Ok I'll start with positives. The location is literally adjacent to St Ives railway station and the beach so if you don't like walking the hotel is great for this. Hotel itself is on a steep hill, walking downhill to the main port/shops is about 5/10mins.
Now the hotel. First impression of reception desk is great, looks clean and new and the reception staff were very friendly but then it went downhill from there. The ”luggage storage” room was a room that anyone could access particularly with the back door of the room wide open to the back of the hotel and yard. So i would be concerned leaving anything valuable.
Our room was 313 on the third floor.
Ridiculously warm with a basic tower fan for cooling, there was tea and coffee facilities that were good. The standard quality of the room was poor. Bedding was poor quality very uncomfortable only one pillow..if you could call it that. I would advise management to supervise housekeeping more and do room checks as the cleanliness was poor. As you entered you were greeted by a weird smell of damp. The view of the one window was great of the sea and beach but marred by the dirty seagull poop window and worn mouldy window frame, dirty dust on the sill. It's not hard to clean a window and window frame or get a maintenance person to reseal the edges of the window or put a temporary rubber sealant till a new window frame is fitted.
The bath tub panel had a crack hole in it which could cause a cut if I wasn't carefully paying attention and a used soap in the shower. Orange yellowing in the grouting around the bath/shower. Limescale bathroom foam spray helps with this. This room desperately needs to be refurbished or renovated. I highly recommend watching Four in a bed or The Hotel Inspector in how to manage your rooms.
The other room was room 11? backed onto the courtyard. A little better high ceilings, airy and cool looked like it had a repaint but again the shower room had a strong smell of urine.
Other than that reception desk staff friendly, when mentioned the urine smell they got housekeeping to clean again, just a shame it takes other team members to slack somewhat on housekeeping and let the team down. More supervision is required. More maintenance.
Look don't be put off by this review like I said location is great. Just be really specific with your room choice ie, renovated room-show photos you've seen on website so you know what room you're getting.
Posted on Aug 10, 2026|Suite, Ensuite (Room 12 - Elder)
PetiteIndiantravler
A lovely family-run stay in Cornwall ❤️
We had a wonderful stay at The Liscawn and really enjoyed the warm, welcoming atmosphere. It’s a lovely family-run hotel, and the owners and staff were incredibly kind and friendly, which made us feel very comfortable and at home.
The room was clean and well looked after, and the location is absolutely peaceful and quiet, with beautiful views. It’s also very close to some lovely coastal walks and the beach, which was perfect for enjoying the beauty of Cornwall.
The highlight for us was definitely the proper English breakfast — fresh, delicious and just what you want to start the day!
Overall, a charming place with lovely people, a peaceful location and a homely feel. We would happily stay here again and would definitely recommend The Liscawn to anyone looking for a relaxing Cornish getaway. ❤️
Excellent Saturday night stay celebrating various birthdays etc.
Made to feel like a VIP from start to finish.
Unfortunately, we couldn't stay for lunch, but every meal we've had at The Brunel has been epic.