Rookery Guest House

After the St Ives hotel I’d been visiting since I was a kid shut down, I was sure I would never find a place to stay that could measure up to the childhood nostalgia. I happened upon The Rookery while planning a visit to St Ives with my partner for the winter holidays, and I was impressed before we even arrived.
The Rookery, run by Ron and Barbara Rook (a clever name is a good sign), was exactly what I’d been looking for. Ron and Barbara were responsive by email and phone, and incredibly helpful before and during our visit. This cozy B&B is in a prime location, just a short walk from the main streets of St Ives, but elevated enough to have a great view of the harbor. We had a very comfortable, very quiet rear-​facing suite, so I can’t comment on noise levels in the forward (street) facing rooms.
Breakfast was fantastic every morning, with the obligatory full English fare and pretty much everything in between. They even had a vegetarian breakfast available, a rarity in most of the English B&Bs I’ve visited. Ron and Barbara greeted us each morning, cheery and full of great tips about local events and sights. Ron, a photography enthusiast, even took us on a photo tour of the nearby countryside when he found out that we also loved photography. (I’m sure this is not a standard service for guests, but we had a blast. It was one of the best parts of our trip, and demonstrates how dedicated they both are to making their guests happy.)
I ended up having an experience very different from those childhood years, but discovered St Ives anew, with Ron and Barbara’s help.