Cultural tours, amazing beach walks, water sports and shopping are just some of the activities you can enjoy in Falmouth, Cornwall. But what we really love about this place is its sense of community, as Cornwall’s only university town with a cosy population of just 20,000 inhabitants. Looking for places to stay in Falmouth on your next visit? In this guide, we compile some of the best hotels in Falmouth for every style and budget. But first, let’s take a look at some of the things you can’t miss on your next visit.
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Best hotels in Falmouth: our personal top picks
Ready to start booking straight away? Before we dive into details, here’s a quick list of the best hotels in Falmouth, depending on the kind of vibe you’re looking for:
⭐ Greenbank Hotel: best luxury hotel in Falmouth, with gorgeous seafront location
🏖️ Membly Hall Hotel: best hotel in Falmouth near Gyllyngvase Beach
🍺 Chain Locker: best inn in Falmouth, set in one of the town’s oldest buildings
🍳 Anacapri: best B&B in Falmouth, with superb views above Gyllyngvase Beach
Is Falmouth worth visiting?
If you’re looking for somewhere a bit different to stay in Cornwall than the popular tourist spots like Newquay or St Ives, then Falmouth is an excellent choice! We love its laidback and creative atmosphere.
Before we dive into the best places to stay in Falmouth, let’s quickly take a look at the two sides that bring charm to this beautiful town: culture and nature.
In case you don’t know, Falmouth has been the setting for several films and television programmes like Windbag the Sailor, Treasure Island, and War World Z. It was chosen as a location because of the quality of the scenery and the culture that lies behind all of its streets, stores and theatres. We strongly suggest you include these plans if you decide to go on a cultural day out in Falmouth day:
- Take the Falmouth walking tour to explore the hidden gems of the town
- Visit the National Maritime Museum
- Visit the Falmouth Art Gallery
Nature spots and beaches in Falmouth
If you are not so much into exploring culture, but rather want to spend all your leisure time connected to nature, there’s plenty of that in Falmouth too. That town has great beaches, coastal views and water sports that anyone can enjoy. Make sure you don’t miss Falmouth’s best beaches:
- Gyllyngvase Beach
- Swanpool Beach
- Castle Beach
For a complete overview of activities, you can read our full blog post on 15 fabulous things to do in Falmouth, Cornwall.
Best places to stay in Falmouth
Let’s jump into our top picks of the best places to stay in Falmouth. First, we’ll go over hotels in Falmouth, guest houses, and last but not least, a bonus pick for budget travellers.
Best hotels in Falmouth
1. Greenbank Hotel
Highlights: pet-friendly hotel. Amazing breakfast and dinner service. Only hotel in the South West with private pontoons.
The first of our choices for the best hotels in Falmouth is Greenbank Hotel. This is the perfect choice for sea views and water sports lovers. It is the oldest hotel in Falmouth (dating from 1620) and the only in the southwest with private pontoons. That means that you can get here by boat and arrive right to Greenbank Hotel’s doorstep. You can arrange a drop or pick-up at this point or even moor up your own boat!
This hotel is located 15 minutes away from the National Maritime Museum and has a restaurant that, as you will see, is one of its highlights. Food is local and fresh, and you’ll enjoy an exceptional harbour view with each of your meals.
The hotel is also pet-friendly, rooms are fully-equipped, and you will receive some welcome treats on your arrival. Port-view rooms are available.
View prices for The Greenbank Hotel2. Rosemullion Hotel
Highlights: freshly cooked breakfast, vegan and gluten-free options. Outstanding staff.
If location is your priority, then Rosemullion Hotel must be among your top picks. This is a family-run hotel owned by Gail, who takes great pride in being the second generation running the place. You can tell the staff here have been selectively picked for their hospitality skills and have worked here for many years, since the service they provide is outstanding.
There’s plenty of parking available upon arrival, and you’ll be just a ten minutes walk from town, and five minutes to the beach and train station. Sea-view rooms are available, and we highly recommend them if you can get one.
Breakfast is one of our highlights since there are so many options, including fresh vegan and gluten-free menus. They even offer a take-out breakfast if you can’t have it in the hotel before checking out.
View prices for Rosemullion Hotel3. The Royal Duchy Hotel
Highlights: free EV charging, Beachfront location.
Only ten minutes from Gyllyngvase Beach, The Royal Duchy Hotel is also on our list of best hotels in Falmouth. With a beachfront location, this place is perfect if you want a vacation surrounded by nature. You can easily get to Falmouth centre within walking distance as well.
