Inside Carbis Bay Estate: The Cornish hotel that hosted the G7 summit

WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
This family-owned hotel estate, which comprises 125 acres overlooking a sandy, Blue Flag beach, has recently undergone a huge refurbishment, adding stunning beach lodges and suites to its holiday offering. No expense has been spared in the creation of these luxurious seaside pads: the sumptuous lodges have their own private hot tubs overlooking the ocean, sun decks, gardens and a discreet guest host, who can help arrange anything from outings and dining to bookings and travel arrangements. Gorgeous gardens surround the new buildings, so that sculptural green planting sets off the turquoise sea. Coupled with the addition of the excellent new restaurant, 1894, the Carbis Bay Estate has become a world-class coastal resort that is certainly hard to surpass anywhere in the British Isles. The owners have simply done everything possible to ensure a blissful stay, whatever time of year you might visit.

WHAT ARE THE ROOMS LIKE?
Spacious, with unbeatable sea views from floor-to-ceiling windows. Calming hues of creams and coastal blues are brought together with highest quality natural materials such wood, wool, cotton and leather by designer Jose Baker. Bang & Olufsen provides the sounds, and Perrin & Rowe the bathrooms. Roll-top baths, showers with sea views, Nespresso coffee machines.

BEST SEA VIEW?
 The beach lodges and suites have been designed to make the most of the uninterrupted sea views, which can be enjoyed from the private hot tubs, balconies, bedrooms, living sun decks and roof gardens.

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HOW ABOUT THE FOOD?
 The hotel has a number of waterside restaurants, with the 1894 opening in 2020 as part of the new Ocean Venue development. Here, you can experience Cornish fine-dining at its best, with delightful dishes ranging from crab with compressed watermelon, apple and baby herbs, to Creedy Carver duck with saffron potatoes, prawn dim sum and kimchi cabbage. Book your table when you book your holiday, as this popular venue gets busy. I loved having my breakfast delivered to the lodge in a hamper so we could dine on the sun deck looking out to sea, and there is room service provided by the Beach Club Restaurant too. When staying in a lodge, you can also book the lodge chef – if you and your party don’t want to leave the accommodation to eat.

ECO-CREDENTIALS?
The owners of Carbis Bay have gone all out to ensure the sustainability of their hotel, creating their own on-site electricity supply, allowing them to both power the estate and put energy back into the national grid, helping the hotel to become the AA’s Eco Hotel of the Year for 2019/2020. The pathways through the new gardens are made from recycled marine waste and the extensive sustainability policy, which can be found on the website, includes recycling, wildlife planting, using environmentally friendly cleaning products, rainwater management and usage, and electric car charging points.

HOW ACCESSIBLE IS IT?
The steep hill that the estate sits on does have some accessibility challenges, but the free car park has allocated disabled spaces and is right outside the reception area. There is a lift service from the car park level to the beach promenade and Beach Suite apartments and restaurant, and eight Beach Suites have direct lift access to the accommodation from the car park level. Within the overall estate there are also three apartment suites with disabled access.

WHAT WILL IT COST?
The Beach Lodges and Suites are the estate’s most luxurious options, and prices for a Luxury Lodge that sleeps six people start at £1,200 a night.

HOW DO I BOOK?
 Call 01736 795311 or visit carbisbayhotel.co.uk. Please check current government travel advice before booking any trip in the UK. 

For more hotel reviews, head to our Places to Stay section or pick up a copy of Coast