Esplanade Hotel visit was part press trip and part self funded visit
With stunning sea views, easy access to the beach, fabulous food and a whole host of family-friendly facilities, here’s everything you need to know about The Esplanade in Newquay
As city dwellers, it’s rare we get to wake up to a breathtaking view of the sea. After years of lockdown, travel disruption and rising cost of living, we recently had our first holiday since 2019, heading down to The Esplanade in Newquay for a much-needed family holiday by the beach.
If your considering heading to Cornwall with your family and are looking for a conveniently located family-friendly hotel with plenty to keep the kids entertained, come rain or shine, The Esplanade could be just the ticket. After a four-day stay during September 2023, here’s our low down on this hidden gem of a hotel in North Cornwall.
Where is The Esplanade Hotel located?
The Esplanade Hotel is located in Newquay, North Cornwall, just a short drive away from the main centre and literally opposite surfer’s paradise, Fistral Beach.
We drove down to Newquay from Birmingham and while the weather was fairly horrendous on the way down, the journey itself was really straightforward, heading down the M5 for what felt like an eternity. After around four hours, we finally caught our first stunning sight of the sea. The long drive was totally worth it when we turned into Pentire Road and saw just how close The Esplanade Hotel was to the beach – with a panoramic view across the bay.
The hotel is based literally opposite the famous Fistral Beach, a huge expanse of golden sand with impressive waves that make it a hot spot for surfers and water sports enthusiasts. You can access the beach down a relatively steep set of stairs, or walk to the more lively end for a more gentle stroll down to the sand.
Is there parking at The Esplanade hotel?
Having visited Newquay in previous years, we knew that parking near the beach can sometimes be challenging. The Esplanade Hotel is lucky enough to have its own car park directly outside, as well as free first-come-first-served parking on the main road. If these spaces are full, there are two other free Cornwall Council car parks within a short walking distance from the hotel, charging around £10 a day or £25 for a week.
The Esplanade Hotel, Newquay also has a small number of reserved parking spots, which can be booked at a rate of £15 a day. Whilst this is obviously an expense, we felt this was worth paying for additional peace of mind, especially if you’re planning on exploring everything Newquay has to offer. I would recommend booking a space as you book your break, as they are understandably popular and can book-up quickly. If you reserve a space, you are given a key for the pillars on arrival. which is removed from the space before parking your car. If you leave the hotel during the day, you simply click the pillar back in to reserve the space until your return. The hotel also takes a record of your car’s registration plate so that guest’s vehicles can be accounted for.
What else is nearby?
As well as the great facilities at the hotel itself, The Esplanade is conveniently located close to a wide range of restaurants and attractions.
The Esplanade has a surf school and shop attached directly to the hotel, meaning you won’t need to travel far if you fancy being a little more adventurous in the sea.
Just a short drive away from the hotel, you’ll also find plenty of family-friendly attractions including the Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay Zoo, Flambards theme park, and the Eden Project and the Gardens of Helligan a little further afield. You’ll find a handy pack in reception packed full of flyers and leaflets, so you’ll never struggle for inspiration about where to go next.
The Esplanade is located down what I would call the ‘quiet’ end of Fistral Beach, just a short away from the SeaSpray Cafe Bar and Nook takeaway. At the other end of the beach, you’ll find The Fistral Beach Bar, Rick Stein’s Fistral restaurant, The Fish House and The Stable restaurant – where you can tuck into delicious stone-baked pizzas whilst admiring the view across the bay. You’ll also find Lewinnick Lodge Boutique Restaurant in the opposite direction and see sights of The Headland Hotel – home to the original Witches movie, which was filmed there back in 1990.
First Impressions of The Esplanade Hotel, Newquay
Our first impressions of The Hotel Esplanade were really positive. On entering the hotel you see two reception desks and a large relaxed seating area, with floor to ceiling windows allowing you to sit back and relax with some really impressive views. You can see literally for miles, and despite it being a bit overcast on arrival, it was so lovely to sit and take in the sights.
It’s worth mentioning that the hotel is dog friendly in specific areas of the hotel, so you will see some families chilling with their pets in the foyer This was a big plus point for the girls, who immediately made friends with some of the other guests, who we ended up chatting to a lot during our stay.
