Watergate Bay Hotel

Style

Shore-fire family favourite

Setting

North of Newquay

Beachfront belle Watergate Bay Hotel welcomes the whole clan — pooches included — in its Cornish embrace. This boutique hotel has resort-style frills and views of the shanty-inspiring scenery are delivered in spades throughout. Salty swims and surfs are balanced by the sweetness of bay-ogling bedrooms, three seasonally led restaurants and a sea-facing infinity pool. And with all-ages coastal activities and an adventurous kids’ club, you’ll garner a bucketful of memories (and some fresh air-fatigued little Smiths).

Facilities

Chambres

80, including four suites.

Checkout

11am. Earliest check-in, 3pm.

Plus de détails

Rates at Watergate Bay Hotel include buffet breakfast. If you’re staying in a Beach Loft, you’ll also get designated parking, a personal host, free wetsuit hire and access to a shared pantry.

Also

There are two wheelchair-adapted rooms (room 61 is a House Standard and room 62 is a House Standard Family Suite); each has a wet room, lowered bed and grab bars. The front desk can supply hearing loops as well as sand wheelchairs and pool hoists. The Living Space, Zacry’s and the Beach Hut are all accessible.

Centre de fitness

Accès internet gratuit

Animaux acceptés

Service d’étage

Spa

At the Hotel

Gym, kids’ club, surf school and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: TV, Ruark radio, climate control, tea- and coffee-making kit, bathrobes, slippers and local bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

Froth-topped waves, stretching sand and speck-like surfers are a natural screensaver to most rooms at Watergate Bay Hotel, where picture windows frame beachfront vignettes. Ditch your device and let the sounds of the sea accompany meditations on your balcony in the Sea View Standard rooms. Little Smiths can compete for the top bunk in the two-bedroom House Best Family Suites, which are set up for bigger clans. The brightest jewel in the resort’s crown just might be the Beach Loft Suites, thanks to their prized perch above the Beach Hut, direct bay access and in-room bath tubs (in some lofts) that overlook the shore (room 102 also has a wood-burning stove for full Cornish cosiness).

Poolside

You’ll find the heated pool at the spa, framed by floor-to-water windows that overlook the spectacular bay. The infinity edge seamlessly blends with the sea beyond and on sunny days, the doors slide open to encourage sea-breeze-kissed dips. The pool is open daily from 7am to 9pm, but there are dedicated adults-only and family-friendly hours.

Spa

The Swim Club is the hotel's take on a spa, and after (leisurely) lengths in its pool, head for spells in the Finnish sauna or the terrace’s hot tub. The stretching views of the actual Watergate Bay Hotel are particularly soul-soothing, but all-natural massages and facials in one of three treatment rooms will take relaxation levels up a notch. There’s also a small gym decked out with high-tech kit, weights and yoga mats, in case you start to feel the effects of one too many pasties…

Packing Tips

Depending on the time of year — and your level of bravery — swimsuits or wetsuits from Cornish-born brand Finisterre; you’ll also look like a local with a fleecy or towelling Dry Robe.

Also

Please note that room changes may be required, especially during peak periods.

Enfants

Very welcome. Extra beds for under-13s and free baby cots for under-threes can be added to most rooms; there are connecting options and dedicated family suites. The Kids’ Zone is for all ages and babysitting can be arranged with notice.

Galerie

Food & Drink

Top Table

The views are the star of the show, so for front-row seats opt for the Living Space’s terrace, the window-framed banquette at the Beach Hut, or by Zacry’s glass doors.

Code vestimentaire

Barefoot and in your wetsuit flies at the Beach Hut; you’ll want to dust and dry off for meals at the Living Space and Zacry’s, but the ambience is still low-key.

Hotel Restaurant

With active days come appropriate appetites, and the hotel’s three eateries are deft at fuelling your next adventure. You’ll find produce-proud Zacry’s on the sea wall, spotlighting local ingredients in colourful and creative dishes, such as crab ravioli with confit lemon and kelp-cured catch of the day, curated across three courses. The terrace-toting Living Space is open for day-starting brews, mezze bowls and boards, all the way through to alfresco sundowners: breakfast is served in this laidback, boho space; a varied buffet with a make-your-own waffle station is included with your stay. Pre-surf fuel comes in the form of DeBara Bakery treats and Indian-inspired breakfasts at the breezy Beach Hut; seasonal, locally led menus continue through to dinner.

Hotel Bar

You’ll find refreshing tipples and oh-so-Cornish ciders and ales at the hotel’s three restaurants, which are all graced with the bay as their backdrop. You could also toast to your day at Swim Club Café Bar, with a classic cocktail on the pool deck or barista-style coffee in the quiet ocean room.

Last Orders

Zacry’s serves dinner from 5.30pm–9.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday. The Living Space offers breakfast from 7.30am–10.30am, and lunch and dinner from noon–9pm. At the Beach Hut, breakfast is from 9am–11am, lunch is between noon–5pm, and for dinner, it’s 5pm–9pm.

Room Service

A selection of dishes from the Living Space’s menu can be delivered to your door during the kitchen’s hours. If you’re staying in a Beach Loft, you can order plates from the Beach Hut on request.

Planes

Cornwall Airport Newquay is a five-minute taxi ride away; Exeter Airport is a 90-minute drive.

Trains

Newquay train station is a 10-minute drive from the hotel but the only rail routes that call here are from Par, which is a stop on the London to Penzance line. Bodmin Parkway is 30 minutes away by road; staff can suggest taxi companies for pick-ups from either station.

Automobiles

A set of wheels is handy for reaching Cornwall’s pristine coves and seaside towns; Polzeath and Padstow are each a 40-minute drive away. There is free parking at the hotel, plus several electric-vehicle charging points.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Family-friendly Watergate Bay Hotel takes its name from the majestic beach that unfurls below, and in true Cornish style, days here are typically spent outdoors or in the water. Perfect your Wim Hof breathwork during bracing dips, or suit up with kit and boards from hotel neighbour Wavehunters. They can arrange paddleboarding and surfing lessons, as well as beach-based cardio classes and yoga (you could also wander up to the Zen Den for view-blessed vinyasa flows). Meanwhile, little Smiths can go rockpooling or get their hands sandy at the forest-style Discovery Beach School.

The bay hosts an international volleyball tournament in September, and an events-packed cultural festival, Arts on the Beach, in June. But coastal rambles and wildlife-watching boat charters remain year-round staples, as do the hotel’s swim club, Kids’ Zone and sea-facing sauna.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .