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Reviews of Contemporary Beach House with sea views and short walk to Blue Flag beach

Contemporary Beach House with sea views and short walk to Blue Flag beach
Porthtowan, Cornwall

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 94 out of 119 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 19 out of 119 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 119 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 119 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 119 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

June P.

Liked: Cleanliness
Porthtowan
Lovely place to stay, beach perfect for the dogs and people all very friendly. Accommodation good, could have been much better with a welcome pack! The steps were a challenge, I consider myself quite fit but 74steps to climb with luggage not easy, added to which my husband scraped his car on the hand rail while trying to park on the tricky slope. The views were amazing from the deck as expected.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Lucile A.

Liked: Cleanliness
Wonderful /magnifique!
Toute la famille a adoré le sejour : running, visites, balades, apero eg diners au Blue. Tout etait parfait! On a meme pu prolongé d'une nuit. Merci Mark !!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sophie L.

Liked: Cleanliness
Wonderful weekend!
We had an amazing weekend at this property, it’s a really comfortable house with all you need. We were two families with kids aged between 5-10 and we all had a blast! The beds are super comfortable, seating areas are great with ample space for relaxing and enjoying the stunning views. We were blessed with amazing April weather and it was such a treat to wake up to the sound of the waves and watch the sun rise above Porthtowan. Local cafe and bars are lovely too and bonus playground within watching distance. We have already booked to return- highly recommend!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Peter C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Stay Fit
The house was lovely, however the 72 steps up and down were available for a fitness review.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

David S.

Liked: Cleanliness
much needed escape with an amazing view
We needed an early year escape, had discovered Wheal Coates a couple of years ago and Porthtowan seemed like an ideal base for the weekend. The house was perfect for the four of us, with lots of space and incredible choice of rooms. Views of the waves were better than we expected even. Everything was clean - kitchen was great - lots of mugs, glasses, plates etc. Lots of steps up to the front door, but most were shallow so it was not too tiring after a long walk round the coast path. Parking space was large enough for one car but being up a ramp, i would not have wanted to try to park another car behind it. The main car park in Porthtowan was free at this time of year, though, and was only a couple of minutes walk away. Altogether very comfortable - would definitely love to come again, especially as nowhere is far to get to, even on the other coast.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Casey S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely 2 night stay
Thanks for having us. Perfect location and the property had everything we needed to make it a lovely simple stay by the seaside
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Super house, great location
A well equipped house with plenty of room for all to enjoy. Rooms are all comfortable and there are plenty of toilets and showers. The house was warm and the owners provided everything needed. The views are gorgeous and it literally is a two minute walk to the lovely beach and coastal walks. The Unicorn Pub does good food and is a 1 minute walk. There are a lot of steps up to reach the property!! We loved our stay at Beach House.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Carol F.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beautiful Location
The property is in a wonderful location and is warm and spacious with amazing views especially from one of the upstairs bedrooms. Showers are good, huge bath and lovely comfortable beds. A few things need a bit of attention especially outside but on the whole a lovely property. This property is definitely not for anyone with mobility issues or infirm.
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

Sarah K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Spacious family house ideal for large family gatherings
A Christmas venue for family get together. Host gave us access as soon as it was ready and any minor issues caused by previous tenants were resolved satisfactorily. As long as you are fit, the climb up the steps is totally worth it for the amazing views from the decking and garden. The 3 en suites plus a family bathroom are a real bonus for large family get togethers.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Fabulous Winter Beach Holiday Retreat
We had a wonderful few days, there was a great entertaining space and an awesome chill out room with wood burner and sea views - would definitely recommend
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sarah S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Excellent stay
Our second time staying in this wonderful property. Clean, well equipped and in a lovely location. Great for getting out and about. We coped with the steep steps (good exercise), but needed to remember a torch when coming back after dark.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Shaun K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Winter break
Lovely house with fantastic views. Really well equipped and spacious. Very close to the beach, perfect place for a Cornish break! Our only slight gripe would be the parking, it was a little tricky reversing down off the slope.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Susan D.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great visit!!
Property is accurately described in the listing. House is very spacious! Bed was very comfortable. Nice quiet neighborhood. Beautiful beach view! We enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mel G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great sea view
Perfect location. Lovely balcony with view of the beach.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Deborah C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Short stay
Rented for 3 days in order to attend family funeral. Good space for family, great views.Good size bedrooms, has everything you need. Couldn’t get front wheel drive car up slope to park, so unloaded at base of drive, and parked at free parking opposite village store. Loading and unloading hard work up all the steps if you have a young family, or if you are infirm.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Molly C., England

