Chapel House

A Guide regular gives ‘five stars’ this year to this B&B in a serene Georgian town house overlooking Penzance harbour. With previous incarnations as, variously, the home of the admiral who commanded the Temeraire (made famous by JMW Turner), a WW2 evacuee shelter, and the Penzance Arts Club, the house today celebrates its fine historic architecture with the best of modern comforts. The large drawing room offers a mix of sociable spaces and peaceful corners for curling up with a book; the sunny terrace is the perfect spot for a coffee or a sundowner. Individually styled bedrooms, all with a sea view, come in ocean-inspired shades of grey, green and blue, and are simply furnished with well-chosen antique, contemporary or mid-century pieces. Three rooms are open to the rafters; one has an in-room bathtub. Our regular found his room ‘first class’. An ‘excellent’ breakfast is served in the open-plan kitchen/dining room, where a chat with owner Susan Stuart was welcomed by a guest travelling alone. At weekends, a communal kitchen supper, simply cooked from local produce, is offered. (Michael Eldridge)