Reviews of The Cove, Penzance
Review by judith Howell on 27th August, 2014
Add your review Date visited: September 2013
I got o this area each year and often visit Lamorna. i parked next to a car that was a couple of feet over it's line so was forced to park over the line of my space on left hand side or could not have got out of my car.
I received an £80 ticket for not being within my space! We took loads of pictures of the other car and interestingly of it's parking ticket which showed it had been parked since 8 am (it was by now about 2 pm)We firmly believe this car had been placed deliberately over it's space to force all subsequent cars out of theirs.
I came home and looked at all forums and noted that the company looked decidedly dodgy, that this was a frequent reason for ticket issue and that they had not applied to DVLA for any addresses over the last year. On this basis I did not pay ticket and I never heard from parking company. A total scam...don't pay them a penny!!
Review by john on 15th July, 2014
Add your review Date visited: 13/07/14
STAY AWAY from lamorna cove it is run buy a non cornish local money grabbing family who will fine you if you so much as breathe. if you really must see the place then do not park anywhere in the cove park outside and walk in, the food in the cafe was expensive rubbish so unless you are desperate for a drink i wouldn't bother. There are much prettier and interesting coves to visit all over cornwall. As far as the harbour wall goes let the sea take it there is no fishing in the cove anymore, it doesn't really protect anything anymore and it would be nice to see it return to the natural cove it once was, interestingly the family that own various places inc the car park and cafe are trying to push for government/lottery funding to rebuild the wall. i suppose it is not surprising given that they are raking in a fortune in parking fines every year and crab soup that will make you sick. It is not the friendly place i remember of years ago and personally i will never return unless it is to see the harbour wall and cafe fall into the sea.
Review by Girlandlurchers on 23rd April, 2014
Add your review Date visited: 23/04/2024
I live in the North coast but was visiting at StBuryan and was early so decided to look in on Lamorna Cove. Two large men sitting on the bench by the parking machine asked me to out my well,behaved middle aged dogs on leads, this, despite them being at my side and not causing an issue while I paid the car park fee. There were 4 (yes really) 4 cars in the car park, I had reversed Into a space and put my ticket on the windscreen. On my return I had a car parking fine issued, the contravention code was shown as 11, not defined on the issuing ticket sadly so I do not as yet, know what my heinous crime was. One of the very large men was taking photographs of me and my dogs as I walked back along the footpath, avoid the place like the plague, even with 4 dogs in the middle of day 12:11 to be precise, these guys were very threatening. Will go through the car parking appeal procedure and go to the Lamorna Wink in future.
Review by jason b on 14th March, 2014
Add your review Date visited: feburary 2014
I suppose the harbor wall's day's were numbered seeing as it had been left un-repaired for such a long time. Maybe if the owner had spent as much time and money on the up-keep and repair of the harbor wall as they did on policing the car park and building the cafe to line their pockets then maybe it would have stood a chance in the recent storms. They could have approached the council, English heritage or the national trust and asked for assistance or grants to help in the repair, Sadly the wall is obviously beyond repair and no doubt, in time, the rest of the harbor will be re-claimed by the sea.
The cove is still a beautiful place to visit, but please remember to park in the free car park at The Wink Inn on the approach road to the cove thus avoiding the overzealous parking attendant at the cove and if you are hungry, the pub does great food at very reasonable prices.
If you are unfortunate enough to get a parking ticket, don't pay it but follow the appeal procedure on the back of the ticket and take your appeal to POPLA, Do not be bullied into paying by the threats of court action and debt collectors as the company who enforce the parking, which is owned by the same person who owns the cove, have never obtained any of the details of the registered owner of the car from the DVLA which they need to pursue the owner for payment of the parking ticket.
Such a shame a beautiful place for many has been ruined by the greed of a few.