There’s a small Book Nook area in reception, which is a great place for children to pass the time, with a selection of books, board games and colouring in as well as a unit full of craft items where children can help themselves. Whilst we were lucky with the weather during our stay, this little nook is a welcome addition that would prove popular should the weather took a turn for the worse.
Arrival at The Esplanade was from 3pm, although our room was ready a little earlier (around 2pm), meaning despite arriving early, we didn’t have to wait too long at all before we could check-in.
How easy was it to check in?
There are two check in desks at the hotels’ reception, and while it was busy when we arrived, we didn’t have to wait long at all to be seen. We were greeted by Judith (who my partner accidentally called Brenda for the duration of our stay), who was so friendly, welcoming and great with the kids. She made sure we knew about everything the hotel had to offer, including where to find the soft play area, outdoor playground and pool.
During check in, we were able to book our preferred timings for breakfast, along with our evening meal which we had arranged at the onsite Cove restaurant.
When given our room keys, the girls were also given a lovely surprise. Each child staying at The Esplanade receives an adorable make your own soft toy kit, with a soft furry character and a bag of stuffing to help bring their characters to life. The girls were really excited by this, and this was just the first of many little touches to make the stay warm and welcoming for children.
Our Room with a view
There are a range of room styles at The Esplanade, with options to accommodate both couples and families of all sizes.
We stayed in a family sea view room, specifically Room 140 which was perfect for our needs. Some of the family rooms have bunk beds (a great touch for younger children), but with our girls being a little older (6 and 10) we were given a room with one large (queen) sized bed and two singles, offering plenty of space for us to all sleep comfortably and make ourselves at home.
Our room was really spacious, so we were able to move around freely without feeling like we were in each other’s personal space. There was a large dressing table/sideboard with a mirror, a TV and even a mini fridge – a great place to cool down some drinks before heading down to the beach.
I really liked the addition of a smaller table and chair located next to the window – perfect for doing your make-up whilst overlooking the view of the beach below.
There was plenty of wardrobe space in our room, with a selection of hangers available to use, as well as plenty of drawer space for stashing your belongings. We found a hairdryer in the room (leaving me wishing I’d left mine at home) and although we didn’t need to use them, it was great to spot a fan and heater inside the wardrobes in preparation for the more extreme British weather.
The view from our room was fantastic, There were two large windows at the far end of and while you could see some of the surf shop roof below, it also offered an amazing view right across the beach. You could literally hear the waves lapping on the shore from our window which was such a plus point. Whilst I am sure the standard rooms are lovely too, I would definitely pay the extra to wake up to that sound in the mornings.
The room has so many little touches that help make children feel completely at home. First was the little dressing gowns placed on the girl’s beds. Embroidered with ‘The beach is my playground’ on the back, the girls couldn’t wait to get them on almost as soon as we’d arrived. So cosy and soft and perfect for snuggling into after a fun-filled day at the beach, there were plain white robes and slippers in the wardrobe for us grown-ups too.
The bathroom was also well prepared for kids. Along with a bath mat in the wardrobe to prevent slips during bathtime, there were a selection of Child’s Farm toiletries (ideal for sensitive skin) to use during your stay as well as luxurious GAIA handwash, body lotion, shampoo and conditioner for us too. The water pressure was really impressive – honestly, one of the most relaxing showers I’ve had in a while, and the heated towel rail was a useful addition for drying off our swimming costumes too.
Whilst most hotels include tea and coffee-making facilities, The Esplanade go one step further, also including a hot chocolate station for the kids too. From yummy shortbread biscuits to sachets of Galaxy hot chocolate, a little jar of marshmallows and even some sachets of squash to add to their water, this tray made a wonderful addition for our children.
What facilities does The Esplanade offer?
There are so many family friendly facilities at The Esplanade that it’s hard to know where to start. One thing is for sure, whether it’s glorious sunshine or pouring with rain, your children certainly won’t get bored. We were lucky that during our visit we had fantastic weather of 23 degrees and sunshine all week (quite a turnaround from the journey down!)
As a result, we didn’t use the facilities as much as we may have done on a duller weekend, however, the girls were keen to try them all out during our break.
