Star Castle Hotel

Rising above the ocean, on an island that is a part of the Isles of Scilly off the southwestern tip of Cornwall is the one-of-a-kind 8-pointed former fortress come current boutique hotel known as Star Castle. Housing 38 rooms and suites both within the castle and on the surrounding grounds that are designed as an ode to its past, this boutique hotel offers its guests a unique experience and perspective of its history. Being on a small isle, staff are all local and have been at the hotel for a lifetime, making a stay here feel less like a hotel and more like a family home.     

Top Tips

• The 38 rooms and suites of Star Castle Hotel are divided into 3 types; Castle rooms, Garden rooms, and Guard rooms. The Castle rooms are housed (as the name suggests) inside the castle itself and are therefore oddly shaped, the Garden rooms and suites are larger country cottage style rooms with their very own private entrances that are located on the surrounding grounds, and finally, the Guard rooms are single rooms individually located on the Ramparts surrounding the castle.
  
  
• If you’re travelling as a family, we suggest booking the Garden suites as they are much bigger and can accommodate extra beds and cots. To up the ante, ask for a room/suite with a private verandah and a sea/harbour view. If you’re a single traveller, the best option is the Guard rooms as they are the perfect fit for a solo wanderer (bonus: They are the original buildings and have plenty of character).
  
  
• There are many ways to get to Star Castle Hotel but if you’re coming from London you can either take an hour long flight to Penzance or take a 5 hour train trip. Once you’re in Penzance, hop on a plane from Land’s End Airport and you’ll be on the St Mary’s (the island Star Castle is located on) within 15 minutes. While the flight is the fastest way to get to the isle, the trip by train allows you to get a mini tour through the English countryside.
  
  
• If you’re a fan of wine or lobster, definitely give HolyVale Vineyard (Star Castle’s very own vineyard) a visit to enjoy a great selection of vintage wines along with a freshly caught lobster lunch. If you have a free afternoon enjoy a delicious wine tasting accompanied with an array of complementing tapas for only 18 euros per person.  
  
  
• While Star Castle is located on the biggest island of the Isles of Scilly, you should use your time there to explore all the other islands and everything they have to offer. Of the 140 tiny islands that make up the archipelago, only 5 of them a inhabited; St Mary’s, Tresco, Bryher, St Martin’s and St Agnes. Each of these places offers a village experience married with the slowed pace of island living; making the Isles of Scilly the perfect getaway destination.