Liked: Cleanliness
Holiday
Thank you so much for letting us book last minute! The house was lovely even better than the pictures, we can’t wait to come back with more family next time!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

6/10 Okay

Carol B.

My Opinion
Parking on the drive is ok if your car sits high off the ground but my old car grounded trying to get along the lane and again, trying to negotiate the steep drive which is big enough for one car, very difficult for two cars to share. I tried to find alternative parking, one kindly local offered his unused allocated parking space but the next day, his very aggressive neighbour physically threatened us and alluded to the strong possibility that my car could get damaged if I didn't move it. I didn't bother trying to contact the owner because my attempts to communicate with him prior to our visit, to request an earlier check-in time (5pm, really?!) met with obtuse responses so any ask for help or advice from him felt like it would be a futile effort. My opinion was compounded by the lack of any welcome pack, local information, emergency contact details, and no communication from him throughout (or after) our stay. The property itself needs alot of work. Eg the outdoor seating is broken in places and whilst the property boasts 4 bathrooms, the 2 upstair showers aren't fit for purpose (1 is a tap over the bath, the other is a dribble and useless if you have a head of hair to wash). As for the outdoor shower (which was a selling point for us to wash down after our daily trip to the beach), it was unaccessible amongst overgrown vegetation. We paid good money for our stay. Maybe the owner should consider investing any profit into property maintenance and customer service training.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jane H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great property
Great house for a family holiday and great host who promptly replied to any queries. We love the house so much we have stayed there on two previous occasions and have booked for next year!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Dylan B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Amazing
We loved are time in Cornwall and the house , the wheaten was good and had lots of fun. We did have a little problem with the downstairs en-suite as it had a leak from the upstairs bathroom. But that didn’t stop us from having a good time . Thank you for the great house
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Francesca O.

Liked: Cleanliness
Amazing house in great location
We stayed with family and loved the house. Stunning views of the ok ocean and very well equipped and clean, we will definitely come back
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2023

8/10 Good

kevin a.

Liked: Cleanliness
nice house - great location
very happy wit the accommodation - would definitely stay again
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

Thomas l.

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely house
Lovely house with amazing views of Porthtowan beach. Stayed with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday, had an amazing time. Large take and sofa to accommodate a large group. Would be amazing in the summer. Slight issue when we arrived due to a leak from a upstairs bathroom into downstairs bedroom. Message Mark on WhatsApp and he replied quickly. Plumber arrived same day and fixed the issue. Please note parking is a very steep ramp and we struggled to get our cars up the ramp Overall a lovely stay, would go back again
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jane W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely Beach House
Wonderful stay with friends for a 70th birthday celebration. Spacious house with flexible accommodation and stunning views of the beach. Good restaurant close by and very good details and communication from the owner. Thoroughly recommend.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Return
5th return visit to the Beach House, just a perfect property and location, great food locally at Blue Bar and Unicorn, dont hesitate if you are thinking of booking !
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

8/10 Good

Charlotte K.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beautiful weekend away
I celebrated my birthday here with a group of friends and we had a wonderful time. We had some issues getting into the house due to a confusion of two lock boxes- which has been communicated to Mark (the owner) and he'll be including in the listing in future to avoid others being confused by this. He was very helpful in his contact once we were able to get hold of him (no reception for calls or Internet in the village!) Other than this we had a fantastic time. Porthtowan is absolutely gorgeous. The local pub is nice and the staff there are very friendly, they were incredibly helpful when we were struggling to get into the house at first as none of us had any reception on our phones to access more information on Vrbo. Two really nice village shops as well. Incredible beach and wonderful place on the beach and cliffs to go for long walks and just enjoy the view of the ocean. Great house, lots of space to have big meals together, to chill in front of the fire, and have breakfast out on the porch watching the waves on the beach. Comfortable beds, nice linen. Brilliant place to take in the beauty of Cornwall.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Simone L.

