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The Independent UK

Emilee Tombs

Watergate Bay hotel review, Cornwall

Cornwall Watergate Ofsted

When it comes to the best family-friendly hotel in Cornwall, there’s very few that can compete with Watergate Bay hotel – its beachfront location, ocean-framing swimming pool and three exceptional restaurants make the ultimate UK break for all ages

Watergate Bay hotel has an exceptional beach setting on the north coast of Cornwall (Holly Donnelly)

I’ve stayed at quite a few hotels in Cornwall, and Watergate Bay excels in everything family-friendly. From the incredible kids’ club offering to their environmentally conscious activity program, wetsuit and surf equipment hire (free for guests) and the local, seasonal produce cooked in the restaurants. It also helps that the interiors – think beachy, Americana vibes – are utterly gorgeous.

Emilee Tombs

Location

Perched above Watergate Bay, an iconic swathe of golden sand on Cornwall’s rugged north coast, the hotel is well placed for guests to explore Cornwall’s iconic surfing coast, home to Newquay and Fistral Beach (5.5 km away) and upmarket Mawgan Porth (3 km away). Newquay airport is conveniently located a 5-minute drive away.

The vibe

California cool is the vibe, mixed with boho decor elements such as recycled plastic cushions across all public spaces which all maximise the hotel’s fabulous location with floor-to-ceiling windows framing beach views.

Initiatives such as reduced plastic usage in rooms and public spaces, regular beach clean events and up-cycled furniture forms part of the hotel’s eco-conscious ethos. Furthermore, the hotel’s general waste goes to the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre and is transformed into fuel to generate sustainable energy to power 21,000 Cornish homes. In the restaurant kitchens, cooking oil is collected for use in biodiesel.

The Living Space snug at Watergate Bay hotel, Cornwall, with views of the sea and the beach (Anthony Greenwood)

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Services

The welcome you receive at reception is undoubtedly one of the warmest of any hotel anywhere. This feeling pervades throughout your stay, from the smiley staff dishing out wetsuit and surf equipment (free to hire for guests) to the restaurant and housekeeping staff. The feeling that staff members are well looked after is keenly felt.

Bed and bath

Undoubtedly the best rooms in the house are the Beach Lofts, which are purpose built to face the sea and come with floor-to-ceiling windows framing frothy rollers and the golden sweep of sand below them. Guests can make use of all the main hotel facilities, but also have private access to the beach from the Lofts, as well as added extras such as a help-yourself kitchen area stocked with breakfast and extra treats such as champagne, cheese platters and cakes in the afternoon. These suites vary in size but all have ginormous, square, Japanese-style bath tubs – perfect to soak the whole family in after a day in the chilly Celtic Sea – or sea-facing freestanding tubs and soft, slouchy sofas to curl up on in front of the log burner while you watch the sun set.

If your budget stretch to a Beach Loft, the rooms in the main hotel are beautifully decorated and roomy, with various configuration options including interconnecting rooms, two-bed layouts with bunk beds, family suites and family apartments situated away from the hotel, a little way up the hill. Bear in mind that due to the hotel being built as a railway hotel (a railway that was never completed), most of the rooms in the main building face south (ie, at a 90 degree angle away from the sea). With the wealth of experiences on offer at Watergate Bay hotel, there is little reason to dwell in your room anyway, so it hardly matters.

A beachy, Americana vibe pervades throughout Watergate Bay hotel in Cornwall (Watergate Bay hotel)

Food and drink

There are three restaurants at Watergate Bay and all have children’s menus. The Beach Hut offers a relaxed setting to dine, with a menu of family favourites and seafood. Think burgers (fish, meat and vegan), moules frites, shawarma and steak and chips. The Living Rooms is an even more laid-back space that’s great for nibbles and a glass of wine, but also tacos, laksa, noodle salad and more. Zacry’s on the Seawall offers a multi-course menu making the most of seasonal Cornish ingredients using elevated cooking techniques. The views from Zacry’s – especially at sunset – are phenomenal.

Steamed brill, caramelised cauliflower purée is an example of a dish on the menu at Zacry's on the Seawall at Watergate Bay hotel, Cornwall (Kate Whitaker)

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Facilities

The iconic 25-metre swimming pool with floor-to-sky views of the beach is likely the reason you’ll have considered booking Watergate Bay hotel. In addition to a children’s shallow zone and plenty of space to do laps in the main pool, there are outdoor sauna and hot tubs to enjoy, and three adjoining treatment rooms offering massages, facials and more using the hotel’s own brand products, Land & Water (available to buy and stocked at other hotels across Cornwall).

The kids’ clubs and family activities are the hotels trump card. Children from six months to 12 years can book in for supervised sessions at the Ofsted registered Kids’ Zone, where qualified early years supervisors are on hand to offer hours of fun in and outdoors. A newly refurbished games room complete with Lego station is perfect for tweens and there is an option to book the little ones in for early supper and babysitting to give parents a break.

There are a number of educational activities available to book for the whole family, from surf lessons (group or individual), Land Rover Beach School sessions and more.

Disability access

There are two bedrooms which have been adapted to be more accessible and have fully accessible bathrooms. One is a standard double and the other is a family suite.

Pet policy

Most rooms welcome pets, but check with the hotel before booking.

Check in/check out

Check in from 3pm; check out 12pm.

Family friendly?

Extremely. While many of the rooms have separate beds, cots are also available to borrow, in addition to baby monitors. Several larger suites are suitable for families and there are rooms that can be made to interconnect.