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4.5
#1 of 5 hotels in Penzance
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
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.
Artist Residence Penzance is a boutique hotel bringing a slice of eccentric charm to the dreamy lanes of the historic seaside town. With 16 eclectically decorated bedrooms, 3 fabulous suites and a cosy 3-bedroom cottage, the revitalized Georgian pile is a unique seaside inn. Tucked away on historic Chapel Street, we're perfectly situated for daily forays to local beaches, trips to the Isles of Scilly and just a short stroll to the pubs, restaurants and bars of Penzance town centre, the unique art deco lido and a view of the fairytale that is St Michael's Mount. Downstairs, you'll find the Clubhouse, a buzzing community hub, serving up glorious feasts of locally sourced meat and fish, while the laid-back, intimate bar and terrace garden are the perfect after-dinner hideaways.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Trendy
Languages Spoken
English
Location
20 Chapel Street, Penzance TR18 4AW England
Artist Residence Penzance
1,169 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
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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The Artist Residence Penzance is celebrated by guests for its inviting atmosphere, characterized by chic decor and cozy touches. The hotel's prime location near Penzance's shops and harbor is a highlight for many travelers, as are the comfortable beds and luxurious baths found within each uniquely styled room.
While some rooms are noted to be compact, the overall cleanliness and quality amenities, including plush linens and superior toiletries, leave a positive impression. Friendly and attentive staff contribute to the exceptional service that guests appreciate, enhancing the value of the hotel's offerings, such as the praised breakfast and pet-friendly policy.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Chic
Rooms
Cozy
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Well-appointed
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I am a frequent visitor to the AR Penzance for work; the team are lovely and so helpful and it is an ideal place to stay if you need to work in a relaxed atmosphere. I have one niggle, sadly. As a Plastic Free town, I would ask that you consider ditching the single butter portions that you serve with bread. You have lovely milk in glass jars in the fridges in rooms, which is fantastic, but this individual butter lets you down. Great that it is local Trewithen butter, but lets have it in a little glass jar instead. Otherwise, a brilliant place to stay
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled on business
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 Passport829507, Manager at Artist Residence Penzance
Responded 7 Mar 2020
Dear SarahM13032, Thank you so much for taking the time to write us review. We are so pleased that you like to visit us when you are staying in Penzance. I will ensure that we pass on your feedback regarding the butter portions to the kitchen team- thank you for the suggestion! We look forward to welcoming you back again soon! Warm regards, Mel and the AR Team
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Having followed AR from a distance, we were excited about our first stay there. Great location - on one of Penzance's coolest streets, with proximity to several bars, restaurants and the beach. The room was beautiful, staff were friendly and helpful, and the food on the one night we ate there was also very good.
The only thing that put us off slightly was the lack of COVID precautions being taken on the property. Servers weren't wearing masks, the Cornish Barn restaurant was packed on most evenings without distanced tables, and it was only upon our request that they agreed to request the housekeeping staff to wear a mask when they enter the room (we don't know whether they did). We overheard another guest from the restaurant also raising this with them, so had heard this from a few patrons. This was off-putting especially because several restaurants and cafes that we frequented in the area seemed to be relatively more careful than the hotel.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Rooms
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.
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The hotel was in a great central location with walking distance to the beach, shopping areas and the dock (although very limited parking). Free on road parking is past the hotel and turn right past the church. Traffic wardens are keen beans! We stopped in a luxury room (19) with a roll top bath tub and separate walk in shower (both great, but you can't really be any taller than 5"10 to fit in the shower without hitting your head. As with most hotels the walls on the thickest and we could frequently hear people in other rooms. The bed was super kingsize and super comfy. Good wardrobe space and plenty of snacks and drinks in the bedroom. On a few nights we got an awful stench coming from the bathroom drains, but this usually didn't last too long. The smell didn't bother us too much as we frequently had the windows open at night due to the heat of the room (this is in January). I couldn't see a thermostat so no chance of changing. Great room service with amazing food from The Cornish Barn. The staff with very friendly and helpful (shout out to the barman who worked nights and had his hair tied up in a bun). The fire alarm did go off just before 7am one morning, which was a bit of a shock, there was no problem in the end, but there was no apology from the staff or even recognition that this had happened?! Mostly a wonderful stay and my wife and I are keen to experience the other Artist Residence Hotels!
