The room we were given was ok but small. For the money they expect for it it’s quite basic - no fancy teas/coffees, biscuits, mini bar, fridge. When we did look out the window we could literally see right into the room over to the right and they would easily be able to see into ours, so we had to keep the curtains closed most of the time for a bit of privacy. The bed was quite noisy too.
Then food was nice but overly priced. We ate in the Sands Restaurant and had £30 food credit each as part of the deal but this barely covered the main course. The food itself tasted good but was quite pretentious and the portions were very small - I had lemon tart for dessert which was literally a 2” rectangle of the tart, a small scoop of ice cream and what was described as ‘citrus soup’ but was literally a shot glass of water with lemon squeezed in it - perhaps we’re just not posh enough to appreciate it.
The spa area was nice and over looked the sea, so although it’s not covered it’s well heated, you had a lovely view. I guess this is the one area where you wouldn’t mind spending more money to enjoy.
Overall not worth the money they expect you to pay for it, especially if you haven’t got a good deal and if you’re in a back facing room.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Catherine Duffey, Owner at Carbis Bay Estate
Responded 26 Feb 2020
We have many different options on accommodation and are always happy to discuss and resolve any issues at the time. We hope you might visit again when you could try our Gannet Inn restaurant which may be more to your taste. It is good to hear you enjoyed our Spa. Best regards,
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We were looking forward to a luxury break but had a disappointing stay. Good points - comfy bed, good shower/bathroom, great view and location. Downside (based on £400 per night stay B&B) - told room had been sanitised, but phone was grubby room dusty in places, chipped glasses (small issues but expected better). The hotel is being refurbished around guests, pool is under construction, not shown or mentioned on websites, facilities in the main house mostly closed off. Beach is lovely but definitely not private with daily influx of visiting public, no beach towels available told due to Covid?? No tea/coffee making facilities in room (again told due to Covid??) We could get complimentary tea/coffee from room service in disposable cups though! Main restaurant with sea view was fully booked every evening but manage to get a table on our last evening through sheer perseverance and we had a very nice meal and good service. The conservatory restaurant very disappointing, no atmosphere, poor service and food not great. Also dined in the Beach restaurant, food was ok but only one of the draught beers was available. Breakfast served in main restaurant and was fine however on last morning had delay in service and was told it was because they were dealing with breakfast for those staying in the Lodges! (aren't we all paying guests?) All in all Carbis Bay your location is amazing but your hospitality leaves a lot to be desired, with prices well over the top considering the lack of facilities you are offering. Your advertising should be clearer to avoid disappointing your guests.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Catherine Duffey, Guest Services / Front Office at Carbis Bay Estate
Responded 2 Aug 2020
Further to your review, we are pleased you enjoyed our location. Our amazing new pool is now well on the way, during which time our privately-owned and usually sheltered Blue Flag beach is always much enjoyed by our guests. Most certainly we are following all guidelines during these difficult times which, as is the case everywhere, means restrictions in our restaurants and in some of the previously expected extras which we offered to our guests. Our new 1894 restaurant is being very well-received. We hope you might return at a later date. Best regards,
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Parking isn’t straightforward and can be stressful securing a space. Breakfasts are meagre and uninspired with apparently demotivated and disinterested waiting staff. The standards expected for a room rate of £600.00 fell far short of expectations. Management slow to respond to requests and it felt as if we were an inconvenience rather than valued guests. Despite this, we enjoyed the location, St Ives and eating at the hotel’s sister establishment The Gannet Inn on several occasions where the staff were courteous and pleasant. Our room had beautiful views, very spacious, comfortable bed and a great shower but it was very difficult to cool the room at night. A big shout out must go to housekeeping however, who kept the room beautifully and were very helpful and friendly. I would return to this location as it’s stunning but sadly, not to this hotel as it is far too complacent.
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Date of stay: July 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Catherine Duffey, Guest Services / Front Office at Carbis Bay Estate
Responded 2 Aug 2020
Dear Guest, You enjoyed many aspects of your stay and thank you for describing these - much appreciated. Your further comments are noted and we would be pleased if you were able to return one day as we really do value all our guests. Just a mention - we are managing our carparking very well every day and are delighted to welcome all our guests and visitors to our beautiful bay. Best regards,
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Husband and I decided on a week in Cornwall and fortunately struck upon a great deal at this very smart and characterful Hotel. We loved the location which was to our liking as it’s close to a coastal path to the wonderful bays of Carbis Bay and nearby Porthminster! we received an upgrade and so were thrilled with our beach view superior room and the en-suite was sublime and loved the height of our king size bed, very luxurious. The service at breakfast and the quality and choice of food was fantastic and loved the view overlooking the bay each morning watching the seals playing in the surf! We were made to feel right at home by Maxine who greeted us each morning like old friends and know that this family run hotel is running as well as it does in these challenging times with Maxine’s professionalism and pride in providing a wonderfully warm welcome to everyone! We will definitely be returning and look forward to seeing the refurbished pool and spa areas post this pandemic. Thank you Carbis Bay Hotel for a wonderful relaxing break. Clare & Steve from WA4, Cheshire
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Catherine Duffey, Guest Services / Front Office at Carbis Bay Estate
Responded 4 Oct 2020
Thank you both for such a lovely review and it is good to hear you will be returning. Best regards,
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I stayed in one the lodges on the beach which were used for the G7 so I cannot comment on the room your are referring to. What I will say is the restaurant the Ugly Butterfly is well worth a visit, but you will need deep pockets!
We were told the pool was 26 degrees (sunny dry january day) it was definately warm enough to swim in but I think it would be too cold if you didn't move around much. A winter rain shower would cool it down even more. I enjoyed my swim but got chilly once I stopped to admire the view and watch the dolphins swim across the bay.
There are more places to choose from in the Carbis Bay area.
PRICE RANGE
S$454 - S$503 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
hotel carbis bay, carbis bay st ives, carbis bay hotel st ives
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandCornwallSt IvesCarbis Bay
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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CARBIS BAY ESTATE | UPDATED 2025 Hotel Reviews, Price Comparison and 3,344 Photos (England) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Carbis Bay Estate
Which popular attractions are close to Carbis Bay Estate?
Nearby attractions include Carbis Bay Beach (0.05 km), Carbis Bay to St Ives - Walk - South West Coast Path (0.3 km), and The Parish Church of Saint Anta and All Saints Carbis Bay (0.5 km).