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely short break
We very much enjoyed our stay at the beach house. Location and house was great. Host was very helpful and all in all very easy process to book.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Stephen C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Perfect base
Myself and a group of friends just spent a few nights here as I was taking part in The Arc of Attrition 100mile race, it was the perfect base as the race finished in porthtowan at the eco park. The property itself was clean and very spacious and had everything we needed for a large group of adults. Beautiful views, comfy beds, and lovely open living room and kitchen/dining room. Would definitely recommend.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tony B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great stay at Fab house
Superb house in a great area. Everything within reach, great pub with tasty food very close. Beautiful walks around the coastline. Entry to property after dark could do with some lighting, climbing steep steps in the dark not ideal. Decking could do with a bit attention. Fabulous time had by all
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Emma W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beach house
Flexible, tidy and come home with great views
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2022

8/10 Good

Jo D.

Liked: Cleanliness
Wonderful stay
Really great stay. Amazing location and close to everything. Parking at the property a bit of a problem for us but parking in the car park super easy and a 2 min walk. Beds super comfy and duvets lovely and warm. Would defo recommend staying at the property
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2022

6/10 Okay

Yvonne H.

Autumn Family Stay
Porthtowan as lovely as ever, even in the rain. We stayed here as a family of 6 adults and 2 children attending my fathers funeral in the area. The property is lovely and spacious, large rooms, comfy beds and pillows, this makes a big difference. The kitchen was very well equipped and it’s always helpful to have a large fridge. The large dining area is great, always nice to all sit down together when you’re away as a group. We did feel parts of the house were tired and needed attention, especially the kitchen and bathrooms. Also the two smoke alarms downstairs looked a little worrying, one was being held together with tape. Loved the large lounge area and huge comfy sofa. The master bedroom is lovely and the view amazing. Sadly the en-suite was out of action for the whole of our stay as the toilet wasn’t working and when the tap was turned on for the bath there was a strong smell of sewerage, so we were unable to use it. This smell seemed to be filling the whole of upstairs sadly, possibly a problem throughout. There were also lots of cobwebs around the house and under the beds were dusty, just not up to our standard of cleanliness. The outdoor space looked great, if the weather had been better we would have definitely used it. The decking becomes slippery when wet so that’s a caution to take note of. Also the security light at the bottom of the steps wasn’t working at all, quite tricky at night. We were aware of the steps as we saw this pointed out from a previous guest, it wasn’t an issue for us and the lovely view made the climb worth it. As most people have pointed out, the parking is awful, we just about managed it with no mishaps but can see how other people have damaged their vehicles.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Nov 28, 2022
Yvonne Thank you for your positive comments about Beach House and Porthtowan. Sorry to read that you were not able to use one of the en-suites, we have helpful local trades-people and issue with the toilet was fixed on a same-day call out. We do not take security deposits and ask that guests tell us during their stay if there is anything we can do to help. We want everyone to love their time at Beach House as much as we do.

10/10 Excellent

Bev A.

Gorgeous Porthtowan retreat
The house was spacious and the photos didn’t do it justice. We didn’t use the top garden at all but didn’t feel the need as super patio and the beach so close. Steps keep you fit! Would definitely book agai
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

charlie l.

Liked: Cleanliness
Paradise
Beautiful house and stunning views would highly recommend
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Olivia W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Could not recommend the property more!
My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our week stay at the property. Great location and amazing views. Loads of walks which were perfect for our four doggies. Will definitely return.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2022

8/10 Good

Susan W.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beach House Porthowan
Very clean and fully equipped house. The one caveat is the number of extremely steep steps to get into the house. 70 steps.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2022
Response from VrboOwner on Oct 2, 2022
The Beach House is accessed by steps so is not suitable for guests with restricted mobility. The steps are not "extremely steep", they are shallow 10cm high steps through the garden. The view from the Beach House and deck is a result of its elevation.

10/10 Excellent

alan h.

