Castle hotel
Star Castle Hotel
Hugh Town, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly
Level 5 True CastleLevel 5: an Elizabethan star-shaped fort built from 1593 under Francis Godolphin. Some bedrooms are inside the historic fort, others are in later garden buildings.
Some rooms inside the walls
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Star Castle Hotel is a Grade I listed Elizabethan star fort on St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly, built from 1593. It is a Level 5 true castle hotel: some bedrooms are inside the historic fort itself, others sit in later garden buildings, so it suits guests who want genuine fortification architecture with a choice of room styles.
Quick facts
- Castle Authenticity Scale
- Level 5: True Castle
- Where you sleep
- Some rooms inside the walls
- Built
- 1593, with late 17th-century alterations
- Architecture
- Renaissance star-shaped fort, eight-sided plan, granite rubble construction
- Heritage status
- Grade I listed
- Rooms
- 38
- Star rating
- Four-star (Booking.com)
- Guest rating
- 8.8 out of 10 on Booking.com (September 2026)
- Dogs
- Listed as allowed on Booking.com; check the rules
- Restaurant
- Yes (hotel website)
- Listed on Booking.com
- Swimming pool, EV charging point, Restaurant, Family rooms, Parking, Free wifi
- Last checked
- September 2026
The story
The story of Star Castle Hotel
Star Castle Hotel occupies an eight-sided Elizabethan fort on St Mary's, the largest of the Isles of Scilly. Historic England's Grade I listing records construction from 1593 under the military engineer Robert Adams, ordered by Francis Godolphin, Captain of the Isles of Scilly, following the Spanish Armada threat of 1588.
The listing describes the fort as an important and complete example of Elizabethan military architecture, built as a star-shaped stronghold with a house within its walls. During the English Civil War it served as a Royalist stronghold and housed Prince Charles, later Charles II, and his household in 1646, according to the same listing.
Late 17th-century alterations added features that survive today, including a dog-leg wooden staircase, according to Historic England. The building was converted to hotel use in 1933.
The sleep
Rooms at Star Castle Hotel
The hotel has 38 bedrooms, according to its own website, split between two settings. Some rooms sit inside the historic fort itself, listed as Superior Castle Rooms, Castle Rooms and Guard Rooms on the Ramparts.
Other rooms are Garden Rooms and Garden Suites in what the hotel describes as country cottage-style buildings within 4 acres of gardens outside the fort walls. If sleeping inside the 16th-century fort matters to you, book one of the named castle rooms rather than a garden room.
The table
Eating at Star Castle Hotel
The hotel's own website lists several dining venues within the property, including the Vine Restaurant, the Castle Dining Room and the Dungeon Bar.
The grounds
Around Star Castle Hotel
The fort stands on high ground above Hugh Town on St Mary's, with 4 acres of gardens around it, according to the hotel's own website, where the garden-style rooms are located.
What we'd flag
What we'd flag
- Rooms are split between the historic fort and separate garden buildings, so check which type you are booking if sleeping inside the original 1593 walls matters to you.
Who it's for
Who Star Castle Hotel suits
The hotel suits guests who want to stay inside a genuinely defensive Elizabethan structure, and who are comfortable reaching St Mary's by boat or plane as part of a trip to the Isles of Scilly.
It also suits guests happy with a garden room outside the fort walls if castle rooms are unavailable. It is less suited to guests wanting mainland road access, since Scilly is reached only by ferry or aircraft.
Where Star Castle Hotel is.
Map tiles from OpenStreetMap.
Also on these lists
Similar stays nearby
Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion
Tregenna Castle Resort
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Some rooms inside the walls
- Spa
- Pool
- Restaurant
Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion
Camelot Castle Hotel
Tintagel, Cornwall
Sleep inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Restaurant
- Family rooms
Star Castle Hotel: questions
Is Star Castle a real castle?
Yes. Historic England's Grade I listing confirms it as an Elizabethan star-shaped fort built from 1593 under the engineer Robert Adams, ordered by Francis Godolphin after the Spanish Armada, and some hotel bedrooms sit inside those original fort walls.
Did anyone famous stay at Star Castle?
According to Historic England's listing, the fort housed Prince Charles, later Charles II, and his household in 1646 during the English Civil War, when it served as a Royalist stronghold.
Can you sleep inside the fort itself at Star Castle Hotel?
Some rooms, named Superior Castle Rooms, Castle Rooms and Guard Rooms on the Ramparts, are inside the historic fort. Other rooms, the Garden Rooms and Garden Suites, are in separate buildings within the grounds.
When did Star Castle become a hotel?
The fort was converted to hotel use in 1933, according to Historic England's listing record, after centuries of military and residential use.
Sources and checks
Last checked: September 2026. We checked these sources for this page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- historicengland.org.uk: Grade I listing, build date, architect, historical use, 1933 conversion to hotel
- star-castle.co.uk: room count, room categories (castle rooms versus garden rooms), dining venues, garden acreage