Home > Best Family Breaks > Reviewed By Us > Travel > Reviewed by Us: Watergate Bay Hotel

Reviewed by TMC Editor, Lydia House

Pro IconPros

It’s so family-friendly

Our children loved the kids’ club

The restaurants are excellent

The staff and customer service were incredible

Spa, surf, swim, yoga and more – there’s tons to do.

Con IconCons

Our room was quite warm. It had a Dyson fan, but we’ll request one with A/C next time.

What is it?

Watergate Bay Hotel
Watergate Bay Hotel

Watergate Bay Hotel is a family-friendly hotel in Cornwall that is so close to the sea that you can see surfers from the pool, restaurants, and spa. It has a kids’ club, babysitters, and baby monitors that work across all of its incredible restaurants. It’s relaxed, stylish and cool and offers outstanding customer service.

Overall Thoughts…

I can’t express how much we loved this hotel. It sits right at the front of Watergate Bay, with an abundance of activity and adventure on your doorstep. It’s family-friendly with a serious slice of cool. Everything was excellent from the spa treatments and surf, to the incredible food and customer service. Our children loved the kids’ club so much they’d wake up begging to go in. And if that wasn’t a big enough sign to say we had a great time, my four-year-old repeatedly asked us if we could stay there forever! Needless to say, we’ll be going back.

What The Kids Loved

Other than the excitement over the games and Lego room, playground, waffle making station and their very cool bunk-bed room, the kids adored the pool, which has stunning views of the ocean and a small section that they can happily stand up and play in. They loved running around the beach and playing in the small sand and rock pools. And the little shop provided all the bits we’d forgotten to bring. Plus, the hotel even has spare buckets, spades and nets left for you to borrow, and the children loved seeing what was in there every day. We’ve experienced a few holiday kids’ clubs, but this is the only one our children begged to go into. Our four-year-old even requested to go in twice in one day, which they kindly accommodated as it wasn’t fully booked. The kids’ daily sessions are also free and part of the price you pay to stay.

What We Loved…

The ease of packing up the car and driving down was brilliant. It took us about 4-5 hours with a stop and was much better than getting a plane and all the hassle that comes with it. When we got there, we left lots of things in the boot, and it worked well as our room wasn’t overloaded. The room was so lovely. We booked the standard family suite, which had ample space. The kid’s room was separated by a door, which was handy for privacy and when the babysitter came. We don’t usually do screentime first thing, but it had a TV, which was great if they woke up early as one of us would put it on for a bit and throw in a banana to give us a few more minutes to sleep. We’ve been to other family-friendly resorts, but I’ve never felt as comfortable as I did here. The staff were so accommodating, the menus and food were excellent for both kids and adults, and the fact that the children loved the kids’ club meant that we had time each day for a spa treatment, a surf or yoga lesson or even a nap.

Any Downsides…

It is quite expensive, but I think it’s so worth it! We stayed at an IKOS last year, and it was nearly triple the amount, even when we added how much we spent on food at Watergate. We also saved so much money (and stress) on flights. We spent money on some fancy dinners, but we didn’t have to, and many of our meals were from the independent food shack just outside the hotel. We also went to the local supermarket and had picnic lunches and dinners. Our room was quite warm and near the road, which meant opening windows and doors made it a bit noisy, but it didn’t bother us too much as there was a Dyson fan and we were so knackered from the fresh sea air, that we just slept. However, next year, we will return in the summer holidays, so we asked about rooms with A/C, and the manager showed us how we could pick our own room (more info below).

How to Book…

Watergate Bay Hotel Reservations
Watergate Bay Hotel Reservations

Ring up the reservations team and ask their advice. They’re so honest and helpful, and there’s also a virtual tour you can do online, where you can view each room and all its specs—a handy one to know as you can place yourself in the perfect spot.

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