Liked: Cleanliness
Spacious house and lovely location
Went with wife, children and step child (all adults). Lovely views, fantastic location, great outdoor space and plenty of room indoors for cooking, eating and games/entertainment. Some spaces bit tired looking and need updating e.g. some bathrooms and patio. Overall lovely place and helped by the great weather
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ryan J.

Liked: Cleanliness
A week in Porthtowen
Our week long stay at Beach House has been fantastic. We are disappointed to have to come home! Mark's property is a home from home and everything you need / require is there. Our young children enjoyed the space available and the short 5 min walk to the beach was a plus. Previous reviews mention about the steps and driveway being difficult. The location of this property is on a hillside, so if you are after a fantastic view you need to expect some sort of steep incline. The steps didn't pose too much of an issue for us. We were able to fit a Kuga and a Qashqai on the slopped drive easily. The only constructive criticism of the property is the outside decking. It has obviously been down for a while and does provide a fantastic space, but certain areas are loose with screws exposed. The weather stopped us spending too much time out there, but I feel this is an area of the property that would need some attention. The local restaurants are fantastic and welcoming. The nachos in blue bar are a must! Porthtowen is a brilliant little village with a great beach. Most major attractions are a reasonable drive away, the longest we took was to Eden which was a 50 min drive. If you love this part of Cornwall, then the property is a great little find to stay in. We are already planning our next trip to stay at Beach House.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Stephen H.

Liked: Cleanliness
Long Weekend Away With Famil.
Great property, great location and lovely area . . Fun exploring the beach, surf lessons and Sunday lunch at the Unicorn!
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

andrea j.

Liked: Cleanliness
Sea views
Fantastic location and amazing views. Lovely house, spacious , light and comfortable. Would love to visit again.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

helen m.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beautiful views, lovely house
9 of us stayed this April. The house was beautifully laid out with the 3 'kids' rooms downstairs and 2 massive double rooms upstairs. The house comes with everything you need with a well supplied kitchen with every utensil, saucepan and baking tray you could need. Washing machine and tumble dryer make the stay even easier! We had a slight hiccup when we arrived , the house hadn't been cleaned from the previous people but Mark (the owner) managed to organise the amazing cleaning crew to come in and sort it for us so the house was SPOTLESS when we returned from dinnner and the Unicorn. It was obviously a communication error and he was very keen to get everything sorted for us ASAP. I can't fault his customer service. The parking here is tight, the 2nd car needs to park on a slope. Then there's quite a lot of steps to the house. This is not the house for you if you can't climb 4 flights of stairs. However, the path is lit at night and hand rails all of the way too. We had 2 food deliveries. Tesco weren't too keen to bring it up but with 9 of us there we relayed the shopping up in no time. ASDA man brought it all up before we even knew he was there. It takes about 10 mins to saunter to the beach. Again, brilliant house. Will book again.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Nikos K., UK

Liked: Cleanliness
Excellent holiday rental in Cornwall
An excellent house in a fabulous village right by the sea. The facilities were excellent, the location beautiful with the sea a very short walk away. A couple of restaurant/bars in the village, a good chip shop (though you have to know to order in advance, online), amazing coffees and ice creams from Moomaid of Zennor and a useful village shop. Perfectly located for spectacular walks along the coastal path both ways. Well worth a walk towards St Agnes taking in a couple of local Wheals.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Hazel T.

Liked: Cleanliness
Fantastic view
It's a great location for local amenities, the beach and walks. The view from the property is fantastic. We even watched seals being released on the beach. The property is lovely and spacious with a great feel about it. The fire pit in the top garden is a very cool design! The top garden is a lovely space to relax away from everyone and with great views. The decking is a nice place to chill too. We'd love to go again when the weather is a bit warmer.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