Review by J bull on 26th August, 2013
Add your review Date visited: 29/7/13
AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE
A jewel in Cornwalls crown being run down by the current owner / operator of the cafe and carpark. Over zealous parking warden issuing tickets without using common sense or common courtasey. If you do visit then park in the pub car park at the top of the hill, it is cheaper, the pub food is better and the pub appriciates the trade unlike the cafe at the cove.
Review by Mark Jones on 20th July, 2013
Add your review Date visited: 20 June 2013
IF YOU GET A PARKING TICKET DON'T PAY. They will threaten to take you to court but they won't. Best of all AVOID at all costs. The food is awful and hospitality nil.
Review by m morrison on 9th April, 2013
Add your review Date visited: 5.4.2013
This I hope will act as a warning to any visitor to Lamorna Cove - do not park at the Cove, park in Treen and walk down to the beach. If you do choose to park below in the Cove then you risk a £80 fine!!! for doing little more than placing your car 20 millimetres over a white line. This is what happened to me - when I challenged the guy who had put the ticket on my car for such a petty misdemeanour his small minded, officious responses - left me speechless and completely furious.
He actually took out a ruler and measured how far one of my wheels was over the white line - 20 millimetres!
Cornwall has many beautiful coves - just go to another one and save yourself a lot of stress! Tell everyone.
Review by Jeff Slade on 13th January, 2013
Add your review Date visited: 13/1/13
I just got caught today, near empty car park...10 minutes away from car and a miserable git slapping ticket on my car...won't go back there again EVER,
Review by dan wiggin on 1st August, 2012
Add your review Date visited: last week some time
I went down for a little spot of fishing, parked my moped well out the way of the car park, wasnt in no ones way at all and when i returned the cock had put a parking ticket for £40 but it doubles in two weeks, can anyone help on what i should do to pay it? p.s the parking attendent has ruined lamorna for me, i use to love going down for a fish but now i think its a scamming shithole
Review by Al Pewsey on 11th August, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 28/07/2011
I wasn't a victim of the aggressive antics of the Lamorna Cove parking attendant but I did witness him at work as he pounced on a lady's car as she walked to the meter to buy a ticket. Imagine her surprise when she came back with the ticket a minute later to find a parking fine on her window.
I suggest avoiding this place as the owner of the car park and cafe, (incidently the cafe is not that great and overpriced), Mr Roy Stevenson, also owns the parking enforcement company, Searchlight Security. Look like he is using innocent visitors to earn additional revenue.
Treen Village is a car park just up the road where you can park for £2 a day with no aggressive parking enforcement, and a nice cafe and fantastic coastline and views, as well as a lovely walk to Penberth Cove.
Review by knocker on 15th July, 2011
Add your review Date visited: July 2011
Yes had same issue, had to park slightly out of bay as the person next to me had done the same thing, paid for ticket went to the rather smelly loos there and walked back to see bloke putting a ticket on the car.
He said I was parking in 2 bays and didnt want to know? he said I could appeal? I was furious, anyway it turns out that the ticket is from a private company not the council which means there is no way I am going to pay a dime.
Go to the wonderful consumer action group forums to see how others deal with tickets from private companies.
The place itself is unremarkable, we only went there as mousehole was rammed, I would advise others to steer well clear of it, the company who operate it were on watchdog a while back.
Love Cornwall just wont ever go to Lamorna Cove again and will spend a lot of time and effort making sure others dont make the same mistake as well as I think this sort of thing in the end will give Cornwall a bad name.
Review by C R on 24th February, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 24/2/11
Went to meet old friends at lamorna cove ( not hotel actual beach cove) - parked up and waved to them and greeted them whilst leaving car open and then went to get ticket only to return to car and find a parking ticket £80.00!!! WAs so upset ruined day completely mean and unfair. The man in white van waiting to pounce said he had watched me so he obviously jumped out when I went to get ticket- unbelievable. We were intending on having lunch in cafe.... Used to love going to Lamorna and often ate in cafe but never again - it's such a shame for the area.