Parking is easy. The hotel has high-standard rooms with 24-hour room service. Rooms with Cornwall coast scenic views are available. Not only is breakfast amazing, including many vegan-friendly options, but you also get to enjoy it sitting on a wonderful sea-view patio.
Electric vehicle charging is available at no extra cost.
View prices for The Royal Duchy Hotel4. The Falmouth Hotel
Highlights: sea view, amazing building construction, common areas.
The Falmouth Hotel is an outstanding Victorian construction located right in the sea, also known as the “Grande Dame of Falmouth”. Views from this hotel are just amazing, and due to its classic construction, it has sizeable and comfortable bedrooms with large beds, and jacuzzi options are available too.
This is a pet-friendly hotel. Parking is available onsite, and it has a fitness centre in case you want to stay fit during your vacation. Pool and spa services are available for visitors, and there is also a very nicely decorated sitting area where you can interact with other guests.
You have the option here to book rooms with a desk, which, combined with the general excellent facilities, makes this our top choice in Falmouth for a workation in Cornwall.
View prices for The Falmouth Hotel5. Merchants Manor Spa
Highlights: amazing breakfast with a view. 24-access to free barista coffee service.
Maybe one of the top highlights of Merchants Manor Spa is that it hosts Falmouth’s highest-awarded restaurant: Rastella. Of course, that makes it hard for other hotels to compete with this in terms of its exclusive and fresh-cooked breakfast (which you also get to enjoy in the sea-view dining room, a pretty hard combination to beat).
Sea-view rooms with hot tubs are available upon reservation. The hotel has a gym, pool and spa that all guests can access.
Something we also like about this place is the 24-hour access to barista coffee and incredible staff service.
View prices for Merchants Manor Spa6. Penmere Manor Hotel
Highlights: swimming pool, big family rooms, staff.
This Georgian home is located at a one-mile distance from the main centre of Falmouth. Its decoration and style is classic, which many would consider old-fashioned, but we enjoy it since the history behind Penmere Manor Hotel is one of its main attractions.
Rooms are large, with very comfy beds, and you can pick either the garden or woodlands view. Family rooms are huge, so if you are on a family-vacation plan then this might be a good option for your stay.
There’s also a nice common area with an interior swimming pool, jacuzzi and sauna. Parking is available, and you will be impressed by the amazing staff and restaurant service.
View prices for Penmere Manor Hotel7. St Michaels Resort
Highlights: hydrothermal experience in spa, Amazing breakfast and meals with sea view.
St Michaels Resort is a 4-star hotel, located just two minutes away from the South West Coastal Path. Cornish executive chef Darren hosts the amazing restaurant Brasserie on the Bay, which you’ll find within the resort. Breakfast is served here, with a varied menu that includes vegetarian and vegan options.
The hotel has two swimming pools, free parking and beachfront rooms. You must enjoy the hydrothermal experience in the award-winning spa, which received a gold recognition in 2021 in the “South West Tourism Award for Spa & Wellbeing Experience of the Year” category.
The fitness centre, jacuzzi and swimming pool facilities are available for all guests. Don’t miss the fruit juice stations around the hotel, specially prepared with fresh locally sourced fruits.
View prices for St Michaels Resort8. Membly Hall Hotel
Highlights: spa and sauna, great breakfast served in the sea view restaurant
Membly Hall Hotel has a fabulous seafront setting just a couple of minutes’ walk from the edge of Gyllyngvase Beach. It’s a friendly, family-run hotel that has been open for more than half a century. In fact, three generations of the same family all work on the premises.
The outdoor spaces at Membly Hall Hotel are wonderful, especially the flowery gardens and terrace facing out onto the sea. And there’s also the option of absorbing the views from the sun lounge, where there is an in-house bar.
While the hotel has an intimate feel, it has very good spa facilities, including a hot tub and sauna for unwinding at the end of an active day.
View prices for Membly Hall Hotel9. The Lerryn
Highlights: peaceful location close to seafront, great breakfast included
We always love to find hotels in that sweet spot of a location that is quiet while being close to attractions. The Lerryn is exactly that, nestled in a secluded spot a couple of blocks back from the seafront, and a short walk into town. It’s also very close to Falmouth Town train station, so it’s ideal if you’re arriving by rail.
This is a cosy-hotel run by a local couple, with some lovely family rooms, some featuring balconies. Dogs are welcome too! The breakfast is included in room rates and is one of the most varied you will find in a small hotel like this, with smoked salmon and scrambled egg or feta and mushrooms on toast among the options.
We recommend booking a sea view room to make the most of the gorgeous location.