Lisa M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Beautiful house & Location, beware of steep steps
Overall the house is very well equipped and very clean, little extras on arrival included fresh milk, coffee, tea and sugar. All rooms had fresh towels and all the rooms had clean white linen and very comfortable beds. Theres a large family fridge which can accommodate a lot. We couldn't get SkY tv working but Netflix worked perfectly. The location to the beach is superb and the views are great, however the views come at a price, there is no mention of the 70+steep steps up to the house, which was very tricky for my almost 80 year father to navigate, this should be clearly mentioned in the listing not in peoples reviews. The car parking is dreadful, it is not for 2 standard sized cars, fine if you drive 2 x minis, very steep and we scratched our car severely at the front trying to park on the almost sheer space. The rain shower downstairs is great but the one in the upstairs ensuite runs burning hot then cold so not ideal for young children using it on their own. Communication with the owner was not great, I called twice and left 2 texts before our date of travel for some travel details, none were answered. He does seem to answer messages via VRBO but we didn't have much luck with direct mobile. The area is beautiful and very child friendly, and dogs allowed before May and after Sep on the beach.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022
Response from VrboOwner on May 19, 2022
Lisa, Thank you for your positive comments about Beach House, the location and facilities provided. Please accept our apologies regarding the Accessibility information, details are on our VRBO listing though the "Accessibility" section is not obvious to find. It is for this reason that we do not accept "Instant Bookings", and in our standard Acceptance email template we make clear that Beach House is accessed by shallow steps through the garden and a wooden staircase visible in the phots. Regarding contactability, you are speaking directly with the owner (me) not an agent. After your feedback, I have added to our standard Acceptance reply to use email within the VRBO app as the preferred method of rapid contact, I was overseas when you left voicemail and missed them.

8/10 Good

Diane B.

Liked: Cleanliness
Lovely accomodation.
Lovely accommodation, perfect for a large group. Well kitted out. Beautiful views over beach. However the access and parking is a nightmare! Fail to see how 2 cars can fit on drive. Its steep with a drop to left - not for the feint- hearted to navigate! Lots of steps up to the house - bit of a pain when unpacking the car. Not suitable for people who are not fit or have any sort of disability. The kitchen is generally tired and the grouting and seals around the sink could do with a good scrub. Everywhere else was spotless. Knob on the bannister swivels round. Just little things but stopped us giving a five star review.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Gail B., Plymouth

Liked: Cleanliness
OUTSTANDING
What a wonderful way to spend a weekend with the family, had driven through Portowan in the past but never really stopped . Wonderful view of the coast, excellant property, perfect location near to park, and beach. Quiet , deck with room for everyone to enjoy, and spectacular fire pit which we enjoyed on the Saturday. Weekend went to quick for us to enjoy everything on offer Thank you to Mark and his team beautiful property and location.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Revisit
This was our 4th visit to this property, we just love this accommodation, perfect setting with stunning views over the beach, house has everything catered for ! The Blue Bar again was excellent for an afternoon glass of wine or pint of Korev!! The Unicorn also was very welcoming and menu was extensive , our Sunday roast lunch at the nearby Victory Inn was delicious, overall we can't wait for visit number 5 !
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2022

8/10 Good

Wayne G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Excellent property and location
Very good no complaints.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ben G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great house, great location
Beach House is perfect for large groups. We’ve stayed in quite a few rental properties and the beds here were the best we’ve ever slept in. We went in February and there is ample living space downstairs for everyone to relax on cold winter days. The sofa is massive and there’s a large smart TV with Sky. The whole house was warm and cosy. The amazing rainfall shower downstairs did empty the hot water pretty quickly but the water also heated up very quickly so wasn’t a problem for us. The Cornish February weather meant we didn’t get to use the outside space much but there is plenty of it with a lovely fire pit and seating up above the house. For those going in summer, there is also an outside shower and hose for rinsing wetsuits. The kitchen was well stocked with pans, crockery, utensils etc and the tea, coffee and milk left for us was a nice touch. The board games and PS2 mentioned were not available due to COVID so best take your own or check what available. There are a lot of steps from the lane up to the house, definitely not ‘accessible’ ! The parking was also a little challenging in a large SUV as it required reversing up the narrow unadopted track and then up a steep ramp. We would definitely stay again and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Beach House.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Beulah B.

Great location lovely house
The house is in a great location and has everything you need the kitchen is well equipped which makes a change for a holiday retail. Definitely would recommend staying
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2022

10/10 Excellent

Susan E.

Liked: Cleanliness
Birthday weekend
Mark was a fantastic host the property had everything we needed very comfortable and location was fantastic 🙂
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2021