We just returned home from spending a three night break over the long Easter bank holiday weekend at the Carbis Bay Hotel enjoying all aspects of our visit and actually I cannot think of anything negative to say about our stay!
I stumbled across the hotel whilst researching for somewhere to visit/stay for the Easter bank holiday weekend, we'd always wanted to visit west Cornwall, St. Ives area and Carbis Bay seemed the perfect base for that. We were not disappointed, Carbis Bay and the beach is truly stunning, the hotel is just a few minutes walk down the hill from Carbis Bay train station which was a bonus as I didn't realise it was so close. We arrived from Swindon after a six hour + train ride so it was a relief that the hotel was so close by. Upon arrival at reception we were greeted and checked in quickly by the lovely Kelly who I'd actually spoken to when I called to book the Easter Special Offer advertised on the main website. We were given a quick tour of the hotel and then guided up the stairs to our room on the second floor (btw there's no lift), which left us blowing a bit once we reached the top floor. We soon forgot about that as our Easter offer included Champagne and chocolates in the room on arrival.
We opted for the reasonably priced dinner, bed & breakfast package for three nights in a deluxe double, with a sea view. Well, the view from our room (210) overlooking the bay was stunning, the beach is pristine and the ocean looks incredibly clear when it's sunny and the tide is in, it was mesmerising.
Our room was a little on the smaller side than expected but not enough to cause any bother, we had everything we needed, the room and bathroom was modern, finished to a very high standard as was the hotel decor throughout. The bed was comfy from where you can lie down and take in the view of the ocean, a wonderful sight to wake up to on a sunny morning.
Each morning we ate a very decent breakfast in the Sands Restaurant which had plenty of choices from the a la carte menu including the full Cornish or a hot buffet or continental style, fresh fruits, breads, pastries etc. We had dinner here on two of the three nights and again the menu choice was excellent, I tried the trio of pork belly and battered local fish, both of which were delicious. The appetisers were also very good as were the starter dishes, unfortunately we did not indulge in any puddings due to onset of early food coma on all three nights :) We ate at the Beach Club house on the middle night and the food/service was of the same high standard as Sands and the live musician was brilliant taking requests and interacting with the diners. You will need to book as it gets quite busy, even during the afternoons. There were a couple of supplements on the menu's at both venues but only for sides and the top end items which we were fine with as there was plenty of good options to choose from.
We found that the conservatory with views overlooking the bay was a nice place to relax, have a drink and enjoy the entertainment with a cocktail in the comfort of a high backed armchair or one of the couches. We built a good rapport with some the waiting staff and found that service was always excellent at all times from the bar to the restaurant and beyond. Impeccable manors and professionalism.
The coastal path walk to St. Ives is a must, it's only a twenty minute walk, although initially quite steep upwards travelling from the hotel to St. Ives, so if that's not for you; jump on the nearby train which will take you all of three minutes to get into St. Ives and only twenty to Penzance in the other direction (depending on connection change at St. Erth). Unfortunately the walk to the train station will invole going up hill which ever way you walk to it.
So in conclusion;
Did we enjoy our stay - YES
Would we recommend this place - YES
Would we go back - YES
Value for money - YES
Were the drinks expensive - WHO CARES ;)
Can't fault it; the hotel, the staff, the food, the service, the location - all exceptional. I just hope that the new sea front lodges being built for 2018 do not create any negative impact to the existing views and surroundings.