There’s something decidedly unrelaxing about relaxing in a bath you know has been bathed in by Boris Johnson.
Then again, the view from my bath here at Carbis Bay is probably the most relaxing sight I’ve seen while scrubbing in quite some time, if ever — calm turquoise waters and white sand, dolphins playing in the distance, dogs paddling off the beach — so I suppose, on balance, it probably evens out.
Johnson and his wife Carrie (and then-baby son Wilfred) famously stayed at the luxury Cornwall spa hotel during the G7 summit in 2021 and you’ll remember all the front-page coverage that summer: the snaps of Johnson taking a morning dip, the photo calls with the Bidens and Trudeaus on the beach, the fears of whether Biden would get his bulletproof limo down those narrow Cornwall roads.
Carbis’ hotel managers have naturally capitalised on this fame ever since, naming its luxury beach lodges — California chic-style waterfront properties decked out with open fireplaces, rolltop baths and their own beachside hot tubs — after the world leaders who stayed in them. You can take a nap in the Bidens’ bedroom, seal-spot from the spa where Sophie Trudeau might have chatted Jill Biden over a pedicure, and even snap a selfie next to the giant G7 sign, still standing, proudly, on the pathway down to the lodges.
From fine dining next to the hotel’s own 25-acre Blue Flag beach, to the award-winning Bamford spa, here’s everything you need to know.
Where is it?
Right on the beach at Carbis Bay — by which I mean: so close you can take about five steps from your beach lodge and you’re there on the sand. In fact, it’s the only British hotel with its own Blue Flag beach and the estate certainly makes the most of this, the spa, restaurants and rooms almost all looking out over that famous strip of glistening white sand.
The charming town of St Ives is a 25-minute walk away via the South West Coast Path, which bisects the estate, and the hotel has its own railway station if you fancy taking the sweet little train that shuttles between St Ives and St Erth, with two trains an hour and what is surely one of the best train views in the country.
Style
Bamford bath products. Paths made from recycled straws. Light-filled, California-style living rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows straight out onto the beach.
The vibe here is modern and eco-chic, but steeped in history, from pictures of Virginia Woolf (she stayed here for three weeks in 1914), whose 1927 novel To The Lighthouse was inspired by Godrevy Lighthouse on the far side of the bay, to the hotel’s first ever menu still framed outside the restaurant.
The hotel was built in 1894 and was later purchased by the Baker family in 1985. It’s still owned and managed by the Bakers today and retains many of its Victorian features, gradually expanding into a full 125-acre estate that now stays open all-year-round thanks to the opening of the spa.
The place was a typical run-down seaside hotel back in the 19th century, the USP being its beach, but today it’s one of the most prestigious (and eco-friendly) luxury hotels in the south-west, hosting everyone from world leaders to staff from L’Oreal and other big corporates looking for a wholesome team away day or week.
Sustainable travel is the order of the day here, with Tesla charging points, an electric buggy for on-site transport, low-carbon cladding and roofing, and an on-site energy centre powering everything from the hotel to the spa and beach lodges, saving the estate approximately 100 tonnes of carbon a year. It’s also the first hotel in the world to instal pathways and a promenade made from recycled ocean plastics. Some 3.5 million plastic straws have been used on the estate so far.
Staff are constantly re-investing, opening new properties on the estate every year, such as the Valley Suites and Cottages at the top of the hill near the woods. The estate recently won a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award for 2023, putting it in the top 10 per cent of hotels worldwide.
Which room?
The Carbis team encourage guests to book by phone so they can help you decide what you want. It’s no wonder: the estate offers everything from serviced cottages, apartments, bungalows and beach houses with direct beach access to 35 rooms in the main house and eight ultra-chic beach lodges with hot-tubs in the roof or in their beachside gardens.
Every single room in the hotel underwent a luxury refurb ahead of G7 (staff had 18 months to complete a three-and-a-half-year refurb programme once they found out they were hosting the summit) and it still feels sparkling new, with white marble bathrooms, ultra-Instagrammable rolltop baths, Pinterest-friendly wallpapers and bright coloured cushons.
Returners often know the rooms they want but staff recommend the beach houses or lodges for families or dog-owners looking for a spacious stay. They’re all dog-friendly (it’s an exta £25 per dog and owners will recieve a doggie welcome pack with biscuits and treats) and fit for a world leader, with California-chic kitchen islands and interiors and premium access to a Guest Host who can help to make restaurant bookings, organise in-lodge dining and bring you the odd glass of fizz. All are located directly on the beach, boasting giant open-plan lounges with a roaring fire, floor-to-ceiling windows (there are binoculars left on the table for dolphin-spotting) and private balconies and hot tubs. The biggest is the eight-person, tri-level Deluxe Lodge where the Johnsons stayed, while the Luxury and Superior lodges both sleep six.
Rooms in the main house range in size and style, each with their own colour scheme and most featuring rain-head showers if not a bath. There’s a tablet in each room for ordering room service, booking spa treatments and making dinner reservations and even the smallest junior suites have sea views so are worth snapping up if you can find one available in peak season. The beach suites have lift access for families or disabled guests, but staff still recommend calling to find the perfect one.
Food & drink
Locally-caught Cornish turbot from renowned chef Adam Handling. Champagne afternoon teas overlooking the beach. Hampers of fresh eggs, fruit and pastries delivered to your lodge each morning.
