The Private Traveller

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Hotel Review: Hotel Tresanton, St. Mawes, Cornwall.

The Private Traveller

Overview

We visited Tresanton  a few years ago, at that time I didn’t have my travel website nor had I even seriously considered writing travel blogs. That said, now the website is up and running I am going back and writing about any exceptional places we have been in the world, and Tresanton definitely falls into this category. I always take my own photos and use those in blogs generally, but I didn’t have the right images hence I have used (and credited) some of the Tresanton website official images here.

I’d never been to Cornwall, but having seen Tresanton featured as part of one of the Channel 5 TV programme ‘The Hotel Inspector’ we knew we had to visit. Alex Polizzi (the Hotel Inspector herself after Ruth Watson) is the daughter of Tresanton’s owner Olga Polizzi (along with other sister hotels - Hotel Endsleigh in Dartmoor and The Star in Alfriston coming soon which make up The Polizzi Collection).

Hotel Tresanton is a small, ultra luxe boutique hotel in a cluster of traditional Cornish houses overlooking the sea. You will get a flavour from the hotel website but this is so elegantly designed and presented, with excellent unassuming service. The hotel is furnished with many pieces chosen by Olga herself from travels around the world and locally supplied too; within common areas of the hotel, corridors and the bedrooms too. It’s in a brilliant location and is UK/Cornish hospitality at its best.


Hotel website: https://tresanton.com/home/

Would I stay here again?   Yes, yes and another yes please. We were there for only two nights but could have stayed longer. A perfect combination of location, service and facilities - all with stunning views and fresh coastal air. The Beach Club was just being finalised when we were there so we will need to revisit to experience this properly.

Photo Credit: Hotel Tresanton

Location

The hotel is located on a hillside on the edge of St. Mawes; but only a few minutes scenic walk to the centre and harbour. We were down visiting friends staying in Falmouth, it was such a great location as we were able to get a ferry right from the St. Mawes Harbour straight into Falmouth around the coast. This runs throughout the day (364 days a year) and the 20 minute journey takes in the world-class scenery of the Carrick Roads which includes two historic castles and a wealth of marine life in Falmouth Bay. It would have taken an hour if we driven because of the detour around the coastal shoreline.

Photo Credit: Hotel Tresanton

Accommodation

There are 30 rooms in total here, all spread across the hillside and you can enter the hotel from a road below and above; the rooms are located in various buildings - e.g. Main House, The Nook, Upper Tresanton, Little Tresanton and Rock Cottage. There seemed to be three categories of room (small, medium and spacious) and suites. All looked individual, many with sea views and some with terraces.

What I loved is that we were able to book a specific room; not a room type but the specific room itself so we knew exactly what to expect. I always research on TripAdvisor beforehand and had been slightly concerned about booking a room above the restaurant because of noise, but this was completely unfounded - the whole hotel has a relaxed, easy elegance and despite being quite full when we were there (weekend at the start of summer) I couldn’t imagine that it would ever feel over-run or any guests would be allowed to be too noisy.

We booked Room 6, a large sea-view double room with a terrace in the Main House - it was incredibly spacious with a large king-size bed, beautifully appointed en-suite bathroom and a “nook” at the front which contained a writing desk and the most incredible view (which you can see above in the photo) across the room’s terrace and across to the sea/headland behind. There was a door from this area out onto the spacious terrace, fitted with reclining chairs and a table and chairs for sitting. Views were just exceptional and we kept going out to the terrace just to take in the view and the sea air. I’ve used this word a lot here, but just wow! We didn’t take our dogs with us, but I believe there are four rooms in the hotel that are dog-friendly and there are certainly lots of places to go for walks with them nearby.

Photo Credit: Hotel Tresanton

Food & Drink

The kitchen at the hotel is open from 7:30am through 9:30pm; for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and snacks throughout the day. We enjoyed breakfast at the hotel both mornings there; one morning taking this on the south-facing terrace with views over the water. There is also a beautiful inside dining room where we had dinner one night. The other night we walked the short distance to The Idle Rocks, another nearby hotel which received great reviews for both staying and dining. This is located in the harbour area of St. Mawes.

As you would expect from an Olga Polizzi hotel, the food at Tresanton was just incredible. We were so lucky with the weather when we were there (end of June) so even at night the doors were open to the terrace and there were many people dining outside, albeit we had preferred to eat indoors. On the day of arrival, we also had afternoon tea on the terrace surrounding the hotel entrance - again this was just exceptional and totally unnecessary (though completely indulgent and we had missed lunch!) when also having dinner.

Nothing could be faulted with food or drink, one evening (before walking out to the Idle Rocks) we had a drink before dinner in the Dogs’ Bar - this is uniquely located at the foot of a staircase below the hotel terrace and is really worth a visit.

Photo Credit: Hotel Tresanton

Facilities & Service

As well as the main restaurant and bar, and a private dining room, there is now the Beach Club cleverly built on terraces across the road from the hotel right down to the water. Barbecues are served on a Sunday during summer, albeit suspended for 2020 because of Covid-19. 

There is so much to do and see on the doorstep, you can read Olga’s “Long Weekend in Cornwall” below. As well as our day out to Falmouth, worth a visit, the hotel can also arrange on-site massage and if you’re feeling nautical the hotel has its own 8m classic yacht “Pinuccia”. You can contact the skipper direct to arrange a trip, but usually from May to the end of September (not available until 2021), you can go sailing around Falmouth bay, including the estuary of the Helford and the Fal rivers. The hotel will provide a picnic to take with you including wine. We didn’t do this, but it’s £495 for either a half-day (morning/afternoon) or evening sail (including Prosecco); or £795 for the full-day including picnic and house wine.

On our return to the airport (Exeter), we left the hotel to visit The Lost Gardens of Heligan; located only about 17 miles away (30-40 minute drive) so this would equally have easily been a day trip too - definitely worth checking out. 30 years ago, Heligan’s historic gardens were unknown and unseen until a chance discovery of a door in the ruins led to the restoration of this once great estate. Today, The Lost Gardens have been put back where they belong, in pride of place among the finest gardens in England.

ThePrivateTraveller’s top tips (any areas for improvement?):

  • I don’t think there is anything I could add - maybe don’t make the Cornish afternoon tea so tempting on our next visit!

ThePrivateTraveller’s absolute highlights:

  • Location - perfect combination of feeling you are away from everything, yet minutes later you’re at St. Mawes Castle in one direction and the delights of the harbour in the other.

  • Design - Olga’s easy elegant blends colours, fabrics, antiques and contrasting design elements with a Cornish meets the world flavour.

  • Afternoon tea - but see the warning above, bad for the waistline but served on the terrace overlooking the Cornish coast, just wow!

  • Loved our bedroom with an outside terrace; but can’t imagine any of the rooms would disappoint.

Useful website links:

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