March is always a busy month, with both Mother’s day and Mum’s birthday. For the past few years I’ve treated her to a spa day, always somewhere different and a good way to spend some time together and treat ourselves. Last month, I happened to stumble upon a fabulous deal, ’80 rooms for £80′ at the St. Moritz Hotel and Cowshed Spa near Rock and Polzeath, Cornwall. I jumped at the chance and booked us a room, including breakfast, for the weekend before Easter.
Our twin room
Surprisingly, this is the first time I’ve been to this part of Cornwall as we normally stay further south. With breathtaking views over the Camel Estuary and Atlantic Ocean, the St Moritz Hotel is a mix of rooms, suites, penthouses, and self-catering apartments and villas. Boasting an outdoor pool surrounded by beach huts (which come complimentary with your room) plus an indoor pool, sauna and steam room for the many more days the weather isn’t so accommodating. (Unfortunately the indoor pool area and the spa aren’t linked, so a relaxing spa day isn’t quite possible and our only grumble for the weekend).
Mum’s beach hut
On arrival, we were greeted by our ‘host’ for the weekend and given a detailed explanation of what was available to us within the hotel and shown to our room; a large twin on the ground floor in the building opposite the main hotel.
Extremely well kitted out, the bathroom included full-sized cowshed products (winner!), a hairdryer as well as straighteners. In the cupboard we found bath robes to walk across to the facilities and board games for the rainy days although we didn’t have time to take advantage of these. They’d even left complimentary chocs for Mum’s birthday. Certainly a fab start to the weekend.
The hotel offers a free shuttle in their funky branded Land Rover to Rock where you can also jump on the ferry for £4 return to Padstow, where we spent the afternoon wondering the shops and trying to stay warm and dry.
In the evening, we opted to eat in one of the hotel’s restaurants, Shorecrest, which saved us from going out again. There’s also not much within walking distance, so this also meant we could enjoy a couple of glasses of wine without having to worry about driving anywhere. The restaurant however, did not disappoint.
Haddock Risotto with boiled egg – Shorecrest Restaurant
Booking.com
Anyone that knows me well, will know how much I enjoy good food, especially in nice restaurants. The head chef having worked alongside Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal in the past has designed a menu that features ‘fresh, local seasonal produce’ prepared, cooked and served within the open-plan kitchen. The haddock risotto to start was more the size of a main, but that didn’t stop me finishing it, and followed by the 12 hour cooked lamb which was divine!
After a great night’s sleep, we enjoyed a hearty inclusive breakfast and headed out into the first sunny day of spring for a walk along the coastal path to Polzeath, a lovely and very popular beach and cove with a couple of cafes and surf shops. Having tired ourselves out, we headed back to the hotel to enjoy our massages and manicures in the hotel’s spa, headed up by the well known spa brand Cowshed. In quite a rested state after my 120 minute salt scrub and massage, I wasn’t ready to leave but alas our weekend had come to a close.
Looking at the cost of a night at any time of the year, I definitely nabbed a bargain! Currently, our room in low-season starts from £170 B&B, but as much as £245 in the summer, so keep your eyes peeled on their website for deals.