The Spa Hotel Review: Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa, Newquay, UK. Words by Jamie Roberts.

The theme of my weekend in Newquay has got to be summed up as luxurious and serene, but somehow coupled with the community friendliness that people associate with Cornwall. Before my stay here I wondered how the two could truly go hand in hand, but Fistral Beach Hotel had the magic combination right from the start.

As an adult only hotel there was no fear of sharing the tranquil views with excitable school kids on their summer holiday which as someone who likes to start the day with a moment of light meditation and contemplation over coffee is always a welcome bonus. On arrival we were greeted with a welcome drink and shown to our room on the 3rd floor where the drapes billowed in the warm sea wind and we were taken aback by the incredible views, spanning the whole of Fistral Beach, and a double balcony meant this could be enjoyed from the bedroom or from the luxurious freestanding bath. Welcome personalised embroidered robes and slippers and a gorgeous bottle of local gin really was a beautifully bespoke way to be greeted.

After exploring the surrounding clifftops we headed to the ‘Dune Restaurant’ for dinner where the restaurant manager greeted us and seated us at the window where again we could hear the seagulls and soak up the sea view. As my friend and I are both gluten-free vegans, and I have further dietary intolerances, he was amazingly accommodating. I am not used to having options so was astounded that the chef had gone out of his way to produce choices for us. We sipped beautiful New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and finally decided on the broccoli and mint soup to start, followed by the courgette and squash risotto, and the passionfruit and coconut posset with poached raspberries and sugar tuile to finish. Each dish complimented the next and was beautifully presented, with seasonal and local produce. After a long beach walk to digest, followed by a sea view bath using the ‘Gaia’ bath salts and hair care products I slept like a baby, and couldn’t have been happier to awake to the sound of the sea and sip tea on the balcony in my robe.

We had a surf lesson booked for early Saturday morning so we had an early breakfast at the restaurant. With a gorgeous buffet selection of pastries, fruit, juices and smoothies and cereals we were spoilt for choice, and also greedily selected a vegan hot breakfast from the menu to fuel our surf session. Avocado, roasted tomato and mushrooms, spinach, vegan sausage and beans, was a perfect mix, and we guzzled fresh coffee before heading out. After a busy day of surfing, exploring and hiking, we headed back late and caught the end of the live jazz at the hotel bar before another fabulous sleep.

I wanted to make use of the gym or at least take part in the hotels’ beach yoga or fitness class, but I misjudged timings so instead went out for a lovely early morning run on Fistral Beach before breakfast. This time I took my coffee up the balcony to enjoy some meditation and listen to the seagulls and watch the early morning surfers show me how surfing should actually be done (unlike my graceless attempt the morning before!).

To conclude our gorgeously themed weekend of R+R we were treated to a wellness experience at the spa. The Fistral Spa philosophy of achieving an integration of mind, body and spirit really resonates with me, and their use of ambient lighting, natural products and soothing music really help to encapsulate this. The pool and spa area were so quiet we felt like we had the area to ourselves, and were lucky to be able to squeeze in some lengths of the pool and sauna and steam room time before our hot stone massages. My therapist provided me with a robe and slippers to change into, and we rested in the relaxation room where we went through our health questionnaires. Jessica then took me into the therapy room where she talked me through the treatment and asked me if there were any areas I wanted her to work on. I was very stiff from surfing and always hold a lot of tension in my shoulders (don’t we all!). The little touches really lifted the experience to a wonderful level of calm and tranquillity. To select my body oil of choice Jessica got me to sit with my eyes closed and take a slow deep breath as she placed a hand on my shoulder and drew the bottle beneath my nose. It is so easy to just stick to scents you know without really listening to your body so this experience allowed me to select a scent that most resonated with how I felt when I inhaled it. I selected the ‘Gaia’ calming body oil with notes of lavender and orange blossom. The massage was delightful, I felt my mind switch off and the hot volcanic stones worked to relieve deep muscle tension. After the treatment, I sipped jasmine tea in the relaxation room and allowed to oils to continue to soften my skin.

As a lover of sport, the sea, yoga, and wellness, Newquay really was the weekend of dreams. Fistral Beach Hotel was the perfect area for calm away from the main town, but easily accessible by foot to anything we wanted to do. I didn’t come away expecting to feel like I’d been at a wellness retreat, but this is 100% what I got- what a welcome surprise, and one I’m more than excited to sample again in the future!

Discover rooms at the Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa in Newquay here.