When I saw all the family friendly facilities at The Esplanade in Newquay, I absolutely had to say yes to our invite to stay at their hotel during February half term.  This was the first stop on our epic Cornwall road trip, and a very welcome end to our 6 hour drive from Nottingham to start our holiday.

We arrived at The Esplanade hotel before check in, but decided to wait in the Pebbles Bar until our room was ready.  They serve bar food between 12pm and 6pm in the bar so it was a logical place for us to have some lunch and refuel from the long trip we’d just made.

Outside The Esplanade hotel Newquay Cornwall

After we ordered, I took the girls to the indoor play area for them to burn off some energy before lunch arrived.  They loved the soft play area and I knew this was going to feature a few times during our stay.

The kids meals went down a storm with big fish fingers for Indie and ‘real’ chicken nuggets for Brook. Happy kids and parents all round who opted for the soup of the day.  We were saving ourselves for dinner in the Ocean View Restaurant that evening.

Check in at The Esplanade Hotel

The reception advised us when our room was ready and we got checked in very quickly after our meal.  We were given lots of information about the hotel and the facilities that were available to us.  There were lots of activities planned and it seemed like the hotel made a real effort to make families feel welcome.

Our hotel welcome pack included the following information:

  • Tickets to the build a bear party for the girls
  • Details of free daily children’s activities available during our stay
  • Swimming pool and spa access information
  • Voucher for discounted surf lessons
  • Free WiFi access details

Our Family Room

The girls were keen to go and explore our family room, and we were delighted with the space we had available to us when we opened the door.  We all rushed in, and Daddy and I were immediately drawn to the sea view over Fistral Beach.  We were definitely going to enjoy looking out of that window for the weekend and we all loved watching the surfers take to the waves on this particularly dramatic piece of Cornish coast line.

The girls loved the elephant towel art they found on their beds and the bags left for them to take to the build a bear party later, equipped with everything they would need to make their new toy.

The room was incredibly clean and well presented and the beds were firm, promising for a good night’s sleep all round.  Our room also had a full bathroom, with a shower over the bath.  I really prefer this option when travelling with kids.  Being able to put both the girls in the bath as a part of their bedtime routine does help settle them for the night after an exciting day in a new location.

Location

The Esplanade hotel directly overlooks Fistral Beach in Newquay which is perfect for families, couples and surfers visiting the area.  The stepped access to the beach is directly opposite the hotel, and there’s also a carpark on the other side of the beach if you need level access to the sand.

We went down the steps to the beach with the girls and they loved it.  There was plenty of rocks to climb and stones to throw in the sea, making it the perfect playground any time of year.

The Esplanade hotel is about a 5 minute drive or 25 minute walk into central Newquay and the major attractions.  Newquay Golf Club is right on your doorstep and local attractions Pirates Quest, Blue Reef Aquarium and Newquay Zoo are really accessible too.

Parking at The Esplanade Hotel

The Esplanade Hotel has a small car park at the front of the hotel.  There is also street parking available but this is popular with visitors to the beach also.

The hotel offers a reserved parking service which guarantees you a space in the hotel car park for £10 per night.  If you are planning on going out during the day this is well worth the investment.  It also means you can access the electrical charge point at the hotel easily if your vehicle requires one.

Family Friendly Facilities

We discovered that The Esplanade hotel has some great family friendly facilities for a very successful Cornwall holiday.

Our girls loved the children’s play area, which we made use of a lot while we were there.  I was there at 6.30am one morning as the girls do like an early start every now and again.   It’s a little on the small side, but this didn’t seem to bother the kids.

Outside there were sports courts and climbing frames for the kids to enjoy in the warmer weather too. There was also a pool table which seemed to prove popular with the older kids on holiday at the hotel.

There’s also an indoor swimming pool with a jacuzzi and sauna for the adults.  There’s a children’s shallow pool as well as a deeper section for adults and more confident swimmers.  It’s very well maintained and a great place for a family swim.

The biggest hit with the kids was the children’s activities available during our stay.  They enjoyed the build a bear party where they got to stuff their own toy and design a t shirt for it to wear.  The following night they decorated cookies which also went down very well.