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Location
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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 Passport829507, Manager at Artist Residence Penzance
Responded 31 Jan 2020
Good Evening Simon27Sheffield, Thank you for your lovely review. We are all very happy to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us here at The Artist Residence. I can only apologise for the little bits that you have brought up in regards to the room that you were in, and I can assure you that we are in the process of investigating all of these raised points and I would like to thank you for bringing them to our attention. The staff member that you have mentioned is called Jack and we will be sure to pass on your praise to him. Thank you for staying with us and we hope to see you again in the future is you come down this way again. Regards Ryan Duty Manager
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My Wife & I stayed here for 3 nights recently. Overall we enjoyed our stay. Staff were friendly & efficient. Food was of good quality & well presented. We felt menu was a bit limited ,particularly if you are staying for a few days. Our room was clean & comfortable ,if a little on the dark side. Whilst there was a wardrobe, there was not much else in the way of storage. Bedside cabinets were upturned tea chests which we didn't feel were particularly practical. The adjoining bathroom was spacious with a separate bath & shower. Rain shower head was too low. No shelves on which to place toiletries so everything had to be put on the floor. The windows in the room were difficult to open & when we did open them we were greeted by the noise of the extractor unit from the kitchen. We didn't think overall that the room we were given was real value for the price we paid. There was good compliance of the Covid 19 regulations with plenty of sanitiser available and good spacing of tables in the various dining areas. All staff & other guests that we saw were compliant in the wearing of masks.
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Date of stay: October 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.
Firstly the room we had was nicely laid out and decorated and the bathroom looked great, BUT it was dirty - black dirt was left on the shower which easily came off with a piece of toilet paper. We had booked a table for dinner on the Friday evening back in April when we booked the stay but despite this and having a drink before dinner we were told that the only table available for us would be in the shaded and cold garden. Not exactly what we expected from what was meant to be the best evening out of our holiday. We asked if anything could be done and was told that we could have a sofa inside but it wasn't really suitable for dining. So we had to try and find somewhere else to eat that night. I would have expected that the hotel give priority to hotel guests for tables in the restaurant - particularly as we had booked so far in advance. Finally, in the room there is a Roberts DAB clock radio which is lovely except when the alarm went off at 1am waking us up. I'm not sure if this was set by the staff or the previous guests but i suggest that this is checked in future to prevent others having an interrupted nights sleep. We mentioned these things (cleanliness & alarm) to staff on check out as they were so dismissive about our dinner reservation my husband felt it might impact our stay further if we said anything beforehand. The breakfast in the morning was very nice - but an additional cost on top of the £700 we had paid for the 2 nights stay. A real disappointment and i would definitely never stay here again or recommend.
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Date of stay: August 2021
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.
I have fond memories of staying and dining with the Artist Residence Penzance back in 2014, when I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of breakfast (back then breakfast was included in the room rate too), and the thoughtfully decorated room. Six years on, breakfast now available at about £18pp, no more tomato on the vine or freshly squeezed apple juice but general pub quality full English. Room appears outdated, wooden floor and table clearly aged and have very obvious stains - I would definitely advise against walking barefoot.
Additionally, for £200+ per night in August time guests are specifically advised by a sign in the bathroom to not sneak out toiletries in suitcases.
I’m disappointed that six years on, price doubled and quality of service clearly deteriorated. What was a hidden gem with quality food and service is now an aged, overpriced bed & breakfast*
*breakfast not included
I would upload pictures but in nowhere I was impressed enough to take one.
