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Classic English B&B in Penzance (With An Italian Name)

Where: 38 Morrab Road, Penzance, Cornwall, United Kingdom, TR18 4EX

The classic bed and breakfast comes with comfortable beds, narrow staircases, a homely feel and an owner who acts half like a butler and half like your best friend. And that's exactly what you get in south-west England at Penzance's Con Amore.

A quaint traditional Cornish home, the narrow street frontage makes it a surprise to find so many rooms inside, all with an ensuite. Keith Richards (yes it's his real name, but he's not a member of the Rolling Stones) and his wife Carol are totally charming hosts, and Keith serves breakfast in the dining room in a butler-style suit--but with the personalized charm that no big hotel offers.

And as for the problem of an English breakfast, Con Amore offers enough choices (which are really very edible) that everyone should be happy, including a vegetarian, continental and full English breakfast.

If you want to explore Cornwall, Penzance is a convenient base; Con Amore is walking distance from the train station if you don't have a heavy bag, but otherwise better suited if you're coming by car. Apart from this, the only qualms we might have are a few typos on their website, especially the warning that they're sometimes fully booked during peek season. Beware of any holes in the walls where others might peek through!

Related Stories:
· Cornwall Hotel Listings [Cornwall Guide]

Tags: Hotels / → All Tags

Old Coastguard Hotel

Where: Mousehole, Penzance, England, United Kingdom, TR19 6PR

Since we learned that summer vacation prices will stay expensive this year, consider the Cornish coast of England, a destination featured in Budget Travel for its lack of summer crowds and high-season prices.

The Old Coastguard Hotel is a small hotel (23 rooms) in the town of Mousehole (its pronounced Mau-zel, but we like saying Mouse-Hole.) Since this was an old lookout for the Coastguard, almost of all of the rooms have views of the bay. Aside from friendly staff and prime beachfront location, there's also an award-winning restaurant inside that a recent guest recommends:

The food at The Old Coastguard was superlative, complemented by an interesting wine list, and energetic and attentive service. The bar stocks local beers and wines (the beer was better at the hotel than in the pub) and we can highly recommend the Camel Valley Atlantic Dry.

Doube rooms start at $158 and include breakfast.

Related Stories:
· Secret Hotels of Cornwall [Budget Travel Online]
· Old Coastguard reviews [TripAdvisor]