The hotel staff who helped with these activities were lovely and the children really enjoyed these creative sessions with them.  It also gave Daddy and I 5 minutes to enjoy a drink in the bar while someone else entertained them.  We simply just had to watch them having fun without providing the entertainment for a change.

Hotel Breakfast and Dinner

We felt that all the food served at the hotel was excellent to be honest.  The hotel breakfast was particularly good and we were able to enjoy our full English whilst gazing out over Fistral beach. It also turns out that the surfers start early in Newquay, and we enjoyed watching them catch some waves too.

The hot breakfast was buffet style with bacon, sausages, eggs, beans and even smiley faces for the kids, which we thought was a lovely touch.

There was also a great selection of cereals, fruit and pastries which was a big hit with the kids who seem to prefer continental.

Tea and coffee was served to the table and there was also a range of items on the menu cooked to order including fresh pancakes.  The girls grew to be big fans of these very quickly.

On the first evening at The Esplanade hotel we also enjoyed eating in their family friendly Ocean View Restaurant.  We were really impressed with the food quality at dinner, and I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Head chef Julie Remphry looks after the menus and the kitchen and is passionate about sourcing local ingredients and creating mouth-watering flavours.  We think she’s nailing it and would be happy to recommend eating at the restaurant if you are a guest at the hotel or not.

The prettiest event though was the desserts, with the butterfly sprinkles on the vanilla ice cream and pancake stack making a big impression with the girls.  I had a touch of food envy to be honest, but my lemon fool was amazing also.

It was also great to see colouring and balloons available for the kids who really appreciate these little touches when they are required to sit still for longer than 5 minutes while the adults enjoy a meal.

Hotel Character

If your looking for a friendly hotel with traditional character I think The Esplanade hotel is the perfect choice for your family holiday in Cornwall.  The staff go that extra mile to make families with children feel welcome and the facilities they provide are excellent.

Staff were always on hand to provide help and assistance and the service at the hotel was brilliant.  The small touches provided by the hotel went along way as well. A bed time story was posted under the door every night for the kids and the gorgeous ESPA toiletries provided in the bathroom adding a little luxury for the parents.

I would happily recommend a stay at The Esplanade hotel in Newquay to family, friends or readers of my blog looking for a family friendly hotel in Cornwall for their holiday.  We had an excellent short break here and would happily return to the hotel on our next visit to Cornwall.

Like the sound of this hotel?  Take a peek at our YouTube video now:

Days Out and Places to Eat Near Esplanade Hotel

Days Out

Pirates Quest Newquay 1.4 Miles

Bluereef Aquarium Newquay 1.8 Miles

Newquay Zoo Newquay 2.1 Miles

National Maritime Museum Falmouth 25 Miles

Eden Project Bodelva 23 Miles

Cornish Seal Sanctuary Gweek 29 Miles

Restaurants

Lewinnick Lodge Restaurant Newquay 0.5 Miles

The Sharksfin Restaurant Mevagissey 22 Miles

Harbour Lights Fish & Chip Restaurant Falmouth 25 Miles

Useful Information

Breakfast was served between 8am and 10am

Meals were served in the Pebbles Bar between 12pm and 6pm with children’s menu available

Ocean View Restaurant opens at 6.30pm

Surf Lessons are available from The Quiksilver Surf School

The Esplanade Hotel
Esplanade Road
Fistral Beach
Newquay
Cornwall
TR7 1PS

Website: https://www.esplanadehotelnewquay.co.uk/

Telephone: +44 (0) 1637 818382

Email: [email protected]

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The Esplanade Hotel Review - Family friendly hotel in Newquay, Cornwall #familytravel #uktravel #travelwithkids

We were provided with a complimentary 2 night stay at the Esplanade Hotel with breakfast and dinner in exchange for this post but all thoughts and opinions are our own. 

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4 COMMENTS

  1. Definitely going to make note of this place for if we’re ever over that way. I love how inclusive they are of families. A soft play available at 6:30am is a definite winner and how wonderful for all this to be available by the beach.

  2. This looks fantastic! I know my two (yes, even my son) would be ecstatic about arriving to a build a bear activity. And how cute do those kids’ meals look?

  3. I visited Cornwall as a child and have always wanted to re-visit with my children. This sounds like the perfect hotel to stay with young children. The food looks and sounds delicious, my daughter would love those desserts x

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