Indoor Pool
Unlike some of the hotels and accommodation in Newquay, The Esplanade is lucky enough to have its own pool area, with a family-friendly swimming pool, hot tub and sauna that are open to guests all day until 8.30 pm each evening.
While it’s relatively small in size, there is plenty of space for the kids to splash around, with a smaller, shallower area for younger children. Despite the hotel being relatively busy, the pool area was not crowded or overly busy during our stay – although of course this could be different on dull, rainy days. I had to be a little careful taking photos in the pool as I didn’t want to include other guests, so the part shown below is around a third of the total size.
The key card for the pool is changed each day, so you need to report to reception before heading down to the pool. If you’re keen to avoid busy periods, you can always call down to reception before heading down from your room.
With lockers and showers, the pool area was clean and tidy, however we found it was a little colder than we’d have liked. The hot tub was on the flip side, incredibly warm – a great place to relax at the end of a busy day.
Children’s soft play
The children’s play area is located just off the main Cove Restaurant, ideally positioned so that the kids can go and play while waiting for dinner. It’s close enough so that parents can supervise, but not so close that it’s noisy or disruptive.
The girls (particularly Neve) loved the muted colour soft play area, enjoying clambering around, spinning, sliding and generally burning off some excess energy whilst we ordered drinks and food.
In this area, you can also find table football, a pool table, bean bag toss, giant connect four and arcade game, so there’s plenty to entertain children of all ages.
Outdoor play area
Behind the restaurant through the back door, you’ll also find a large outdoor play area, with a huge pirate ship, slides, agility ropes and bridges. It offers plenty of space for children to run around in the fresh air while parents enjoy some sunshine and the view of the seam with some wooden picnic tables conveniently dotted around the grounds.
The play area was very quiet during our stay – so much so that we wondered whether some families forgot that it was there!
Tennis court
Again, quite easy to miss, The Esplanade also has its own tennis court (accessible through the cocktail bar during the day. This large tennis court also has a box full of rackets and balls, allowing guests to help themselves and bring out their inner Serena Williams.
Cinema
The Esplanade also have an onsite cinema – a small but surprisingly spacious room with cosy and comfortable chairs, so families can settle down to one of four different family movies each day.
While the room felt a little warm in the cinema during our stay (not surprising during the warmest days of summer), the cinema is ideal for days when the weather isn’t on your side or a great way to spend the evening with younger children before tucking them up in bed. During our visit, movies included Encanto, The Greatest Showman, Luca and Matilda the Musical – so there really was something for everyone.
What is the food like at The Esplanade Hotel?
During our stay at The Esplanade we took advantage their varied dining options including their two course breakfast, dining in Cove Restaurant and tucking into a delightful afternoon tea.
Breakfast at The Cove
Of all our dining experiences, breakfast was my favourite part during our break at The Esplanade. Seated in the Cove restaurant (with fantastic panoramic views of the sea), the breakfast is a two-course affair, meaning you really can set yourself up for the day (and often skip lunch) as a result.
The first course is continental style, with a help-yourself selection of food and drink including cereals, overnight oats, yoghurts, fresh pastries (pain de chocolat, apricot danishes and croissants) as well as a traditional hotel toasting machine which while a little slow, was certainly worth the wait.
If you weren’t already stuffed to the brim, you could then order food off the breakfast menu, including full english breakfasts with all the trimmings, poached eggs, pancakes, beams on toast and scrambled egg. If you’ve got picky eaters like mine, you can also ask specifically for the items you do and do not want (e.g. no egg or just bacon and sausages).
The vibe at breakfast was relaxed and comfortable and as a parent, it was so lovely to start the day chatting while tucking into a breakfast that you didn’t have to make yourself!
Evening meal in The Cove restaurant
We also enjoyed two evening meals in The Cove restaurant during our stay. The menu is not huge, but it has a great choice of starters, mains and desserts to choose from, as well as a children’s menu with some familiar choices to accommodate younger guests. The waiting team were great fun and honestly, nothing was too much trouble, whether that was picking up a straw for my youngest or responding to specific dietary requirements,
The restaurant never felt overly crowded or noisy despite it being peak season. It’s also worth mentioning that families with dogs eat in the more relaxed front reception area, meaning those who are less keen on four-legged friends don’t need to be distracted during their meal.
