Portloe, United Kingdom
Price
$$
Rated for
Heritage Local DesignOutside the door
The house
Bespoke HotelsSmugglers' cove inn
Whitewashed cottages and a seventeenth-century inn sit right on the slipway, where day boats land the evening catch.
What it’s good at
Notable
Whitewashed seventeenth-century smugglers' inn perched right on Portloe's rocky harbour slipway.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
The interiors are warm and inviting, contemporary but not modernist, luxurious but not precious, and the service is attentively old-fashioned.
Somewhere quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
The South West Coast Path runs past the door, climbing the rugged cliffs of the Roseland Peninsula.
The rooms
Muted cream and grey bedrooms have deep soaking tubs, and several look straight out across the cove.
Slipway Restaurant
Tables under dark timber beams look across the water, serving freshly caught Portloe lobster and local crab.
At the table
The paneled bar sits against exposed stone, and the terrace serves Cornish cream teas overlooking the headland.
How it began
Smugglers once ran contraband French brandy through the inn until its notorious landlord was hanged in the 1890s.
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.