Well Travelled | Watergate Bay Hotel

Well Located

With an open stretch of the Atlantic at your feet, and two miles of sand banks, swell and peaks to play on, the proximity of Watergate Bay Hotel to the beach makes it hard to beat. The recently launched Beach Lofts provide some of the best coastal lodgings we have found on our travels. Think contemporary Cornish beach living with unbroken sea views, some have deep Japanese baths or freestanding window baths, some have hanging chairs and relaxed seating areas by the fire. Expect large living spaces with sliding floor to ceiling windows, private access to the beach, a personal host to manage room service and a full pantry for in-room breakfast. Watergate Bay is located close to both Newquay airport and the train station, if you wish to drive the hotel has two Tesla tethered charge points available.

Well Fed

With four restaurants on site, we are hard pressed to pick a favourite. What they all have in common is a relaxed dining approach and a focus on delicious food sourced from the land and water surrounding the area. Situated right on the sea wall, Emily Scott’s menu celebrates the connection between food and a sense of place. Expect roasted scallops with truffle butter and baked Cornish hake. For those looking for barefoot beach dining, Watergate Bay has carefully curated street food for when the weather holds out. From gourmet hot dogs and Napoletana-style pizzas to artisan ice cream, cold beers and cocktails, this offering ensures you can catch the sunset and make the most of the day at the beach. 

Well Being

Watergate Bay’s take on wellness was our main draw. Designed as a space for ‘active relaxation’, where the outdoors meets the indoors, this beachside hotel has achieved exactly that. The two-mile stretch of sand and coastal paths provide the perfect playground for an active break, while the Swim Club, with its 25-metre infinity pool and treatment rooms, allows space for technical workshops and essential after-session relaxation. Running throughout the year, Active Breaks at Watergate Bay are designed to give you the opportunity to learn something new and develop your technique from experts in their field. With everything from yoga classes to swim clinics on offer, we opted for surfing. Located right on the beach, Extreme Academy holds 2.5-hour lessons for all abilities. Matilda, our instructor, is also part of the Newquay Women’s Surf Club, a non-profit community encouraging more women to get into the sea and surf. 

Well Sustained

The hotel’s approach to sustainability focuses on three key themes: circular, conservation, and community.

Circular: Watergate Bay aims to minimise the consumption of virgin materials and reuse items wherever possible. The land&water bath and body care bottles in rooms are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, are refilled after use, and are fully recyclable. The hotel has also collaborated with Surf Action to donate wetsuits to veterans, their families, and friends.

Conservation: The hotel sources energy from renewable sources and finds innovative ways to reduce energy demand. They also take pride in sustainably sourcing local, seasonal produce for their kitchens. This spring, The Beach Hut is back with a reinvigorated sustainable purpose. A 50% plant-based menu grown with optional portion sizes aims to tackle food waste. 

Community: Watergate Bay believes that business should bring benefits to its local community. From creating long-term employment opportunities to supporting the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage, Watergate Bay is working towards a sustainable future in more ways than one. 

Well Priced

With last-minute offers and a Taste of the Bay package currently available, Watergate Bay Hotel is striving to make this Cornish delight accessible to all. To give you an idea, for two nights and three days with breakfast and dinner in The Living Space and Zacry's included you are looking at £240pp, based on two sharing. The only problem is finding availability!

Well Rated

Well curated is definitely a term we would use to describe the Watergate Bay Hotel. A destination with a considered approach to wellbeing and sustainable practices, it is impossible to find fault with its thoughtful design, community spirit, and ‘active relaxation’ ethos. We usually spend any free time outdoors, so to find ourselves torn between the beach right on our doorstep and the tranquil interiors is a testament to Dynargh Design’s ability to bring the outside in. The team behind Watergate Bay is developing a new collection of hotels that share this same relaxed, active ethos. Each hotel will reflect its distinct location. The story has already started with Another Place, The Lake; on the shores of Ullswater in the Lake District. We cannot wait to visit.