Although we stayed in the nearby self catering accomodation - which is basically unchanged since I reviewed it in March - we took the opportunity to quickly look at five or six of the bedrooms in the hotel. Previous reviewers had described these as being ;shabby' but some have now been refurbished (part of a programme) with good quality furnishings and fittings and in very tasteful colours. A very nice touch is the fact that the various flat roofs and odd areas which some bedrooms overlook at the back have all been cleared and tidied up with well tended pot plants giving a very pleasant outlook for all rooms.

The new entrance / reception area has some odd touches - upward lighting on an outside step - but the various public areas offer a variety of spaces and some fine views of the beach.

Apparently the next generation of the family owners now run the hotel and have made some very noticeable improvements. Vegetarian food dishes in the hotel dining room still slightly disappointing (though very friendly and helpful staff)

Our ratings, below, refer to the self service accomodation rather than the hotel.
Carbis Bay station is close by, up a steep incline; if coming with luggage by train a taxi back from St Ives station is an option as this is a very scenic train line.

We have been coming to the Carbis Bay Hotel at least once, sometimes twice a year. Christmas and New Year is a particular favourite holiday. The two children (12 and 16) love it. The hotel has always maintained it's family approach and the staff are always friendly. The restaurant is always a special experience 5* food througout the day. On top of all this it's got a private beach. Hate going home!

Our running club decided to try this hotel for our annual awards dinner so stayed there for the night . Our room was spacious , very nice and with a lovey sea view . A nice deep bath , comfortable bed and very well presented .
We were a party of 105 and we were served like we were 10 ! The service was extremely efficient , the staff polite and the food both hot and delicious .
James in the bar was great !
I cannot fault a thing about the hotel and their staff are a credit to them .
Breakfast in the morning overlooking St Ives bay was wonderful .
I've lived in Cornwall all my life and if I was asked to recommend a place to stay here I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the carbis bay hotel . It's right on the beach , it's a 25 min beautiful walk from St Ives , it's a top notch hotel with great staff .
And here's the cherry on the top - it's not that expensive !
I've stayed in £350 per night hotels that are not a patch on this one !

We have visited the Carbis Bay Hotel twice before and enjoyed the experience very much. The thing that stopped us visiting more often was the thought of driving down ( 220miles )particularly if the weather is bad. Then we read about the train ( the Paddington/Exeter/Penzance express. We joined the train at Reading and had a very relaxing journey on both ways.There was not much difference in time or cost between driving and train. We managed very well in St Ives using public transport to get to Zennor and Gurnards Head. We could also have gone to Truro and Penzance using public transport if we had had a longer stay..
Our room was lovely with a small balcony opening onto the garden. The bed was very comfortable and had a duvet which is so much better than blankets. The bathroom had a great power shower and there was a kettle and cups in the room. We had taken our Christmas cards to write in peace and quiet - my friends were so jealous about that ,and we managed to write them very successfully in the conservatory particularly when we indulged in a cream tea!. The breakfast was excellent and the evening meal always delicious - we were spoilt for choice with a different menu every evening.
Every thing was good quality from the handwash and hand cream in the cloakroom, room, the hairdyer,sheets, pillows, ( 4 ) duvets etc. Now we have sussed out the train journey we will be back soon. There have been some very stylish renovations since our last visit which add even more light and space.