WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
Brand new from the Watergate Bay Hotel team, this aparthotel offers a fresh concept for the UK travel market. By transforming a rundown hotel on the outskirts of Porth, they aim to be of benefit to the community while offering visitors a reasonably priced location to holiday, work or even stay in while looking into a move to Cornwall.
SeaSpace cafe. Photo credit Matt Jessop
The colourful interiors – making use of natural materials such as wood and granite – provide inviting spaces with a luxurious but laid-back feel. Dramatic backdrops have been created by local artists, including Phil Strugnell, who was commissioned to paint the north-facing wall with a three-storey mural. The expansive bar and restaurant area is open to guests and locals, as are the fitness club, play areas and padel tennis courts.
High-end interiors give the aparthotel the feel of a luxury hotel, but with the added convenience of self-catering – all accommodation has fully-equipped kitchens. This offers visitors a flexible stay: they can enjoy the Art Deco pool, hot tub and indoor and outdoor play areas for children, but manage their catering costs to suit their own budget.
Wavehunters surf board hire
SeaSpace is also a great place for aspiring surfers to stay, with lessons and kit provided by local partners wavehunters.co.uk.
BEST SEA VIEWS?
Enjoy panoramic sea views from all west-facing rooms, as well as the restaurant and bar.
SeaSpace large studio, sea facing. Photo credit Matt Jessop
HOW ABOUT THE FOOD?
Onsite, you’ll find a café and restaurant-bar.In the morning, the café serves great coffee, fresh pancakes and brunch plates – including squash frittata and Cornish chorizo hash – then soups and salads at lunchtime. Prices for breakfast start at around £5. The restaurant, Tallo, which sits at the front of the building and overlooks the sea, is an Italian-American-inspired eatery offering small plates and pasta dishes. When I visited, there was a fabulous food truck outside with a wood-fired oven making excellent pizza – look out for Sugo (Instagram) when you are visiting Cornwall.
HOW ECO-FRIENDLY IS IT?
SeaSpace is dedicated to eco-friendly practices and technology. It buys renewable energy, uses LED lighting and light sensors, and powers its onsite guest laundry with solar panels. Air-source heat pumps heat the main building, and you’ll also find electric car charging stations, recycling bins, toxin-free cleaning products, and an ozonated water cleaning system that self-recycles. It’s one of the greenest holiday options we have found.
IS IT ACCESSIBLE?
SeaSpace has accessible studios and apartments with walk-in showers, grab rails, and garden views on the ground floor. It also has a ramp-accessed lobby and café area. There are accessible toilets, and an under-counter hearing loop, and the pool and gym feature accessible changing rooms and a pool hoist.
WHAT WILL IT COST? Prices vary according to availability but start at around £100 a night for a studio with kitchenette in low season (sleeps two).
HOW DO I BOOK? Call 01637 872864 or visit sea.space.
Alex Fisher
