I had the chance to review The Harbour hotel last month on a weekend trip to Newquay, a tiny town in the Cornwall region of England. Our trip to Newquay came at the right time- we needed a quiet weekend away. Our recent travels to Peru, the South of France, York, and Berlin, exciting as they were, had exhausted us and left us in desperate need of some rest and relaxation. Likewise, the busy work-weeks in loud London had worn us down. Some quiet time in this idyllic area of England was imperative.
I found cheap plane tickets online (only 90 GBP for a round trip ticket) and we flew to Cornwall bright and early on a Saturday morning. After an hour of flying time, we arrived at Newquay’s airport- with no guidebook, itinerary, or agenda. Our only plan was to laze about in our hotel room, eat good food, and walk aimlessly around town. Yes, I know that sounds incredibly slovenly and unambitious. But sometimes a couple of lazy days off the radar are necessary! And in our case, they were merited.
The Harbour hotel, as a result, was the perfect place to stay for us. As indicated by the name, it’s located right next to the Newquay harbour, with a quiet tree-lined street to the front and an enviable stretch of beach to its back. It’s a lovely English inn with only five rooms, each equipped with its own balcony where you can bask in the warm glow of the sun and take in a sea view.
Housed in a period building but refurbished to a contemporary standard, The Harbour is a great blend of old and new. Our room was quaint, sweetly decorated, and had so much personality and style that I wanted to wrap it all up and transport it back to my drab little apartment in East London. While the bed was a bit small by American standards, the charm and character of the room more than made up for the lack of space. I mean, how cute is this room?
You all know by now that I am fanatic about bathrooms, so I am happy to report that this one was spectacularly clean and stylish. The fixtures, brand new and/or meticulously maintained, shone, the grout between the bathroom tiles were free of mildew. There were an adequate amount of thick towels (one for the body, one for hair, one for face) and a lush robe that Liebling, in particular, enjoyed immensely.
I can’t forget to mention that the service was stellar. Being a small hotel, the lovely staff was sure to welcome us and make us feel as though we were their own personal guests. Alan, the manager, made sure our every need was attended to, while other members engaged us in pleasant conversation and gave us advice about where to go and what to see in Newquay.
Even better was the food. The Harbour has a restaurant attached to the hotel that serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Upon our arrival, we indulged in an order of freshly made scones with jam and Cornish clotted cream. Included in the room rate is a buffet breakfast, where a wide array of sweet and savoury fare tempted us into saying yes, yes, and yes again to second, third, and fourth(!) helpings.
So terrible for the waistline, sigh. But so worth it.
Also of note is the dinner menu at The Harbour’s restaurant. After walking all around Newquay and failing to find somewhere to eat (the places we saw were either packed or unappealing), we returned to our home base, remembering the offerings at The Harbour’s restaurant. We weren’t disappointed. For the fair price of 40 GBP for two, we had a starter, two drinks, and two mains. The food was exquisite and filling- I ordered mackerel fish. It was money well spent!
Hotels like this remind me why I often prefer boutique and bed & breakfast hotels to large chains. The personal touches, the attention to detail, and the individual attention really add to the experience.
Are you a fan of bed & breakfasts or hotel chains? What type of things do you look for in a hotel?
Thanks to Visit England and The Harbour for hosting our one-night stay. All opinions are my own.
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61 Comments
Girl, I love Cornwall. Went back in 1995 while I still lived in the UK (gosh that seems ages ago now!!). Did you try the Cornish Pasties. Scrumptious…. Never thought of flying though.
Funny enough, after living in the US, and travelling for work 100% and staying in hotel chains, I used to only stay in hotel chains when I went on vacation, but now being in AMS, I swear by B&B’s, agritorismos, or whatever…and would rather stay at those than a hotel chain. Much more personal.
I didn’t try a Cornish Pasty! Terrible, I know, but I was sooo full off of breakfast and lunch that I didn’t dare put anything else in my mouth for fear of bursting LOL. Cornwall is about 6 hours on the train from London and it’s actually cheaper to fly!!
I absolutely know what you mean about needing a little bit of a break! I’ve been desperately in need of some quiet time lately and am luckily getting it at the moment! What a lovely hotel! I will definitely give it a try. We need to visit that part of the country anyway. I definitely prefer boutique hotels and small B&Bs although I have had excellent experiences in self-catering cottages on the British Isles.
Love your new header and your blog design. Well done!
I’m realizing how easy it is to hop on a train or plane and go chill out in the English countryside! I really need to do it more often. And you do need to give this place a try, I think that you and S. would really enjoy it!
Both Newquay and this hotel in particular sound like the PERFECT place for a relaxing weekend. Glad you guys got to just chill out for a change!
I know! I almost felt guilty for not really doing anything or seeing anything! But a little r&r ain’t never hurt nobody.. lol!
Like you, I prefer small boutique hotels. There is just something warmer and comforting about them. I feel that there is more attention paid to the guests and the hotel itself. Your weekend away sounds amazing. I could really go for that right now.
You are definitely not just another number when you stay at a B&B! It always feels like I’m being personally hosted!
Boutique or independent hotels all the way!
Would love to hear some of your picks!
This just proves how much more of the UK I need to see – beaches and relaxation? So not what I ever have in mind when I think about England…but I’ve only been to London and York! This place looks fabulous.
It’s only now that I’m taking the time to visit more places in England that I realize that there are many different things to see! I think that the small towns along the coast are relatively unknown by foreign tourists (who often only think to travel to the “biggies” like London and York).
What?! That’s England?! Since when did England get so pretty and beachy?! Love how relaxing it looks and love how gorgeous YOU look!
Come visit me and I’ll show you more of the country.. hee hee!! Thanks chica!
I’ve been waiting for your Cornwall pictures! Looks stunning as expected. I can’t wait to return and see more of the area. I try to avoid chains if possible and when in Cornwall we stayed at a house and it was great. It felt like we were locals and we had everything we needed to cook for the week.
More to come! The weather wasn’t the best when we went, but the natural beauty shines through regardless! We stayed in Newquay but I would love to go to St. Ives as I hear that it is even more gorgeous/picturesque!
This hotel looks amazing! Whenever I’m going to Newquay, I’ll be sure to stay there 🙂
I usually don’t stay at hotels but if I had to I’d definitely choose boutique or B&B over chains.
Thanks for yet another very well-written post and gorgeous pictures.
Thanks Marion! I’m beginning to really love boutique hotels for their personal touch and small size!!
England looks so beautiful in the summertime! I like that shot of the beach. And don’t get me started on the breakfasts – I love scones with clotted cream! Mmm mmm, good. 😀
The breakfasts in England are deadly! They are so tasty but so loaded with calories and carbs! Terribly hard to say no though… 😉
I LOVE B&Bs!!! I can’t agree more. If you ever visit New Orleans, stay at a B&B. I visited twice and stayed and two different ones and since then, hotels are so demode. lol. Another great post 😉
Never been to Nawlins, but if I get there I will get your recommendations!
I LOVE Cornwall! when I think of England I think of Cornwall! I watch this series called “The Doc” just to see Cornwall…lol. It is a place I have to go to one day! awesome pics to!
Funnily enough, I didn’t know much about it until I moved to the UK!!
It’s on my list… and i NEED to get there. I really want to try surfing.
You are brave to try surfing! A bunch of my friends did it in Indonesia and the were pretty banged up afterward lol
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