BEAUTIFUL PLACES. TIME TO EXPLORE. Discover your next base
area · England
Places to stay in Isles of Scilly
Choose your island before choosing your room. St Mary’s offers the main air and sea gateway and a practical first Scilly base; Tresco suits a stay built around its gardens, beaches and island accommodation; St Martin’s favours a slower beach-and-landscape holiday. Bryher and St Agnes are further inhabited-island choices for a longer visit or a different base. A boat trip is not the same as moving hotels with luggage, so coordinate mainland travel, onward transfer and accommodation together. Give the journey a generous margin and let the weather influence the order of your days.
Star Castle offers a hotel-led stay on the Garrison above Hugh Town. St Mary’s is the natural comparison if you want to arrive by ferry or plane and settle on that island before considering excursions. Give the island a full day, with a modest walk or beach visit, rather than immediately treating it only as a departure point for somewhere else.
Good for: First visits, straightforward island arrival and visitors wanting Hugh Town nearby.
Before you choose: Star Castle has a hilly approach and distinct castle and garden accommodation. Discuss luggage transfers and the exact room route; a harbour arrival does not mean a level walk to the hotel.
Tresco: stay where the garden day happens
The New Inn suits visitors who want Tresco itself to be the holiday, with time for the Abbey Garden, beaches and a return to the same inn. An overnight stay allows a quieter start and finish than a tightly timed excursion. Choose a room and bathroom deliberately, then coordinate travel through St Mary’s or a direct helicopter arrival under current arrangements.
Good for: Garden lovers, couples and travellers wanting several unhurried Tresco days.
Before you choose: A ferry from Penzance arrives at St Mary’s, requiring an onward boat to Tresco. Confirm that connection with your accommodation; do not treat separate services as one guaranteed through journey.
St Martin’s: beach and landscape time
Karma St. Martin’s is the comparison for an off-island stay with time to explore St Martin’s rather than chase a different island each morning. A specifically booked sea-view room can add to that slower rhythm, while garden-view rooms offer a different choice. Make the first afternoon a local one after completing the boat transfer.
Good for: Beach-focused breaks and visitors comfortable planning an additional island transfer.
Before you choose: Confirm the landing point and transfer arrangements with the hotel. Deluxe rooms face gardens, and a change of wind or boat arrangements can alter the practical arrival route.
Choose between St Ives, Newquay, Falmouth and Fowey for an art, beach, harbour or estuary stay in Cornwall.
Make it your kind of break
ROMANTIC BREAKS
Stay on one island long enough to settle
Choose a room outlook or a garden-focused stay that matches the way you want to spend time. A walk, a planned meal and an afternoon without a boat deadline can be the point of the holiday rather than a gap between excursions.
FAMILY BREAKS
Make the transfer day a small day
Book the room and onward journey together, clarify luggage handling and leave time for food after arrival. Plan one manageable beach or island outing the next day. Multiple boat crossings and a long walk need not be the default family itinerary.
A LITTLE ROOM TO EXPLORE
A first stay in the Isles of Scilly
A suggested short break with room to enjoy your chosen base.
Arrival: complete the whole journey
Travel to the booked gateway, follow the current service instructions and make the agreed hotel or onward-island transfer. Keep the evening local and confirm the next day’s boat or activity information only if needed.
Full day: enjoy your own island
Explore St Mary’s, Tresco or St Martin’s at a pace suited to the weather. Choose a short route and leave time at the hotel, rather than assuming the best day must involve another crossing.
Extra day: one confirmed island excursion
If conditions and current services suit, make one excursion with a clear return plan. Otherwise enjoy another local day. Keep departure margins intact instead of placing an optional trip ahead of the mainland connection.
Less time? For a very short stay, remain on one island. Several nights give more room for weather changes and an excursion; a split-island holiday needs extra time and explicit luggage-transfer arrangements.
ROOM FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP
Stays in Isles of Scilly
Researched accommodation shortlist
Star Castle, the New Inn and Karma St. Martin’s compare three island stays, with transfers and the exact room category checked alongside the hotel.
Hotel · St Mary's
Star Castle Hotel
The Garrison, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, TR21 0JA
A St Mary’s hotel on the Garrison above Hugh Town, offering historic castle rooms and separate garden accommodation.
Why compare it: Compare for St Mary’s connections and a hotel-led island stay.
Castle rooms, garden rooms and garden suites are distinct categories.
Garden suites have a separate lounge.
An indoor heated swimming pool is advertised.
Before you book: Discuss the hilly approach and exact room route before booking. Confirm transfers, room outlook and seasonal opening; a garden-room booking is not a bedroom inside the castle.
An island inn on Tresco’s western coast for visitors choosing to stay on Tresco itself rather than visit on an excursion from St Mary’s.
Why compare it: Compare for Tresco gardens, beaches and time on one island.
Sixteen bedrooms are advertised.
Bathrooms have walk-in showers or baths, depending on room.
Guests receive Abbey Garden entry and access to Tresco leisure facilities under the stated terms.
Before you book: Confirm room floor, bath or shower and arrival transfer. Winter and festive breaks require direct arrangements; match flights or ferry and onward boat to the accommodation dates.
A St Martin’s hotel for visitors who want beach and island time to dominate the stay, with onward boat arrangements made before arrival.
Why compare it: Compare for an off-island stay centred on St Martin’s.
Deluxe rooms have garden views; Ocean View is a separate category.
The Riviera Suite has a bedroom and living room with sofa bed.
All accommodation is advertised with en-suite bathrooms.
Before you book: Confirm the island transfer, landing point, seasonal opening and access route. Arrange any connecting rooms directly and do not assume a Deluxe room overlooks the sea.
The current Scillonian service goes to St Mary’s. Tresco requires an onward boat; direct helicopter travel is a separate option under the operator’s current schedule.
Can I assume every island boat runs every day?
No. Check current services, weather and tides with the relevant boat operator. Confirm both the outward and return plan rather than treating an old timetable as a promise.
Does every Karma room overlook the sea?
No. Deluxe rooms are described with garden views. Ocean View is a separate category, and any connecting-room arrangement needs confirmation.
Are Star Castle rooms all inside the castle?
No. The hotel also has garden rooms and suites. Confirm the building, outlook and access route, especially because the property stands on the Garrison hill.
Can I book a winter Tresco break in the usual online form?
Tresco directs winter and festive bookings to its team. Confirm accommodation, dining and travel for those dates together rather than assuming the summer pattern continues.
How we put this guide together
These base comparisons and suggested plans are our editorial judgement, informed by the linked official sources. We have not stayed at or inspected the properties. Official links earn no commission; confirm current arrangements directly.
Sources checked 2026-09-17. Check current arrangements before travelling.
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