Craving a beach holiday this summer, but can't bear the idea of marshalling the family around the airport? Head for Cornwall and you can enjoy gorgeous beaches, a wonderful spa and delicious food without ever stepping foot on a plane.
The St Moritz hotel near Polzeath and Rock is ideal for families. A suite will comfortably accommodate a small family and larger groups can book adjoining bedrooms to create a large apartment. "Suites have sea views with wide balconies and loungers," says Fiona Duncan in The Daily Telegraph. "Kings (double or twin) are allotted a beach hut by the pool, with table and chairs, to make up for the lack of view."
From the hotel, it's a five-minute walk to family-friendly Daymer Bay, notes Duncan. It's also within easy reach of Polzeath (good for surfing) or Rock (for sailing). The service in the hotel is excellent, despite its relatively large size (48 rooms plus 50 villas and apartments).
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For example, one evening we walked the half-hour to Rock before taking the ferry to Padstow for dinner. I promptly realised that we had no torches to light the way back a quick call to the hotel resulted in a car being sent to collect us at no charge.
If the weather disappoints (this is Britain after all), there's plenty to keep you and the kids occupied, from table tennis in the grounds to indoor and outdoor pools, and you can borrow wellies from reception if you want to wander the beach in the rain. The hotel's "Cowshed" spa is wonderful too, says Kate Turner in Cosmopolitan. It's "a cut above your average hotel add-on".
I had a Cowshed Facial, which impressed me so much that I actually bought a few products to take home something I never normally do. The bathrooms are also full of Cowshed products so you can indulge in your room too.
As for the restaurant, head chef Jamie Porter used to work at three-Michelin-star Waterside Inn in Berkshire, and it shows, says Tom Chesshyre in The Times. Starters of lobster salad with orange, tarragon and caviar were followed by well-cooked sea bass with spinach and cockles. In all, this is everything you'd expect from a luxury hotel on the French Riviera, but much closer to home. I'm already planning a return visit.
From £120 for a cosy' room (stmoritzhotel.co.uk; 01208-862242).
