Tregenna Castle Hotel

Stayed here as a RCI exchange guest in coach house 9 - supposedly a 3 bed town house in April 2007. We are seasoned travellers but we were exceptionally disappointed with the whole Tregenna experience. We were due to stay for 1 week, but left after 2 nights and moved elsewhere, and have made a formal complaint to RCI. As there were no highlights of the stay at all here were the main problems: The hotel is extremely dated - a huge space which needs re investment and seems to cater for large parties and club outings. The staff were unhelpful and not friendly - e.g. 4 times we reported a fault with the TV and no response - we found this was the standard level of service. We complained about the bed - we could feel all of the springs - the solution was to send a nice but hopeless chap to turn the matress over - and when we complained that this was not suitable they did not respond or did not seem to care! Spa & Pool, areas were dirty and very very dated. The changing rooms were horrible, very basic and small and from the men's changing room my husband had to walk through the gym in his trunks (and on the way back when he was wet!) which made him feel very uncomfortable. Also the level of chemical in the pool made it impossible to swim without goggles. Floors and steps were espiecally unpleasant - we bought flip flops as we did not want to walk up the grey slimy steps to the pool in bare feet. The unit itself was very small and dated - it should have slept 8, however it would have been impossible to sleep so many. We were only 2 but the kitchen was tiny and the bedrooms very cramped - we had a 3/4 sized bed and had to squeeze around the other furniture. The entire unit had no view and was dark all of the time. Sofas were uncomfortable and tired. Location is good for south Cornwall, but it was not enough to keep us there. RCI moved us to Tresco on the Scilly Isles which was a totally superb expereience which I have also posted. I do understand that Tregenna have built some big lodges as private holiday ownership - these looked much better as self catering accomodation - however the basic problems with the hotel and service will remain. I very rarely write such a negative review, however this was a very bad expereince. Did not try the food at the hotel as we were so unhappy we went elsewhere.

We've just had a 4 day stay on B&B basis at Tregenna Castle, attending a wedding on Good Friday. If we'd have read these reviews before we'd booked we'd never have stayed there! Happily it turned out to be fine. First thing to note, this is a 3* Best Western Hotel. It looks like a castle on the outside and a hotel on the inside. Don't go there expecting heavy oak furnishings etc, expect what you would expect to find in your average 3* hotel. We had a non-sea view double room, which was absolutely huge with a king-size bed. All towels and linen were white and spotlessly clean. The bathroom was full size with a shower and bath big enough for two plus an extra room with hanging space in addition to the wardrobe. It didn't feel like we were in a castle but it was clean and comfortable. Those people who paid the extra for sea-views found it worth every penny, the hotel is in a fantastic position. Food - the restaurant is overpriced for what you get in terms of quality and quantity but the wine list is fine and fairly priced. The brasserie is probably the best option though. Bar drinks are slightly more expensive than average. Breakfast was self service and we had no problems. Service was slow in all areas, but the staff are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the local area. If you go out for the evening, taxis back from St Ives centre are £3-4. Some people miss the pool, gym etc, we used the pool, steam room, sauna and jacuzzi, which were all fine. The grounds are also very attractive. The downsides were due to the age of the building, and probably the ivy covering the front, a few damp patches on the walls and dated decor, but this is a massive property and repairs/replacement are probably cost prohibitive. We stayed at a castle in Wales last year and prices were about 4 times higher, so I think this is a case of get what you pay for. People have said the website is misleading but that phrase 'If it looks too good to be true it probably is' applies. Tregenna is a friendly, clean, comfortable hotel and I would recommend it to anyone considering a stay in St Ives.

We just turned up at the hotel on the off chance.... didn't want to book ahead because some of the reviews put us off. But they found us a room, were prepared to do a deal for Dinner+B&B. The room was a ground floor double at the front with fantastic sea views. (Better if the windows had been a bit cleaner).... but it was an enormous room, very comfortable, with a proper separate full size bathroom. The dinner for our package was a carvery, and the food was good, and the service friendly and helpful. It's not 5 star, but it doesn't pretend to be. I would probably have stayed longer but they were fully booked for the next night.... so they must be doing something right.

