EXPLORING CORNWALL: THE CORNWALL HOTEL & SPA

The Cornwall Hotel is a beautiful Estate, hidden away in the little market town of St Austell…

You’ll need to keep your eyes peeled for the turning, but the drive into the Estate is dreamy - greenery surrounds you, with a natural pond to the right and tall trees ahead. The Hotel itself is tucked away behind the views, and there are an array of large, self-catering lodges even further back (I love the outdoorsy modern chalet vibe of these!). There’s even a pet-friendly cottage!

I visited the Hotel many years ago, but the community areas have recently had a very exciting revamp – with the launch of Cornwall’s first Laura Ashley ‘The Tea Room’. The vibe in these areas is now completely different, with beautiful open spaces, lots of light flowing in, easy access to the terrace and garden area, and a chic Laura Ashley design that winds its way from the dreamy Tea Room (once the ‘lounge’ area) through to the restaurant rooms.

The Tea Room itself is a great space, perfect for a girl’s lunch or brunch, birthday parties, hen do’s, baby showers, and more. You can even do as I did and start your experience with an afternoon tea before heading to the spa. The room has been redecorated from top to bottom, in a beautiful, chic Laura Ashley style. It’s modern but classic, with perfect finishing touches from geometric lights to china on the walls – everything is perfectly colour coordinated. The quiet and cosy bar is right next door, and follows in a similar vibe and colour scheme… there’s even a log fire tucked away in one corner!

The Team Room is open for brunch and for afternoon tea… and the menu really does cater for all. There are amazing vegan dishes, and a brilliant child-friendly afternoon tea option. Everything really is so yummy… I was lucky enough to taste a little of everything at the open event, and to try even more on my revisit! The best part? If you can’t finish it all, there are pretty Laura Ashley boxes available to take home your leftovers. There really is an array of wonderful food!

The tea is locally sourced from England’s one and only tea plantation, Tregothnan! I absolutely recommend the ‘afternoon tea’ blend – it’s wonderfully light, and pairs so well with the afternoon tea dishes. You can also swap the tea for Prosecco… or, far better idea, have both!

The spa is just a short walk away, and has a beautiful entrance… with a lovely courtyard spot surrounded by stone buildings. The gym is to your left, with the spa entrance straight ahead. The spa itself is made up of an indoor pool and adjacent bubble pool, a steam room, a sauna, and an additional open shower area. The magical feature are the concertina windows that open the pool up to the outside garden area – for summer sun only! Upstairs you’ll find a little waiting area and the quiet treatment rooms.

Sadly the bubble pool wasn’t working on the day I visited, but having experienced it on a previous visit – it is relaxing! The pool isn’t overly warm, so quick dips into the sauna were definitely welcomed.

I was treated to the wonderful ‘Vino-Perfect Radiance’ Caudalie facial, which I highly recommend! It’s a sixty minute facial that utilises a variety of Caudalie products, cool mists, and both hot and cold basalt stones. My face was so soft, and it felt so refreshed and revitalised! The perfect way to end a lovely day.

The Cornwall’s spa has a wide variety of treatments, breaks, and spa days available – they also offer a local’s Spa package, which is available to those living in PL and TR post codes… it includes a forty-five minute massage, a spa lunch to share, and use of all the spa facilities.

A lovely little Hotel and Spa combo to have right on my doorstep, I can’t wait to see what else is to come! Laura Ashley’s addition of the ‘Tea Room’ really has begun a wonderful change to the hotel’s atmosphere, and is becoming a popular feature already! Thank you so much for having me for the day!

Claudia xo