The food was well presented and cooked really well, with the lemon meringue dessert being a personal highlight!
Afternoon Tea
On the Sunday during our stay, we treated ourselves to an afternoon tea, which was again presented with a sea view in The Cove restaurant. You’d think after a few days the novelty of seeing the sea would wear off, but it absolutely didnt. It was great to see how the view changed at different times of day.
With adult and children’s afternoon tea options, this was a real treat for us all. The scones were warm and freshly baked and while Mike and I debated whether it was jam or cream first, the kids started tucking into ham, cheese and jam sandwiches, along with perfectly sized portions of brownies, waffles and yummy desserts.
There was more than enough food to go around- in fact, we couldn’t finish it all! Our waitress kindly bought us out a bag so we could take any leftovers back to our room. Stashed in the fridge for a pre-bedtime snack, I’d definitely recommend this if you want to arrange a treat for a birthday or other special occasion.
Child friendly touches at The Esplanade Hotel
It’s hard to put into words just how homely The Esplanade feels – the staff are warm and welcoming (a real asset to this hotel) and throughout our stay, there was so many smaller details that made us feel like we were staying with family rather than in a large hotel. Here are just a small selection of the child-friendly touches that added something special to our visit
Milk and cookies
Every evening at around 7.30pm a plate full of chocolate chip cookies and small bottles of milk were bought out to the book nook, along with a printed bedtime story for families to take back to their room. I thought this was absolutely adorable and it was so lovely to see the kids queuing up ready to help themselves before clambering up the stairs to bed.
The Borrow Box
If like us, you don’t live close to the beach, you probably find yourself spending a fortune on buckets, spades and windbreaks only to pack them away in the shed and forget about them, before buying new ones the next time you go on your travels. The Esplanade have a large Borrow Box in reception, full of everything you may need during a day at the beach. From buckets and spades to wet suits, windbreaks and even a bodyboard, we were able to choose our selection before heading down to the beach each morning. Not only is this cheaper, but it’s more eco-friendly
too – a big plus point for us.
Evening entertainment
During the week, The Esplanade puts on a variety of child friendly entertainment that takes place in the indoor play area just off the restaurant. Parents can enjoy a drink in The Cove by the bar, while the children enjoy an entertainer, magician or even take part in silent disco. The entertainment may vary outside of peak season, however the girls really enjoyed the magician, with some slapstick comedy, balloon characters and a giant emu!
The Team – The Esplanade’s biggest asset
We met a large number of staff at The Esplanade during our stay (too many to mention by name) but everyone we met was polite and friendly and treated you just like family. From the housekeeping staff who greeted us each morning with a huge smile and were happy to chat, to the reception team, the restaurant and bar staff. We even met the general manager and janitor (the latter of which was called when Mike accidentally threw his sunglasses on the roof of the surf hut whilst trying to rescue a baby seagull – don’t ask!)
The staff are definitely an asset to this hotel, giving it a really welcoming and friendly feel – as a result, its not surprising that we met guests who have returned to The Esplanade time and time again.
What we loved about The Esplanade
- The child friendly touches
- The spacious room and waking up to the sight of the sea
- The convenience for accessing the beach and nearby attractions
- The relaxed, family friendly feel
- The borrow box, which allowed us to leave those beach toys at home
- Breakfast – in particular admiring the beach whilst tucking into your toast
- The range of ‘weather proof’ facilities, meaning even if the weather had turned, the kids would never have got bored.
What we would change
There really isn’t much we would change about our stay at The Esplanade. My only constructive criticism would be that we wish the pool was a little bit warmer. Had it been more heated we would have definitely used it more often, particularly for a quick splash around before the girls went to bed. As it happened, the wonderful weather meant we didn’t really miss it, but given the temperature, I do wonder how often the girls would’ve asked to return even if it had been raining outside.
Would we stay at The Esplanade Hotel again?
Most definitely, we are already considering returning this time next year – lets hope the weather is as kind on our next visit!
Disclosure – We stayed at The Esplanade Hotel on a press trip for two nights in September 2023 in exchange for our honest review. We chose to extend this break at our own expense for an additional two nights to make the most of our visit.
