Chapel House

About Chapel House

Chapel House occupies a Grade II listed Georgian townhouse near the top of Chapel Street, the most handsome road in Penzance. It was a naval officer's house, later a hotel, and was stripped back and rebuilt as a small boutique B&B. The restoration kept the proportions, shutters and staircase and filled the rest with contemporary furniture, modern art and a great deal of light. It has picked up a long run of awards, including a place at the top of national best-B&B lists.

There are six ensuite rooms and a suite, each named in Cornish and each different. Several look south over the rooftops to Mount's Bay and, on a clear day, St Michael's Mount. Rooms are large by B&B standards, with freestanding baths in some, walk-in showers in others, and beds that guests write home about. There are no televisions in the bedrooms by design; the drawing room downstairs, with its grand piano and honesty bar, is where people gather instead.

Behind the house the garden runs up in terraces, with a sauna and cold plunge added in recent years and a hot tub with a view over the bay. Breakfast is cooked to order and takes its ingredients from Newlyn market and local suppliers. The kitchen also runs communal supper evenings on set nights, which are open to non-residents and worth booking; Sunday brunch is a fixture too. The whole house can be hired for family gatherings.

The location is walkable to Penzance harbour, the Jubilee Pool lido, the Scilly ferry terminal and the mainline station, which makes it a practical base for anyone arriving without a car. It suits couples and solo travellers who want somewhere characterful and well run rather than a full-service hotel. There is no lift, and parking is on-street.