Just returned from visiting Cornwall for 5 days, staying at the luxurious 4 star Carlyon Bay Hotel, which came highly recommended. Part of the Brend group of luxury hotels, this family run business has a fantastic location, perched on the rugged cliffs overlooking the sea at St Austell. The hotel has a great range of facilities including an 18 hole Championship Golf Course, two snooker tables, spa facilities including steam rooms, sauna, beauty treatments, heated swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis courts, croquet etc.
The rooms are stylish and spacious with some having wonderful sea views. They range from standard, deluxe, luxury superior and state rooms. The tariff reflects the size and aspect of each room and it's worth checking for 'special promotions,' which we did.
There is some impressive fine dining in the Bay View restaurant with it's panoramic sea views. Dress is smart/smart casual dress for dinner, with no ripped denim or sportswear permitted after 7pm. The menu is wide and varied and tastes really good. The waiting staff are friendly, professional, and certainly aim to please. You can relax and have coffee in the spacious lounge after your meal. Breakfast offers something for everyone from continental, full English, or even Champagne. We loved it so much we stayed for an extra day!
The Carlyon Hotel is a good base in which to visit some of Cornwall's top gardens which include the 'Lost Gardens of Heligan,' and the 'Eden Project'. We even found a 'Duchy of Cornwall Nursery' near by, which was well worth a visit. Charlestown is only a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel. It grew from a small fishing village and has been used several times as a filming location for film and television dramas. The National Trust's Lanhydrock, the magnificent late Victorian country house and gardens is also within easy reach and will take up quite a bit of time as there is so much to see.
While walking around the cliff top at Polruan, we were invited into a National Coastwatch Institution station by one of the volunteers on watch. It was fascinating to see and learn how these 'eyes along the coast' keep a look out for danger, acting as a vital link with all the emergency services and providing an emergency contact point on for both sea and shore users. It is but one of many NCI stations in service along the coast from Land's End up to the North East.
There is certainly plenty to see and do around this area of Cornwall, and nowhere better to see it all from, then from the comfort of the Carlyon Hotel with its great hospitality and feel of luxury.
