The Idle Rocks is an idyllic luxury hotel in Cornwall with the most enviable locations in St Mawes overlooking the harbour with sea views across the River Fal to Falmouth. The Idle Rocks has been included in a list of the best coastal European hotels by the Sunday Times Travel magazine, offering a luxury getaway for lovers of food, wine, romance and relaxation.
The essence of the luxury accommodation at The Idle Rocks lies in its capacity to make you feel at home. 18 individually decorated rooms with unique character hold every amenity necessary to make your stay comfortable including free wi-fi and Nespresso coffee maker. Most rooms offer stunning sea views.
Each room is individually finished and most have sea views with a stylish blend between contemporary comfort and seaside charm delivered thanks to the design prowess of Karen Richards, who co-owns the hotel with her husband, David. Karen’s signature style is seen throughout every space in the hotel, with many of the unique trinkets, artworks and ornaments hand-selected by her.
All individually decorated rooms at Idle Rocks feature a flat-screen TV, vintage radio, Cornish tea, a Nespresso coffee maker and a bathroom with a bath or shower, and some with a rain-effect shower. Some rooms have views of the harbour and St Anthony’s Head. Some TVs also double as mirrors.
Grand Seaview Rooms have an extra touch of luxury – lie in bed and you could be floating on the sea, sit by the window and spend hours watching the ebb and flow of the tide over the rocks below.
The most luxurious rooms are undeniably The Idle Rocks’ Grand Sea View rooms. Perched at the top of the hotel, these are its largest rooms and, as you might imagine, each has vistas across the ocean, which never fail to amaze.
Whether you opt to stay in Grand Seaview, a Village Hideaway or even a spacious Family Seaview, each Idle Rocks room comes with a plethora of in-room treats including locally made iced teas, a Nespresso coffee machine, bath products and a selection of Cornish Tregothnan teas – without any single-use plastic in sight.
The Idle Rocks has two dog friendly rooms on the ground floor where you can stay with your dog, dogs are not permitted inside the restaurant, bar, lounge or terrace. The hotel’s staff can recommend a wide number of dog-friendly beaches in the surroundings.
Tucked away on the upper floor of the hotel, nestles The Reef Knot Retreat Treatment Room offering an array of wellness treatments. Enjoy a moment of reset for your mind, body & spirit with therapeutic treatments using Aromatherapy Associates massage and beauty products. The ultimate way to soothe muscles after a day spent hiking along the Cornish coast.
Foodies will love The Idle Rocks with its award winning dining. The restaurant and south facing terrace offer an ideal location to enjoy delicious food, centred on fresh Cornish ingredients sourced locally and the head chef is also a keen forager.
The hotel restaurant, led by Executive Head Chef Dorian Janmaat, focuses on locally sourced produce with flavour, texture and presentation being integral to all dishes. Dorian and his team have designed a menu around stories brought to fruition through carefully developed relationships with local suppliers, fishermen and farmers. It’s a true celebration of Cornwall and offers an unforgettable culinary journey, with strong emphasis on seasonal flavours, keeping true to our sustainability ethos.
While once a traditional fishing hub, St. Mawes is now a coveted destination for well-to-do travellers seeking a secluded retreat, paving the way for a series of upmarket restaurants, shops, hotels and galleries to find a home here.
St Mawes is a pretty little village; its streets are lined with delis and cafes, kids hyper from ice cream and pasties tear down cobbled alleys and couples with takeaway fish and chips huddle on the bustling harbour to watch the boats come and go.
What really sets The Idle Rocks above the rest is the hotel’s commitment to proving that luxury and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. The hotel implements a dedicated ‘Buy Local’ policy, which extends far further than the obvious food and drink; stationary, building materials and other consumables are all sourced from nearby suppliers, which not only limits the carbon impact of shipping but also ensures money is being fed back into the local community.
Water and energy consumption are also closely monitored, with the team aiming to lower usage year on year. While recycling should come as standard at a luxury hotel, The Idle Rocks takes things one step further by using an electric milk float to collect waste. The culmination of these efforts across the board is a hotel that is making a difference and showing the rest of the industry how it should be done.
The village is home to St Mawes Castle, coastal and inland walks and watersports. Falmouth is a mile away by small ferry service which operates regularly all year round. Trelissick Gardens, St Austell and Truro town centres are 30 minutes’ drive away.
The area surrounding St. Mawes is truly one of the most beautiful in Cornwall. Enjoy a short boat journey over to nearby Place, which is the ideal starting point for a gentle amble around the Roseland Peninsula, with stop-offs at its many secluded coves. As the area is quite remote and mostly only accessible by boat, you’ll find these beaches free from the tourist crowds that plague much of the county.
Watersports enthusiasts will also find plenty on offer in the area, from paddleboarding in the calm waters of the estuary to sailing further out in the open ocean, or even just a leisurely cruise along the Cornish coastline. If you’re a keen wild swimmer, The Idle Rocks has direct access to the beach for a pre-breakfast dip in the crystal waters.
If you want to travel further afield, the larger town of Falmouth, which is home to a number of boutique shops, bars and restaurants, is a twenty-minute boat ride away. For a longer day out, arrange a wine tasting and tour at Trevibban Mill Vineyard, found towards Cornwall’s northern coast. Tie the visit in with a trip to nearby Padstow, an upmarket seaside town with plenty of galleries, eateries and beaches.
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