I stayed at this hotel for 3 nights and overall had a mixed experience. On the positive side, the hotel offers a private car park, which was very convenient. The staff were friendly and welcoming throughout my stay, and the restaurant was excellent — definitely one of the highlights. The view from the hotel is also amazing and really adds to the experience. However, there were several downsides. The walls are not soundproof at all, and it often felt like my neighbour and I were in the same room. I couldn’t sleep until they went quiet, which made it very uncomfortable. In general, quietness — which is one of the most basic expectations from a hotel — was completely lacking. In addition, the doors slam very loudly. Each morning, I was woken up early (around 8 o’clock or even earlier) by guests, staff, and cleaning activity. While I understand this isn’t intentional, the building structure makes the noise very noticeable, with doors slamming from all sides. Another issue was that breakfast was added to my bill even though I didn’t have it, which was disappointing and should be handled more carefully. Overall, while the staff, restaurant, and views were great, the noise levels and pricing make it feel a bit overpriced for the quality offered.

I celebrated my grandparents 64th wedding anniversary at the restaurant. It is a lovely place, the staff is so attentive. We had a lovely 3 meal course and they had a vegan menu which I was delighted by. For the starters I had toast and tofu with figs and rocket. This one was okay. My main was the gnocchi and this was beautifully made, loved it. They didn’t have the main dessert but the pear and mixed berries was a great alternative.

We arrived very late from London into St Austell train station and there were no taxis available at all, so with no other option we walked almost an hour to the hotel. By the time we arrived, we were completely exhausted. The gentleman at reception was very kind and, seeing how late we got in, offered us a late checkout, which we really appreciated. The room was spotless , very clean, tidy and comfortable. The style is a little old-fashioned, but in a charming, well-kept, almost “royal” kind of way. The next morning, the breakfast looked incredible, but unfortunately it closes at 10am, so we missed it. If you’re a long sleeper, breakfast may not be for you! I spent a good part of the day reading in the coffee room next to the bar, which was really lovely and peaceful. The staff were attentive and kind without being intrusive. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing. There were quite a lot of older guests, we may have been the only people under 50 apart from the staff, but honestly, that added to the quiet, restful feeling of the place. The only thing to be aware of is that you really need a car. I tried to book a restaurant, but without a car it took around 20 minutes just for a taxi to arrive, so I ended up cancelling. I felt a bit trapped at times, but that is not the hotel’s fault, it’s just something to plan for. Later, I walked down to the beach and had an excellent fish and chips with a beautiful view. Overall, I would definitely recommend Carlyon Bay Hotel if you want somewhere peaceful, elegant and relaxing, with beautiful views and lovely staff. Just make sure you have a car, and don’t sleep through breakfast! Their cream tea is really good!!

Our 2nd visit here and as expected absolutely loved it. Friendly, polite staff who pay attention to detail. The hotel itself perfectly situated with lovely sea views. Inside is very posh and striking. The best spa facilities out of any of the hotels we have been to, and benefits from a gym as well as options for spa treatments and therapies. Breakfast amazing with lots of options. Rooms clean and well kept, plenty of space. Definitely will be returning at least once a year.

Stayed here for a few nights. Rooms are nice and clean although the central heating wasn't working. Luckily the rest of the hotel is overheated so this was not a major issue. If you want a very formal hotel then you will like it. However if you want somewhere a little more chilled it may not be your thing. We rarely eat in hotels we stay at as they are often disappointing and overpriced. We did have a bar meal (burger type things) and indeed this was subpar and overpriced for what it was. A minor gripe - the rooms have supposed environmentally-friendly plastic bags for dirty clothes. These degradable plastic bags one which fragments into ever increasingly small pieces over time. Typically the fragmentation will continue until the individual pieces become invisible to the naked eye and results in the creation of small plastic pieces known as micro and nano-plastics. Please replace these and bin liners with compostable and biodegradable ones.