Star Castle
You can sit on the ramparts and watch for puffins, seals and invading armadas over a cream tea at this Elizabethan artillery castle and family-run hotel within star-shaped walls. More
Good Hotel Guide Review
You can sit on the ramparts and watch for puffins, seals and invading armadas over a cream tea at this Elizabethan artillery castle and family-run hotel within star-shaped walls. ‘The location, setting and history are exceptional.’ Some castle rooms are very snug, though smart. Superior sea-view rooms are less cramped, with a four-poster or half-tester bed. Cottage-style annexe rooms and suites have a bath and shower, some with a veranda or private lawn. They are ‘where children and dogs are welcome and take a bit more wear and tear’, wrote a trusted reader on a return visit. Sadly, wear and tear were among issues for others, who said the rooms were ‘more like a Butlin’s chalet than a country cottage’, with thin walls. Still, all agree about the quality of the cooking, in the dining room, and in the conservatory under a vine. ‘The food is totally amazing, and so well balanced that the diner is never outfaced.’ Typical dishes might feature venison with black truffle, or lobster and crab caught from the hotel’s own boat, with produce from the kitchen garden. The Dungeon bar is indeed in a dungeon, though painted a soothing blue.
Hotel details
Address
St Mary's
Isles of Scilly
TR21 0JA
England
Telephone
01720 422317
Bedrooms
38. 27 in 2 garden wings.
Open
all year, B&B only Nov–early Mar, closed Christmas and New Year.
Facilities
lounge, bar, 2 restaurants, in-room TV (Freeview), civil wedding licence, sun deck, 2-acre gardens, covered swimming pool (12 by 4 metres), tennis, EV charging, unsuitable for disabled.
Background music
none.
Children
all ages welcomed, extra bed £20, early supper for under-5s.
Dogs
allowed in garden bedrooms (£15 a night), lounge, bar, not in restaurants.
Credit cards
Amex, MC, Visa.
Prices
B&B doubles from £189, singles from £112. Set-price menu £39.50–£49.50. 1-night bookings usually refused (but call to check).
Other reviews
VisitEngland Four Star Country House Hotel
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Star Castle
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- The Independent: Britain’s best historic hotels
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