Danny and Lee Strickland took over what was a rather tired old building in the spring of 2015 and have turned it into something really special – and much more in tune with the cool St Ives vibe: a clean and contemporary hostel, right in the centre of town, that has a mixture of dormitory beds and private rooms catering to all kinds of folk on a budget.
The rooms have been completely refurbished to make the most of what was already a pretty impressive location – a 19th-century Wesleyan chapel and school. There are seven mixed dorms and two female-only dorms and all are furnished with custom built 'pod beds', each one having a privacy curtain, a plug socket, light, USB port and lockable, under-bed storage; each dorm has shared showers and toilet facilities although most have hand basins in the room too.The hostel also has three private rooms, one with a double bed and a single on top, the other two furnished with twin bunks, hand-basins and TVs.
Beyond the sleeping accommodation, it's a very sociable place, with a comfy lounge and bar, a private courtyard, a TV and movie room with free Netflix, a fully-equipped kitchen for self-caterers – and (a real plus, this) superfast Wifi available free throughout the building. They also have plenty of storage space for bikes, surfboards and luggage. The location is great, bang in the centre of St Ives, and walking distance from pubs, restaurants, the bus and train stations, the beach – you name it – making it a fabulous place to stay if you're visiting St Ives on a budget.
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The Owner Says
Cohort Hostel is cheap, chilled and friendly. Located in the centre of St Ives we offer awesome, budget accommodation in a town where the cheapest room can often cost you upwards of £120.
Private courtyard, storage for bikes, boards and bags, superfast (200MB fast), free WiFi throughout the building, free tea & (fresh) coffee before 10am, free Netflix, lounge, cheap bar with local, craft beers and a happy hour, huge lounge, laundry facilities and unique rooms... all housed in a Grade II listed building with original features.
Minutes from all 5 beaches, over 50 bars and restaurants, the Tate, the coast path, great surf, the Hepworth sculpture garden and great shops.
Prices just £25 p.p.p.n in the height of Summer.
Our favourite spot
Love hanging out in the lounge at the end of a busy day just before you shoot out for dinner... it's super chilled, very friendly and a great space to catch up on news, emails and upload your photos.
The local area
The best thing about St Ives has to be the 5 gorgeous, sandy beaches. On a sunny day you'd be forgiven for mistaking a photo of St Ives for the Med or even the Maldives. Whether you want to surf, swim, fish, kayak, paddleboard or just hang out on the beach it's the best place to while away a day. In the winter, when the beaches are deserted, it's even more spectacular and dramatic.
Best local places to eat and drink
The West Beach Bakery on Porthmeor Beach is the best place to eat sourdough pizzas and drink local beer during the summer although none of the beach cafes disappoint. We currently love Gilmores (tacos and tequila) on the Harbour and the new Beer & Bird (fried chicken and beer) on Fore Street. Best place for a typical Cornish breakfast has to be the Cornish Deli round the corner from Cohort - tucked away down a side street it's a bit of a local secret.
Why stay with us?
Be smart, be sociable, stay connected, #stayatcohort.
Reviews
Add Your ReviewClean, warm, friendly, affordable and funky!
I have stayed at a number of B&Bs in St Ives over the years and was over the moon to find Cohort this summer. I stayed there before venturing on to the Southwest Coast Path for a few days and was not only impressed by Danny's warm welcome and help in planning my hike but was especially impressed at the hostel itself. It felt much more like staying in a warm, relaxed hotel than my previous experiences of hosteling. Everything was pristine and felt brand spanking new so much so that I spent a lot (probably too much) time just hanging out there. Great location, great value, great, great, great!!
Great conversation to an amazing building
I work for a large local business and was lucky enough to be shown round Cohort by Caroline. Who's enthusiasm for the feel of the building was fantastic. The old with the new has been done so well here, the design build and feel of the place left me with nothing but praise for the owners and staff when I left. This is somewhere I'd highly recommend whether looking for a hostel environment or a private room.
Fresh look at hostels
This is hosteling, but not as you know it. Forget everything you think you know about hostels because the Cohort is a new era in hostels. Cool interiors, spacious, colourful, bright and light. Not uber basic functional, the Cohort is much closer to a boutique hotel for the masses. A five star family friendly student union. The quality is in the detail. The toilets are slick, the bar is well stocked, the lighting is unique and the beds are comfy. It's an affordable, well appointed and cool alternative to any B&B.
Coolest hideout in St Ives
We love Cornwall and were so pleased to find this little gem right in the middle of St. Ives. It's chilled out, affordable and super central. It is newly renovated so it's clean and nice with really cool perks like USB ports for charging in the pod beds and an easy place to lock up your stuff. It's got a bar in the hostel too so that's handy. We will be coming back here for sure! Recommended.
Impressive, refurbished hostel in St Ives
Very impressive, a warm welcome, a lovely large reception area with comfy chairs and a bar area. Refurbished to a high standard. Loved the details in the rooms, curtains for privacy, access to Wifi etc. Great location, right in the centre of beautiful St Ives in Cornwall
Great Place
This place is way better than your average hostel. Great location too. And they have a bar!
Cool, contemporary With great attention to detail.
Love love love this place! For me it really does tick every box for what I want when staying at a youth hostel. The bed I stayed in gave me loads of privacy with the curtains you can pull across and a usb plug and light there too. Appreciated being able to lock up my valuables in individual boxes in the bedroom with a lock that I hired from reception. Both the showers and the kitchen are kept really clean and have everything you'd need. To top it off there is a huge reception/lounge area with tv, bar and lovely comfy sofas. Cohort has a great friendly vibe and I wouldn't consider staying anywhere else if I was heading down that way again.
Sleeps
Mixed and female-only dorm rooms sleeping 6–8 people, and 3 private rooms (1 triple, 2 single/twins).
How much?
Dormitory beds from £22 per person per night; double rooms from £48 a night, triple rooms from £70 a night.
Getting There
Turn right out of the train station and follow the main road into town; turn left onto Gabriel St and the hostel is 50 yards up on the right.
When?
Open all year.
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