Cosy but stylish, on the southwest coast of Cornwall

JULY 5 — For more than 200 years, there has been a bay-front inn in picturesque Marazion, along the southwest coast of Cornwall, England. It is part of the St Aubyn Estates, a family business of tenanted farms, rental cottages and homes that covers 5,000 acres. The St Aubyn family, which has lived in the area for more than 600 years, recently gave the inn a multimillion-dollar overhaul and reopened the property in April 2014. The result is a cosy yet stylish three-story inn with 10 comfortable boutique-flavoured rooms:

Rates

From £150 pounds, or US$230 (RM870).

Location

Just steps from minuscule Marazion’s town square, the Godolphin Arms is central yet pleasantly situated. It is perched on Mount’s Bay, overlooking majestic St Michael’s Mount (Cornwall’s answer to France’s Mont-St-Michel), a tiny island that’s a fairly short walk during low tide and accessible by ferry otherwise. The beach is also steps away, as are a post office, pharmacy, art galleries and cafes. If you are without a car, the hotel is a 12-minute bus ride from Penzance, the closest large town, from which you can catch a train.
The picturesque water view from a room’s large porthole window at the Godolphin Arms, an inn on the south-west coast of Cornwall in England. — Hand-out picture via The New York Times

The room

With its pale sage walls, cream furnishings with such pops of colour as a vermilion headboard and lampshades and chairs festooned with birds and pop art flowers, the room was tastefully furnished. There was an iPod docking station and large flat-screen TV, as well as an electric kettle and coffee maker. Free sparkling and still water from the Cornish bottler Pure Blue were provided, as was fresh milk from nearby Trewithen Dairy, a family-run operation. The unforgettable element of the room, however, was a stunning view of Mount’s Bay and St Michael’s Mount. The hotel is so close to the water at high tide, the waves sound as if they are massaging your walls, even with the windows closed.

The bathroom

This was one incongruity in an otherwise well thought-out room: With stark-white tiled walls, a mottled off-white tiled floor with the texture of dulled sandpaper and shiny silver fixtures, the bathroom felt a bit sterile. Welcome light came from a large window by the shower, even though it did look out onto an outdoor service staircase. (Thank goodness for the blinds.) A rain shower (plus a handheld-shower) with good pressure and fragrant jasmine, rose and neroli bath products by the London-based White Company were saving graces.

Amenities

There is free Wi-Fi. Besides the restaurant, there’s an outdoor bar on a terrace that overlooks the water and St Michael’s Mount. Service in general was excellent (outside of the dining room).
One the 10 guest rooms at the Godolphin Arms, an inn on the southwest coast of Cornwall. The view of Mount’s Bay and St Michael’s Mount is stunning, and the waves sound as if they are massaging your walls. — Hand-out picture via The New York Times

Dining

While there is room service, I could not resist a meal from the in-house restaurant, which had a sublime dining view. The airy, expansive space overlooked St Michael’s Mount and the rolling waves. Local ingredients were the star of the reasonably priced dinner menu, which offered freshly caught fish from the nearby seaside town of St Ives, Cornish steaks and cheeses, including yarg, a nettle-wrapped semi-hard cow’s cheese. The free breakfast allowed you to pick from anything on the menu, including a fried egg with kippers and a full Cornish breakfast featuring sausages, bacon, egg, mushrooms, tomato and potatoes. One drawback - glacial and indifferent service at dinnertime.

Bottom line

A quaint inn with breath-taking views of the water. It’s homey but still packed with modern touches. — The New York Times