Porth House, with south facing courtyard garden!

Hotel Description

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much when I first walked up Bowling Green Terrace – it’s this narrow, slightly uphill street that feels like you might have taken a wrong turn. But then you spot number 29, and everything clicks. Porth House sits there looking perfectly at home among the other Victorian terraces, but there’s something about it that just feels more… together, you know? The kind of place where someone actually cared about getting the details right.

What really got me was stepping through to that south-facing courtyard garden they mention in the name – and thank god they do, because it’s honestly the star of the show. I mean, in St Ives you’re usually either crammed into some tiny B&B room or paying through the nose for a sea view, but this little sun trap feels like your own private slice of Cornwall. The morning light hits it perfectly, and I actually found myself having breakfast out there even when it was a bit nippy (there are proper outdoor heaters, which shows they’ve thought this through). You can hear the gulls and catch hints of the harbor sounds, but you’re tucked away from the tourist chaos that descends on the main streets – especially during the summer madness when Fore Street becomes basically impassable.

The house itself has that thing where it’s clearly been renovated by people who actually stay in hotels themselves. The rooms feel generous for St Ives standards, and everything works properly – you know how hotel showers can be a total lottery? Not here. They’ve kept some of the original character (gorgeous high ceilings, proper sash windows) but added all the stuff that actually matters, like decent WiFi and blackout curtains that actually black out. I stayed in October when the weather was doing that classic Cornish thing of sun-shower-wind-repeat, and it was brilliant having a place that felt like a proper retreat. The 9.6 rating isn’t just people being nice – you can tell this place gets repeat visitors who know what they’re looking for. It’s a five-minute walk down to the harbor and Porthmeor Beach (though it’s a bit of a climb back up, fair warning), and you’re perfectly positioned for both the artsy galleries around the Tate and the proper Cornish pub scene. Parking’s always a nightmare in St Ives, but they’ve actually sorted something out for guests, which honestly might be worth the room rate alone if you’re driving down from upcountry.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $253. Holiday Home with 2 × 1 large double bed and 2 single beds for Max persons: 6

Reviews

• Caroline from United Kingdom – 7 October 2024 (10/10)

  For us, it was perfectly located – for the beaches, the shops and bars of St Ives, for the art galleries and Hepworth garden.
  A beautiful interior and comfortable but also really well thought through to make your stay easy. And if you did want to have a quiet night in and cook…the kitchen has everything you need.
  
  What could be improved: A couple of extra bin liners would have helped!

• Grace from United Kingdom – 15 May 2024 (9/10)

  Location and size of the property. Beds were really comfy.
  
  What could be improved: The lack of small non expensive things let it down. I.e No hand soap throughout property, no kitchen roll, no extra toilet rolls, toilet brushes need replacing, bathroom towels were soo tiny.
  Such a shame when spending just a few extra pounds could have made it 100%

• Stephen from United Kingdom – 8 July 2023 (9/10)

  Great location and well appointed house. Garden and garden furniture were perfect for relaxing after a day on the beach, or walking the coast path.
  
  What could be improved: The garage was a trifle awkward (as described) so we took out a week's ticket for the nearby Barnoon Car Park (only £25 for the week)

• Hilary from United Kingdom – 11 September 2024 (9/10)

• Carolina from United States – 18 June 2025 (10/10)

• Adrian from Switzerland – 17 July 2023 (10/10)

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities