As soon as we arrived (7:30am) which was far earlier than expected the lovely lady at reception held our luggage whilst we relaxed in the lounge upstairs. Once the room was ready, I noticed that it was clean and not a hair out of place. The towels are crisp white and the bathroom was probably the cleanest I’ve seen. The breakfast was so good. The sausages here are incredible and because of dietary requirements they were more than happy to oblige. We were given recommendations on what to do by a friendly member of staff. Any requests that we had made were dealt with quickly and we felt really comfortable staying here. The location is perfect. In the centre of it all, shops, restaurants and cafes on your doorstop. If you like a quick dip in the abbey slip you’re not too far away from the hotel for a hot shower after. We’ll be back for sure.

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The room was spacious and clean with plenty of storage. We had an amazing view of the sea too. The breakfast was lovely with choice of cereals and cooked breakfast and the staff were efficient and friendly. There was entertainment in the bar on the Saturday evening which was good and the bar staff were friendly. The location of the hotel is excellent for walking to the sea front and around the shops. The building was beautiful with lots of history and original features.

The building is beautiful but could do with a little updating inside. This would be very expensive though. The Wifi in the room would cut out occasionally but this wasn't a huge problem.

All staff were great. Location central for shops, pubs/restaurants, seafront/harbour. Breakfast was choice of 4 cereals, full English breakfast, toast and jams, yoghurt, fruit juices, tea/coffee. Bathroom was good - shower consistent, warm. Taps good flow of hot and cold water. Beds very soft and comfortable, with soft, white sheets, pillowcases and duvet cover. An old building full of character and history. Nice bar, good ale. We had a sea view too!

Carpets/decor needs a bit of money spent on it, (carpets a bit grubby in places), very dated furniture (though functionable). These things did not spoil our stay there at all though.

This wonderful hotel has a fascinating history and now a literary history too - I was drawn to it when I discovered it had partly inspired an exciting new novel, Whistling Jack, by Penzance-based writer Josephine Gardiner. A beautiful old building with lots of slightly faded glamour. I have found with hotels of this type, reviews can vary wildly because sometimes the glamour is more faded in one room than another. I was very lucky with my single room, 12, which has the best view in Penzance - over the rooftops and out to sea - and you can admire this view from on high without anyone overlooking you! There's a floor to ceiling curving window on one wall. The two smaller windows on two other walls made this an airy place during a heatwave. The room was well equipped and the shower was powerful and well-designed. The staff are exceptionally kind and helpful and the cooked breakfasts delicious. The public rooms, like the breakfast room and assembly rooms, are fascinating, full of strange statuary and paintings. Finally, the hotel couldn't be better located - in the centre of Penzance with lots of good bars, cafes, shops around you. Nearby Morrab Gardens and the grounds of St Mary's Church are lovely quiet places to sit. Ferry port and train station are both nearby too (quite a steep route with luggage, so think about a taxi). The Hypatia Trust bookshop, Women in Word, just round the corner, off Chapel Street, sells the novel Whistling Jack that led me to chose this hotel for my visit - but, don't worry, the hotel of the 1970s in the book was only inspired by the Union Hotel which is not a spooky place in real life.

I think a simple way to raise overall review scores would be either to have a hairdryer in each room - or just to make it clearer in advance that you borrow them for short periods from reception.

Location of hotel very central & within easy walking distance from train. The hotel was an old hotel with lots of history relating to the Battle of Trafagular - very interesting. The room was adequate with a shower over the bath. Bed was a bit bouncy & tended to wake my partner with every little movement. The room was quiet. The breakfast was lovely with a range of options. Price of hotel was fairly high but I guess what you expect to pay in a town of this size.

Staff are brilliant really go out of their way to help if they can. Great pint of Guinness & just a nice vibe about the place. View from the window of our room was brilliant. Coffee sugar & kettle in the room by request.

Obviously it’s a bit dated but a few cheap upgrades would make all the difference like install usb sockets so you could charge the phone or tablet etc, secondly those headboards on the beds are dreadful. Finally the lock on the door in our room (25) was knackered.

Everything about this hotel was perfect. If you want a bit of character, rather than your big standard premier inn, then this is the place for you! Historical building, beautiful room with original features and non ikea furniture, sea view to haze out at. I was travelling on my own and stayed at the hotel for 5 nights, all staff were super friendly, especially those on the breakfast duties. Respected my privacy whilst at the same time always been willing to help. Highly recommend and can’t wait to stay again- thank you!

Nothing really, the only slight problem was a leaky shower adapter but was still able to have a lovely hot bath and shower in morning…just old school style ;)

This is not a 'luxury hotel' but is affordable and pleasant. The staff were extremely cheerful and helpful and went out of their way to to make us feel at home. My fiend and I booked a twin room and were very pleased to find ourselves in a large family room with a twin and two singles directly opposite the Egyptian House. The hotel is right in the centre of town which makes everything easily accessible. Parking provided which was a bonus especially at the height of the season. I will certainly use it again in the future.

The interior of the hotel would certainly benefit from redecoration and new carpets but this would cost a fortune in such a large and interesting building and would almost certainly lead to less affordable prices, which would be a great shame. Our bedroom certainly was more than adequate in size and was perfectly clean with comfortable beds.

The bar was very comfortable with great bar staff. We had a snack at lunchtime and dinner before going out, both were well presented and were good value for money. The breakfast was very good. It was freshly cooked and was delivered within the time I would have expected. The location is perfect for exploring the town. The Car Park can get full, so make sure you get there as early as you can. The Car Park is around the back of the hotel - Check Google Maps!

There is not much we didn't like about this hotel. As mentioned, the Car Park could be an issue, but not for us, as we got there around 1/2pm. The only downside, which was not the hotels fault was the noise from some drunken people. As we had a room at the front and on the first floor (with the window open) we heard some fairly 'fruity' language!! If you are a light sleeper, I would suggest asking for a room towards the rear of the hotel.

Room was at front of hotel with a large window letting in lots of light. Interesting view along historic street and The Egyptian House opposite. Room had been decorated and had new carpet. Furniture very old but added to ambience of the room and hotel. Comfortable stay for a couple of days. Breakfast was very good with a variety of options, and bar in the evening comfortable if you didn't want to venture out and also sold "pub grub" which was very good. The hotel building is very old and historic. Therefore if you appreciate an old building which is quirky and interesting (but does need some maintenance), this hotel will suit you. Staff were lovely and very helpful. We also met so many friendly people also staying at the hotel. Hotel so well placed to walk around historic area and near bus and rail station. Loved Penzance.

Room was comfortable but could have done with some small additions to make it more user friendly e.g. hooks in room or bathroom to hang clothes, towels or even wet things up for drying. There were none at all. Car parking around the back was not easy to get to (one way streets etc) and very limited - we left car once parked and got buses (which suited us anyway) in case we couldn't park again. However, there is a long stay car park near hotel.