A Relaxing Stay at Chapel House, Penzance (Ad)
Our one-night stay at Chapel House was complimentary, but all words, photos and thoughts are my own.
I’m rewinding a few weeks here, and taking you back to our Cornwall trip at the end of June. Life got in the way of my blog this month, so I haven’t had chance to show you the beautiful hotel where we spent the night in Penzance, along with a little guide to my favourite spots nearby.
A whole week camping is hard work. Lukewarm showers, deflating air mattresses and sweaty nights start to take their toll. A stay in a boutique hotel sandwiched between six nights in the back of our van was a welcome treat. I’m not usually one to stay in hotels - I usually opt for self-catered accommodation - but I’ve recently become a little bit obsessed with admiring small boutique hotels from afar. It’s nice to enjoy a little luxury every now and then - even more so when you completely fall in love with the interiors and spend your stay making a mental wish-list of things you could copy at home.
Chapel House, a stunning Georgian building just a few minutes walk from the harbour in Penzance, effortlessly fuses everything you’d expect from a contemporary boutique hotel with hints to its heritage. I love learning the history of old buildings, and was surprised to discover that the hotel has been through previous guises as a lodging house, a shelter for evacuees in WW2, the Penzance Arts Club HQ and a family home. Details such as the coving, archways and decorative windows gave you a constant reminder of the building’s past.
There are six double bedrooms at Chapel House (and two new suites, which I didn’t get the opportunity to see in person but sound pretty amazing). Each room boasts handmade oak beds, luxurious en suite bathrooms and stylish finishing touches. The best features of our room were the impressive bathroom (located in a glass box behind the bed - this is a room for couples who are beyond needing privacy) and the view of the sea out of the window. After several days of campsite bathrooms where 20p gives you a couple of minutes in the shower, I enjoyed a pampering session with the rainfall and waterfall jets on the shower and indulging in the Pure Nuff Stuff (local skincare brand) products that were kindly supplied.
Although I like my privacy when travelling, I took advantage of Chapel House’s several communal spaces during our short visit. The reception room downstairs is the perfect place to relax with a book and a glass of wine in the evening, while the garden allowed us to bask for a while in the evening sunshine. There was also a small lounge area directly outside our bedroom, with large windows offering views of the church on the opposite side of the road. The white wooden floorboards, cane webbed chairs, statement paintings and assortment of vintage books were all very much in fitting with my taste in decor.
We didn’t have much time to explore Penzance, but spent an hour or so strolling up Chapel Street as I’d heard it was the best place in town for independent shops and antiques. I was’t disappointed - Chapel House is conveniently located just a short stroll from some of the nicest stores I discovered during our entire trip. Inside a doorway with a traditional sign reading ‘Captain Cutter’s House’ I found a wonderful old book shop and stationary shop owned by a father and daughter (Newlyn Books and Endpaper). We popped into several antique shops where I had to stop myself from buying furniture we have no space for. I spent far too long ogling plants and pots in the wonderful plant shop A Planted House (I can’t find a website for this one, sorry) and I wanted to buy everything from Pure Nuff Stuff (which I had to check out after sampling the tester products in our hotel room).
My absolute highlight of the shops on this street was Number 56. As we walked in my boyfriend exclaimed ‘this is your perfect shop!’ It really was; full of handmade ceramics, linen garments, small batch skincare products, beeswax candles and wooden accessories for the home. I could have bought one of everything, but restrained myself to a little pot of salve ointment, a wooden dish brush, a cotton tea towel and a dried artichoke.
When it came to the evening, we headed to 13th Century pub, The Turk’s Head for mussels and chips and a few gin and tonics, followed by a cocktail at Artist Residence before turning in for the night. It sounds like a cliche, but I had such a good sleep that night, cushioned on a comfy mattress in a cool room (the exact opposite of several nights spent in our stuffy van).
The next morning, before leaving for the Lizard peninsula, we enjoyed the hotel’s complimentary breakfast seated in the garden, enjoying the rays of the early morning sun beaming down on us. I’m a very fussy breakfast diner as a vegetarian who doesn’t eat eggs, but had no problems selecting from their extensive breakfast menu. Homemade smoothies and preserves were available buffet-style in the huge open-plan kitchen-diner, alongside granola, yoghurt, seasonal fruit, freshly baked bread and pastries. I didn’t need lunch that day after such a hearty breakfast! It’s no surprise that the breakfast was so tasty - the hotel is known for it’s Friday and Saturday suppers where guests and visitors can enjoy a choice of dishes prepared from local produce, served around the communal dining table.
If you like the sound of this lovely boutique hotel, you can find out more about Chapel House, including pricing and how to book on their website.