The Headland Hotel

About The Headland Hotel

The Headland is impossible to miss: a large red-brick Victorian hotel standing alone on the promontory between Fistral Beach and Newquay harbour, with the Atlantic on three sides. It opened in 1900, survived a well-documented row with local residents at the time, and has been substantially reworked over the past two decades by its current owners. It now carries an AA five-star rating and is one of the larger full-service hotels in Cornwall.

Bedrooms run from compact cosy doubles up to ocean-view suites, with coastal and grounds-view categories in between. The best rooms face west over Fistral and are worth the premium for the sunsets alone. Alongside the hotel rooms sit around 40 self-catering cottages in the grounds, which suit families and larger groups who want the run of the facilities without eating in the restaurants every night. Dogs are welcome in many rooms and cottages.

The Aqua Club is the main draw for many guests: six indoor and outdoor pools, open year-round, along with hydrotherapy features and a poolside cafe. The separate spa has a Cornish salt steam room, Swedish sauna, hot tub and treatment rooms using Elemis and Voya products, plus a Life Fitness gym. Outside there is a par-three approach golf course, tennis, a surf school on the beach below and direct access to the coast path. Eating is spread across several rooms, with RenMor the main restaurant and lighter options in the terrace bar and lounge.

This is a big hotel and busy in high summer, which is worth knowing. It suits families, groups and anyone who wants a proper resort with plenty on site, but it also works well out of season, when the pools and spa are quiet and the Atlantic weather is part of the appeal. Newquay town centre is about a ten-minute walk.