St Mellion Estate

Hotel Description

You know what caught me off guard about St Mellion Estate? I was expecting just another golf resort stuck in the middle of nowhere Cornwall, but this place actually has some serious character to it. Yeah, it’s technically in Saltash – which honestly feels more like you’re on the Devon border than proper Cornwall – but that works in its favor because you’re not dealing with the summer tourist chaos that hits places like St Ives.

The estate itself sprawls across this gorgeous chunk of countryside, and I mean sprawls. You’ll definitely want a car here because walking from your room to dinner could be a proper hike depending on where they put you. The main building has that classic country house vibe without being stuffy about it, though I’ll be honest – some of the rooms feel like they could use a refresh. Don’t get me wrong, everything’s clean and comfortable, but you can tell this isn’t a brand-new build. What really makes it work is the grounds… honestly, even if you’re not into golf, just wandering around at sunset is pretty spectacular. The two courses are what put this place on the map (they’ve hosted European Tour events), and you can see why – the views across the Lynher Valley are something else.

The food situation is better than I expected for a golf-focused hotel. The restaurant actually sources quite a bit locally, which you notice – proper Cornish ingredients, not just generic hotel fare. Breakfast runs until a civilized 10am, thank god, and they don’t rush you out. Staff are genuinely friendly too, not that forced hospitality thing you get sometimes. They seem to actually know the area well and can point you toward decent pubs in the villages nearby if you want to escape the resort bubble. Speaking of which, you’re only about 20 minutes from the Tamar Bridge if you want to explore Plymouth, or you can head deeper into Cornwall – Looe’s maybe half an hour south and makes for a nice day trip. The A38 is right there, so getting around is actually pretty straightforward once you figure out the local roads (which can be… well, typically Cornish, let’s say). Parking’s never an issue, obviously – this isn’t London. One thing to keep in mind is that it can get busy during golf season and wedding season overlaps, so if you’re looking for peace and quiet, maybe check what events they’ve got on. But honestly, even when it’s busy, the place is big enough that you can find your own space.

Facilities