A coastal boutique hotel with a contemporary vibe, offering the cool factor in spades.
Polzeath Beach House has a history as venerable as its location. The original hotel dates back to 1903, a time when the Victorians made their name as inventors of the Great British seaside holiday. Between the walls of what was originally named The Atlantic Hotel, are many memories of splendid seaside holidays across generations and thanks to its recent, multi-million pound investment and complete rebuild, there will be many more to be made. Welcoming visitors to north Cornwall for over a century, the proximity of Polzeath Beach House to the golden sands of Polzeath beach is enviable.
The building itself was demolished and rebuilt from the ground up, and what has emerged from the rubble is a truly unique beachfront property. The original 27 bedrooms and shared bathrooms have been transformed into 12 en-suite bedrooms and 9 luxury ocean view apartments. The reimagined layout, interior and finish is clean, fresh, crisp and modern to give an optimal experience to guests that continues to be the focus since the hotel re-opened in July 2020.
Hotels provide an essential service to guests, in that they are a place to sleep, but they also need to tick the boxes when it comes to comfort and convenience as well as being a place to recharge; Polzeath Beach House does this effortlessly.
The flow of the hotel between the reception, rooms and self-catering apartments means that you never feel out on a limb, but always have a private space when needed. The reception area leads into the main residents’ lounge or on to the Atlantic Bar & Kitchen and subsequently out on to the majestic Terrace, with its ocean view. The Terrace provides an unrivalled al fresco dining experience. Step inside and the restaurant, offering all-day dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner, is a laid-back eatery with a menu designed to complement the Cornish coastline, using locally sourced and freshly caught ingredients from its incredible natural larder.
Operated by the Harbour Brewing Co, the owners have ensured that there’s a seamless booking and feedback system in place between the hotel and restaurant to ensure both are on point when it comes to tip-top service. This is something that runs through the building of Polzeath Beach House; it is a hotel designed to serve guests who value great service, luxury and hospitality. It offers a level of comfort that stretches beyond the short stay and a standard that combines service and style. What results is accommodation that exceeds expectation whilst not being so ostentatious that it doesn’t feel welcoming.
Guests of all ages have been enjoying the newly opened hotel and apartments – whether that be couples, families, vacationers or adventurers. Its broad appeal lies in part to its home-from-home atmosphere but also in the fact that its location is so close to the sea you can watch the surfers from the comfort of your apartment or the Atlantic Bar & Kitchen. Blurring the line between hotel and home, the hotel bedrooms and self-catering apartments are expertly and very well appointed. Guests can expect bedrooms to have all they need for a perfect stay. While they don’t have ocean views, they are comfortable places to rest and with the ocean on the doorstep this doesn’t detract from their appeal. Beautifully furnished, the apartments do enjoy sea vistas, some from Juliet balconies, others from sky decks – the ultimate viewing platforms for wave watchers and sunset seekers. This is also a place where a working holiday is totally feasible. With superfast broadband and administration services available, working remotely from here would be a breeze. Lunchtime clifftop strolls will refresh the mind and the concierge team can organise in room treatments to relax the body – a working holiday here won’t feel like work at all.
The area, known as New Polzeath, is unique in terms of its ‘end of the world’ location. It’s one road in and one road out and has largely been untouched by the rise in coastal developments elsewhere in the county. The main street is Atlantic Terrace which faces across the bay and, while an area behind has seen some development, the National Trust owned land to the west and north curtails further development.
If you’ve never visited this part of Cornwall on the north coast’s ‘golden triangle’, Polzeath sits at the zenith while Cornwall’s foodie capital Padstow and the well-heeled coastal resort of Rock form its base. Polzeath beach is a Mecca for surfers and ocean lovers and has some of the best waves in the UK. The South West Coast Path crosses the cliff tops in both directions, heading towards Trebetherick Point and the delights of Daymer Bay to the south, and Pentire Point and The Rumps to the north.
Polzeath Beach House has been purposefully designed as a place for everyone and a holiday retreat for all seasons. It is somewhere to recharge and reconnect. It’s about the balance in life; getting amongst the elements, eating and drinking well, and ultimately enjoying a good time with family and friends.
Not ones to rest on their laurels, the owners know that they need to keep moving forwards, anticipating guests’ needs and requirements in order to push the hospitality boundaries in what, in Cornwall, is a competitive market. It’s their unshakable belief that there’s always a better way; a better way for guests to book and interact with products and services; a better way for hoteliers and their staff to manage operations; a better way to make experiences remarkable for everyone. We look forward to seeing what this ‘better’ future holds but, for now, Polzeath Beach House is already ahead of the crowd.