So St Ives

So St Ives: self-catering holiday rentals in St Ives and Carbis Bay

So St Ives is a holiday rental company that markets a collection of self-catering houses and apartments in the coastal town of St Ives and in Carbis Bay, Cornwall. The company presents itself as the manager of a selection of handpicked properties, cared for on behalf of their owners, and offers stays ranging from one-bedroom studio apartments to spacious houses for groups of up to ten people.

Properties and capacities

The portfolio combines contemporary apartments, large family houses and fisherman's cottages. Featured properties include Seaglass House (four bedrooms, sleeps up to 8, four bathrooms, parking, log burner, sea views and roof terrace), Trenoweth Lodge (four bedrooms in Carbis Bay, sleeps up to 8, hot tub, driveway parking for two cars, dog friendly and enclosed garden), Ocean Scene (five bedrooms, sleeps up to 10, parking, log burner, sea views over Porthmeor beach and dog friendly), Seawater Cottage (three bedrooms, sleeps up to 6, reserved parking space, dog friendly and enclosed courtyard), Treporth (new property for 2027, four bedrooms, sleeps up to 8, three bathrooms, sea views, parking with EV charging point, terraces and dog friendly), Little In Sight (three bedrooms, sleeps up to 6, three bathrooms, parking, gas fire, Downalong location and two roof terraces), Blue View (spacious one-bedroom apartment, sleeps up to 2, secure on-site parking and spectacular sea views), Merryn (four bedrooms, sleeps up to 8, parking, sea views, dog friendly and courtyard terrace with BBQ), Meadow Corner (one bedroom, sleeps up to 2, log burner, dog friendly and Downalong location), Ancarva Cottage (three bedrooms, sleeps up to 6, Downalong location, sea views over Bamaluz beach and courtyard), Figgy Cottage (one bedroom, sleeps up to 2, parking, dog friendly and enclosed garden), Sandy Feet (two-bedroom fisherman's cottage, sleeps up to 4, reserved parking space, Downalong location, log burner and shared courtyard), Sanderling Cottage (grade 2 listed cottage, two bedrooms, sleeps up to 4 and Downalong location), Sands Studio (one-bedroom apartment in Downalong, sleeps up to 2, on-site parking and balcony with sea views) and Samphire Studio (one-bedroom apartment in Downalong, sleeps up to 2, on-site parking and private garden).

Stays, seasons and bookings

Bookings are generally a week long during the busier summer months (June to August), while 3- or 4-night stays are offered during the off-peak season. The company also markets properties for the Christmas and New Year period. The availability search allows filtering by party size, from 1 to 10 people, and by length of stay, from 3 to 28 nights.

Sea views, parking and pets

A significant part of the offering consists of houses with sea views, with references to Porthmeor and Porthminster beaches. The company also groups together properties with private parking, an aspect it highlights given the difficulty of parking in St Ives during peak season, and a selection of dog-friendly cottages, some with an enclosed garden or courtyard. The company presents itself as dog owners and notes that the area has beaches and establishments that welcome pets all year round.

Stays for families and groups

The portfolio is organised by type of trip: romantic getaways, family holidays, short breaks and accommodation for groups of up to ten people. The company argues that the self-catering formula is practical for families who want to control their spending on meals, given the choice of restaurants in the area.

Informative content about St Ives and Cornwall

The site includes a blog with local guides on things to do in St Ives and Cornwall, such as Easter plans with kids, ideas for couples, activities for teenagers, the new road layout being trialled in St Ives, Sunday roasts, restaurants with sea views, arts and crafts workshops, winter plans, coffee shops, a local guide, New Year's Eve and Christmas in St Ives, and things to do on rainy days.