Stayed here for a one night get away. Big grand hotel from the outside and grounds are stunning. the room we were given was a basement room over looking a small dingy courtyard with a sign on the window saying keep closed as the pidgeons might get in. room was ok but dated. DO NOT visit this hotel for the food or waiter service. we were on an all inclusive deal for around £50 each. this ment the food would be a saturday night calvery. I opted for a fillet steak with all the trimmings at extra cost on the a la cart menu. this took ages to arrive and was just a small piece of flat over cooked beef with chips, no fancy sauce, mushrooms ect as I ordered. my wife had the carvery and went up as my food arrived. I rejected my steak and decided for the calvery as i didnt want to wait any longer. the meat has run out and would be another 20 minitues. so buy the time i collected mine my wife was on the desert, the meal itself was fatty and greasy and the waiting staff just ran around the massive packed food hall not knowing what to do. again breakfast was the same packed, jammed in dining room with cheap greasy food. and when we finally escaped and asked for the bill at reception they had charged me in full for the meal i didnt eat. again a big corporate chain has spoiled a top class hotel by cramming in as many as possible giving poor serivce with cheaply sourced non local produce. avoid the zoo there are lots better in beautiful St Ives

Stayed for 3 nights at the Tregenna. The room was small and the furnishings a little tired but it was very clean. We booked at the hotels special rates and had we upgraded, we would have had a better sized room. The hotel was offering Dinner (Carvery), Bed and Breakfast for around £35 which was an absolute bargain. The food was good, and they did vary for meats and vegatables every night. The staff were both friendly and helpful. We didn't use the leisure facilities but they looked good. Best part of the hotel is the views over St Ives. If you can get a room with a view, deinitely go for it. We would stay again.

Have just spent a most enjoyable and relaxing 2 day midweek break at the Tregenna Castle I thought it only right to put pen to paper and try and give a balanced review of the Hotel and its facilities. Firstly, the Hotel has officially got 3 star status not 4 or 5 and it absolutely matched the stars awarded in every dept. The welcome was sincere, the staff were friendly and helpful and our room was large and spacious. We went on a DBBB basis and were quite happy with what was on offer. I did think about the A la Carte for an evening but to be honest had enjoyed the Carvery so much on the first night we just went for again. I also have to say that the restaurant staff were very pleasant and attentive. The views were stunning and as other reviewers have stated it is probably the one of the best locations in St Ives. The grounds and walled sub-tropical gardens were exremely well kept and constantly being worked on. The par 3 golf course looked inviting and I will definetly try a round when I return next time (it was a bit on the chilly damp side!) The hotel itself is a Listed building and impressive on the outside, and whereas it has been said that it is dated and in need of internal refurbishment I prefer to think of it as having some character and interesting. It was clean without being spotless, and in good order, although it must be a bit like painting the Forth Road Bridge in that once you get to one end its time to go back and start all over again. It is a huge old house. We had the one of the Superior Sea View rooms which were large and with excellent views. Had a strange little raised decking area in the room for seating, TV and coffee which I didnt quite get, but no complaints, though I would agree that the shower was a little lacking in pressure. The Leisure facilities were as stated and I have to say that I thought that the break was good value for money. We paid £64.50 PPPN for DBBB which I thought was fair. Will certainly go back, but will wait till the weather is more inviting.

I was shocked after reading previous reviews on this Hotel, and felt the need to add our positive experience. The last time we visited Tregenna was about four years ago and we'd always had a good time. This time was no exception, the position of the Hotel is excellent, as were the views from our room, the staff were friendly and helpful, the room was clean and bright, ok a bit of peeling paint in the bathroom was hardly a capital offence, this is an old building and it must be a mammoth task and a money pit to upkeep. We had dinner bed and breakfast, the dining room was very intimate and cosy with candle light and the fire burning, and the food was very good. particulary the fish and the vegetables, the wine choice was good and not over priced, and if you do go have the Cornish cheese board, which is enough for two, the cheeses were inspired and local. The best bit of the evening was coffee in the huge reception hall, snuggled up in a big soft leather sofa. Breakfast was also good and plentiful, and yes the fruit was tinned, but a previous reviewer made it sound like those awful tins of fruit salad, not at all, just grapefruit, prunes, pears and apricots, there was cereal, toast, pain au chocolate large choice of fried breakfast etc. All in all we had a great time, and I hope that this puts some kind of balance on these reviews, I always feel that perhaps people are a bit like sheep, they see a bad review and want to share their negatives, luckily, we are very open-minded. Thank you Tregenna.

hotel is shabby and noisey, staff are rude and unhelpful. Wished we'd tried somewhere else...... do yourself and favour, don't stay here!

What a disappointment in a lovely setting, with great views. We had a dated room down miles of dowdy corridors with paint coming off the bathroom walls, netting over the windows because of "seagull problems". Buffet dinners were of little imagination and poor quality ie dry roast pork, overcooked beef, & greasy vegetables, in a gloomy decaying dining room even with the Christmas decorations up - anyone who has read Mervyn Peake's "Gormenghast" will know what I mean. Buffet breakfast has to be the worst I have ever had across the world over many years at all kinds of standards of hotels. A rude maitre d'hotel with no idea of service, everything swamped in grease, breakfast packing up well before the advertised time, and so on. Someone's report said don't stay here unless you are over 60 - my wife and I are both 63, and we didn't like it one bit. At the gloomy reception area the girls were OK, but ordered morning newspapers didn't arrive until well past 9am - hello, this is 2006 not 1956!

What more can I say Fantastic Food, Service and Comfort.