Review by Bonnie on 19th August, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 9th August 2010
Just to confirm previous reports on parking at Lamorna Cove. We were caught out too - and will not return (at least, by car)!
Review by Sarah Benedict on 10th July, 2010
Add your review Date visited: July 2010
The Cove offers self-catering apartments and the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner for non-residents. It is very smart and serves good food - nice pool too! Be warned about parking down at Lamorna Cove - there is a 'plain clothed' parking attendant (as the parking there is privately run) who sits in his red van (with 'You must be barking mad' and paw prints all over it) and tries to catch people out who don't buy a parking ticket/are late by 1 minute returning to their car/don't realise that you require a parking ticket to park here after 6pm (infact until 11pm) and instead of being nice and polite and approaching people to say something like 'oh excuse me - don't forget to get a ticket - thanks very much and enjoy our beautiful cove' will instead wait until you are away from your vehicle (even if you are getting change for the machine or as it happened to the car next to us, actually queuing for a ticket) then he will march over and start photographing your car. If you happen to see this happen/return whilst this is happening he will be extremely unfriendly. Enough to put you off visiting Lamorna Cove, infact. I wouldn't go there for this very reason. Clamping is also extremely common here. We were warned off going there by our B&B and all the local B&B's apparently warn their guests against going there too. Perhaps those who run the parking at Lamorna Cove need to review their customer service.
Review by Dave Perrell on 20th April, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 13.4.2010
I would be very careful parking at the cafe in Lamorna Cove. If you have to get change for the machine, the plain clothes parking attendant complete with tatoos and gold chains, will wait until you are in the queue, then give you an £80 fine. If this happens to you, you won't feel alone because the place is quite famous for this according to many internet postings. There are many lovely places nearby - go there instead.
Review by Claire Brown on 31st August, 2007
Add your review Date visited: July 2007
A piece of the med without having to fly!
The Cove apartment we stayed in was modern, fully stocked & we didnt have to bring a thing.
The restaurant was intimate with quality cuisine & staff were young, fresh & enthusiastic.
What words dont do justice for are the views! From out apartment and the pool - looking out onto the terquoise sea - I was sure i'd left the UK - can't wait to go back!!
Review by Howard Mansfield on 30th August, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 19th Aug 2007
There is no doubt that the view from the back of this hotel is stunning. The Hotel is well presented downstairs. I found our room completely overpriced at £1200 for the week and the equipment was poor. On arrival at our room we found two members of staff watching DVD's in our room. Not a great start. The Hotel has no bar so no place for meeting other guests. The restaurant serves very good food but they insist on having a fire on regardless of the weather outside. I found the restaurant too hot. I found the staff disinterested when we made a complaint about the door rattling in its latch. Breakfast consists of croissants. The shower offering was very poor for a hotel of this price. I would have expected a separate cubicle at the very least. This hotel did not even have a stand up shower in the bath. I have to say that there was very little to do in lamorna and even Penzance was a little dull. The hotel has a gym and a pool but we chose not to use either. We left this hotel 2 days early and the member of staff on duty was not particularly interested in why. This is a very expensive hotel and not worth the money in my opinion. Once you have had a few drinks at the Lamorna winks pub, had a coastal walk and then enjoyed Lamorna cove you have pretty much exhausted all of the possibilities within walking distance of the hotel. Also, there are not too many channels available on Sky and they do not have Sky sports. I would have expected this at £1200 per week.
Review by Emily Northover on 2nd October, 2005
Add your review Date visited: 30th Sept 2005
This hotel is turning into an apartment block - the hotel itself has actaully shut down. On arrival we were told "This is actually a glorified B&B at the moment".There are no facilities on sight where you can eat, have a drink etc, and lots of building work is going on. We stayed for only one night (I had to argue the cost down from 150 to 110 pounds). I would not recommend that anyone visits Lamorna Cove Hotel until all of the work is done (perhaps 2007?). We were very disappointed, if it is a glorified B&B then maybe it should be charging a bit less.....
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