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Date of stay: August 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.
This was the first time we had visited and stayed over in a hotel since lock down. It was also our first dinner out. We stayed overnight on Monday 20th July. Our stay included pre-dinner drinks on the terrace in the sunshine, dinner and breakfast the following morning. The food was delicious and for dinner I had the Balinese curry. My husband had the prawn tacos - again delicious and a vegan chocolate pot for pud. (we aren't vegan). Breakfast was set out in the Barn restaurant which has a very relaxed atmosphere.
The staff were very welcoming, helpful and friendly throughout our stay.
We loved the arty eclectic furniture and decorations throughout the hotel and would definitely come back again.
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Date of stay: July 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.
We stayed in the rather wonderful Look Out suite. The wee balcony would have been great if the weather had been better. The rest of the room is lovely. A real garret feel with a very nice bed, decent bathroom with shower and bath and a useful small kitchen. The living area was good space but the sofa was not comfortable and the armchair (moved to view TV) was just OK. The three flight climb was expected (clue is in the name of the room) but steep – pack accordingly. We liked the restaurant a lot for dinner. Lovely home made soup and mac n cheese and well cooked fish. The first mark down is for value. At £550 a night you expect a little more bang for your buck than was offered. The second mark off was twofold. For not servicing the room properly on the one day it was done - bins were not emptied, towels were not tidied or replaced, fire was not cleaned. And generally service was either absolutely lovely or indifferent to the point we felt invisible – very inconsistent. In summary this is a casual affair with some charm but we think a bit over-rated.
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Rooms
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.
In Penzance with spouse while refurbishing our home, one night turning into six, Coronavirus plus shops/restaurants shutting down resulting in an extensive deep dive into the hotel restaurant menu and wine list. Outstanding. Liked a lot the crushed avocado and poached eggs for breakfast, prawn tacos for dinner). Nice room (Comfy Double), ambiance (love the fireplace in the lounge), and great service, fairly priced, highly recommended as a welcome respite from an outside world that as we experienced can quickly go dark. Huge thanks to the whole team.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â Having stayed a few times the rooms are all comfortable, just different in style and size. You...
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.
Great 5 night stay in a ‘comfy double’. An 8 minute walk from the train and bus stations, close of shops restaurants and the harbour this is a fantastic base for anyone exploring this part of Cornwall by public transport.
The room was small with a very comfortable bed and a lot of thought had gone into the little extras, like spare cables, bathrobes, roberts radio, fridge and small window seat. Very nice toiletries and an excellent shower were slightly mared by black mold around the base of the shower and the towels could do with replacing with softer ones.
Breakfast was superb, especially loved the rich cappuccino and Eggs Royale on sourdough but sadly no pastries on offer. Dinner was equally good and both the Burger and the Salt and Pepper squid were delicious. For an alternative I highly recommend the Alverne.
This is a stylish, relaxing hotel but its real strength is its superb staff. Helpful, friendly and efficient they really made a lone traveller feel welcome.
TIP. The First Bus company ‘LAND’ bus, from bay B at the bus station operates hourly all week during the summer months and does an excellent round trip where you can drop on and off from for £15.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
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.
It is not a question of the hotel being dog friendly. Rather, it is a question of you wanting to keep a dog in the hotel’s rather small and cluttered rooms. I wouldn’t.
Dear Bernard,
Thank you very much for your interest in staying with us at Artist Residence Penznace.
If booking direct, we offer a 72-hour booking cancellation policy. This means that if you cancel 72 hours prior to the date of arrival the 50% deposit is fully refundable. If the booking is cancelled within the 72 hours prior to arrival the deposit is non-refundable and the total reservation amount will be fully charged.
Best regards,
Malwina
There are more places to choose from in the Penzance area.
PRICE RANGE
S$259 - S$337 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandCornwallPenzance
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
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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