Food is a key focus on the Carbis estate and you won’t go short of options. There’s a beachside deli for picking up pastries, breakfast ciabattas and Cornish Origin Coffee Roasters coffees; a chilled-out coastal inn on the way into St Ives called The Hungry Gannet; plus four main restaurants: a laid-back, Mediterranean-style restaurant The Beach Club; a low-lit, cocktail-style bar and restaurant Walter’s On The Beach; all-day restaurant The Orangery; and the hotel’s famous fine-dining outpost from the Ugly Butterfly from Adam Handling. Expect the same theatrics as Handling’s restaurant The Frog in Covent Garden, with ingredients sourced from in and around Cornwall: fish from Harlyn Bay, oysters from Porthilly Shellfish, razor clams from the Hayle Estuary and dried local flowers hanging from the ceiling.
Other specific foodie highlights include the king prawn crayfish linguine at The Beach Club, the lobster macaroon with chive and tomato mayonnaise and caviar at Walter’s On The Beach, and the same restaurant’s new dish The Lobster Pot, which can be enjoyed alfresco and consists of Cornish lobster served inside a tuile lobster pot with seaweed, Parmesan custard, mushroom caramel, puff pastry, sea asparagus, sea beets and oyster leaf.
Guests in the lodges can also order a private barbecue or dinner booked by a chef in the privacy of their own beach garden, and breakfast hampers are delivered to all the estate’s outer properties each morning. Breakfast and lunch are served in the Orangery if you’re staying in the main house; you’ll be asked to book a set time but just text if you’ve had an accidental lie-in and they’ll change your booking time.
Facilities
A spa. Four restaurants. A watersports centre offering everything from paddleboarding to sea safaris. Carbis isn’t just a hotel, it’s a whole 125-estate featuring everything from cinema and meeting rooms to subtropical gardens and a beachside deli. It’s no wonder many guests don’t leave for their entire trip.
Carbis is the only hotel in the country to boast its own private Blue Flag Beach and this glorious one-smile stretch of sand is at the heart of the majority of the activities on offer, from the newly-introduced guided sea swimming sessions with local cold water emersion expert Sarah Walsh to beach picnics with live music and Cornish produce every Sunday throughout June, July and August — one of several charming seasonal event series the hotel runs throughout the year from Christmas events to solstice suppers.
There’s also a babysitting service and on-site kids club during the school holidays, but the real the jewel in Carbis’ crown is its award-winning C Bay Spa. The spa partnered with sustainable bodycare brand Bamford earlier this year so guests can now experience the renowned treatments they’re accostomed to at Bamford’s iconic Daylesford wellness spa in the Cotswolds overlooking an equally iconic Cornish bay.
The bay certainly makes for a calming backdrop, whether it’s an nurturing yoga flow using gorgeous Bamford cork yoga equipment or a restorative B Strong massage to loosen the neck, shoulders, back, arms and legs using Bamford products (you’re invited to choose your oil at the start). Other treatments include a B Silent treatment designed to counteract stress and prepare the body for sleep, a B Vibrant treatment designed to energise the body, and even a bridal makeup package for guests getting married on the estate. There are men’s face and body treatments, too, and even bespoke pregnancy massages and foot rituals for mums-to-be.
Expect state-of-the-art facilities complete with Dyson hairdryers and organic Bamford products, plus a heated infinity pool, sauna (surely the best sauna in the UK?), hydropool, infinity pool, champagne area and relaxation area kitted out with fireplaces and cosy sofas. The Bamford Awakening Facial left me glowing, and is the first facial I’ve had to leave me with an ice lolly to eat afterwards. Heaven.
What to Instagram
Pods of dolphins from your beachside hot tub or rolltop bath. Even on a grey day, it’s easy to while away a whole afternoon just watching the changing weather.
Best for?
Beach-lovers looking for a wholesome spa break with good food, whether you’re a couple with a dog, family with little ones or team of colleagues. L’Oreal and Boss are among the companies to host their annual conferences here and the hotel runs various spa days and team building activities from raft building to ocean sports.
How to get there
Jump on a train from Paddington and you’ll be at Carbis Bay in just over five hours (you change at the charming little station of St Erth for the final 10 minutes of the journey, then it’s a 10-minute taxi). Driving takes around six hours on a good day or you can fly from Gatwick to Newquay Airport.
Hot tip: take the overnight train from Paddington and you’ll be there in time for breakfast. Who needs a private helicopter?
When should I go?
The best thing about Carbis Bay is its summer holiday-feel all-year-round. If you’ve read about St Ives’ microclimate the rumours are true: even on a gloomy day in London you can find yourself swimming in the glorious sunshine here in Carbis Bay, with white sand and turquoise waters closer to the Caribbean than anything you’d usually find in the UK.
We visited in early March and did everything we’d do on a summer beach break — swimming, paddleboarding, potters into St Ives — minus the crowds. The spa is heated so you can hang out in a hot tub or spa overlooking the sea if you’re not feeling brave, and the hotel’s glass-fronted yoga room is a perfect spot for a rainy day if you still want to feel like you’re in the great outdoors.
The hotel and its Ugly Butterfly restaurant in particular can get busy during high season, and dogs are banned from the beach over a few months in the summer so check the dates before you book.
