After the St Ives hotel I'd been visiting since I was a kid shut down, I was sure I would never…read morefind a place to stay that could measure up to the childhood nostalgia. I happened upon The Rookery while planning a visit to St Ives with my partner for the winter holidays, and I was impressed before we even arrived. The Rookery, run by Ron and Barbara Rook (a clever name is a good sign), was exactly what I'd been looking for. Ron and Barbara were responsive by email and phone, and incredibly helpful before and during our visit. This cozy B&B is in a prime location, just a short walk from the main streets of St Ives, but elevated enough to have a great view of the harbor. We had a very comfortable, very quiet rear-facing suite, so I can't comment on noise levels in the forward (street) facing rooms. Breakfast was fantastic every morning, with the obligatory full English fare and pretty much everything in between. They even had a vegetarian breakfast available, a rarity in most of the English B&Bs I've visited. Ron and Barbara greeted us each morning, cheery and full of great tips about local events and sights. Ron, a photography enthusiast, even took us on a photo tour of the nearby countryside when he found out that we also loved photography. (I'm sure this is not a standard service for guests, but we had a blast. It was one of the best parts of our trip, and demonstrates how dedicated they both are to making their guests happy.) I ended up having an experience very different from those childhood years, but discovered St Ives anew, with Ron and Barbara's help.

After a 7 hour train ride from London, my friend and I checked in at a hostel where a children's…read morecircus performed literally outside our window. I promptly went afoot and unexpectedly found this B&B facing the sea, what a most welcome oasis for weary travelers! Liz, the land lady was most accommodating and helpful. The 2 single en suite rooms were charming in country decor, immaculately clean, cheery and bright, coffee and tea were stashed along with soft bath towels to boot! Breakfast was not only a standard English Breakfast, my friend was able to order a vegetarian version, and a generous cereal bar accompanied. Free wifi and complete silence rounded out the entire experience along with the surprisingly inexpensive room rate. Cheers to Liz!

I had the pleasure of staying here for a couple of nights last June and thought it was a wonderful…read moreB&B. The patrons ran it like a friendly home and went out of their way to help with anything you needed. The rooms were clean, airy and nicely decorated and the ensuite was faultless (how many bathrooms have you seen that had somewhat questionnable cleanliness...., well this was not one of them!). If you are lucky, you'll even get the room with the stunning sea view. The breakfast was delicious and you could choose from local smoked haddock, full English or continental all served in their garden-facing breakfast room. The owners even went the further mile to catering for my partner with Coeliac-friendly items. The rooms had a TV/DVD combo and you could "rent" DVDs from their selection for 50p a night, which was a nice touch. The location is fantastic (walking distance to the seafront) but just at the edge of town, meaning you don't have to navigate the windy roads further into St Ives, which can be tricky sometimes. There is also parking available for guests (which can be a rarity in St Ives). Would definitely recommend. Thanks for a lovely stay!

From the owner: Bed & Breakfastread more