View prices for The LerrynBest guest houses in Falmouth
10. Anacapri
Highlights: comfortable beds. Beach chairs and towels to borrow for free.
Anacapri is a 5-star Falmouth B&B located just above Gyllyngvase beach. Not only is this featured in our list of best hotels in Falmouth, but it is also a winner of the Laterooms ‘Simply The Guest’ Award for the Best Beach Hotel in the UK.
The location is great, with walking distance to town and right on a beach access point. The hotel provides beach towels and chairs that guests can borrow and take all day to the beach for free.
Rooms have comfortable, king-size beds and are very well-equipped. Sea-view rooms are available. You can pre-order your breakfast the night before, which we appreciate since this is a policy they use to avoid food waste. Tea, coffee, bottled water and snacks are available in the reception area for guests to serve themselves all day long.
View prices for Anacapri11. Poltair Guest House
Highlights: complimentary treats and bottle of wine at the room, location.
Close to the railway station and walking distance from Gylly beach, Poltair Guest House is another great option for your next stay in Falmouth. This is another family-run accommodation, and enjoys a similar secluded location to The Lerryn.
Owners can’t be more attentive to details such as extras in the room like milk, sweets and even a bottle of wine for you to start your “vacation mood” after a long trip. Definitely in our list of best guest houses in Falmouth.
There’s a stunning tropical garden just outside the property, and you can easily park your car for free in the surrounding area. Cooked breakfast is served, with take-out options available too if you have an early departure. Vegan and gluten-free options are also a plus.
Six of the rooms have balconies and sea views, so book one of those if you can!
View prices for Poltair Guest House12. Oasis House
Highlights: easy check-in, great kitchen and dining area.
Next of our choices for the best guest houses in Falmouth is Oasis House. If you are looking for a place to spend the night, with easy, contactless check-in and check-out, Oasis house may be the best choice.
This house is owned and operated by Prosper Serviced Accommodation, and has a very nice set of common areas like a full kitchen, washing machine and dining spot that all guests can enjoy during their stay.
Rooms are small but fully equipped, with coffee and tea makers in all units. The property is spotless, recently refurbished, with everything you need for a leisure trip. Value for money is a highlight here.
And even though the check-in/out process is contactless, a very nice staff team is there to help you out if you need someone to assist you in your stay.
View prices for Oasis House13. Tregenna Guest House
Highlights: great breakfast, value for money, charming decoration.
Five minutes away from the beach and town, Tregenna Guest House has the perfect location for those wanting to explore both the natural and cultural highlights of Falmouth. This guest house has seven recently refurbished rooms, very nicely decorated with panoramic views to the Harbour and Carrick roads. Beach vibes are all over this B&B.
The hotel provides free parking and a full-cooked Cornish breakfast for all guests, with homemade bakery options. Treats for guests are provided in all rooms. Great value for money.
View prices for Tregenna Guest HouseMore places to stay in Falmouth: homely inns
14. Jacobs Ladder Inn
Highlights: pub-hotel. Live music and entertainment, pet friendly.
Jacobs Ladder Inn is a pub-hotel built in a typical Falmouth pub. You’ll want to consider this B&B if you get bored easily. Live music shows, entertainment events and live sports are shown on the pub’s projector screen. You can also play darts while enjoying a beer with the pub’s owners, who will make you feel at home as soon as you arrive.
The best part: according to most guests, music is not an issue at night. Owners know exactly how to manage this, and it makes both pub and hotel guests enjoy 100% of their stay.
Tea and coffee makers are available in all rooms, and cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the pub. The hotel is also pet friendly.
View prices for Jacobs Ladder Inn15. Chain Locker
Highlights: harbour views, historic setting, great food and drink
We wrap up our selection of places to stay in Falmouth with one of its most characterful inns: Chain Locker. Set in one of the town’s oldest buildings, the charming pub dates back to the 16th century, but has been refreshed with a stylish, modern touch.
The inn overlooks the harbour, and with an large outdoor seating area it’s a glorious spot for relaxing with a meal or a couple of pints of local ale in the sunshine. With just six rooms, the accommodation feels more like a boutique hotel than a pub, combining vintage decor with cosy furnishings.
Overall, Chain Locker has the essence of staying somewhere a little bit special while immersing yourself in a little slice in the town’s history.
View prices for Chain LockerMap of best hotels in Falmouth
Click the map below to browse the locations of the hotels in Falmouth featured in this article:
Are you planning to travel elsewhere in Cornwall on your trip? Check our articles on the best things to do in Penzance, things to do in St Ives and things to do in Truro.
For accommodation options, see our guides to hotels in Penzance and places to stay in St Ives.
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