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A New Way to Stay: The First Coastal Aparthotel in Cornwall
25th October 2024
A New Way to Stay: The first coastal aparthotel in Cornwall opens its doors.
Rewriting the rulebook for breaks by the sea in the UK, SeaSpace is the first coastal lifestyle aparthotel in Cornwall – offering guests, visitors and the local community all the benefits, service and standards of a quality hotel with all the freedom and facilities of self catering.
Bringing Community Together
SeaSpace invites guests and locals to stay, play, eat, drink and gather. Shared spaces shine a light on connection and community, from daytime meetups in the café to locals’ memberships in the fitness club, and neighbourhood happenings by night. Drawing in the digital nomad crowd, communal spaces will also offer a change of scene for remote workers and informal catch-ups, with great coffee on tap and clifftop breathers outside.
From its vantage point up on the Porth cliffs, SeaSpace is already making its vibrant community-centred spirit known. Brought to life by local artist (and head of art at the local comprehensive, Newquay Tretherras), Phil Strugnell, SeaSpace commissioned an eye catching 11x8 metre street art mural on the side of the building, designed to celebrate and tap into Newquay’s emerging coastal street art movement.
Fuelling the shared spirit, a vibrant calendar of events has been set in motion, including exhibitions and film screenings, pop-ups, street food vans and music, all designed to draw people together. Kicking things off with a creative feel, SeaSpace is welcoming Phil Strugnell, for an Artist Residency from 8 November, including art expos and workshops both on site and in town, tying into Newquay’s month-long festival of creativity, Be Newquay.
Unveiling the Concept
The brainchild of the experienced team behind Watergate Bay Hotel, Beach Retreats and Another Place hotels, SeaSpace Cornwall has been two years in the making, with rigorous planning, energy and effort going into its development.
Putting freedom front and centre for a new way to stay and play, SeaSpace blends design-led comfort with an independent edge. Through its inviting aesthetic and colourful character, this is a space where individual choice meets shared spirit, and community counts; partners, collaborators, suppliers, guests and local residents are all welcomed in, cared for and championed at every opportunity.
After an £11m complete renovation, which has seen Southwest-based architects Kay Elliot reimagine the former Sands site on Newquay’s east cliffs, SeaSpace is now ready to host staying families, friends, couples, as well as visiting locals, foodies, digital nomads and fitness seekers. This is a venue for people who want to carve out a space of their own surrounded by like minds with an appetite for coastal living.
A Destination
Set in a tranquil location on the edge of the town, SeaSpace is well-situated to unlock everything Cornwall has to offer. From the world-class surfing beaches of Fistral and Watergate Bay to the bustle of Newquay itself with its vibrant food and arts scenes, to the biomes of the Eden Project, The Lost Gardens of Heligan and the gems of the South Coast shores — everything is a short walk, Beryl bike, bus ride or drive away.
Offering 56 studios & apartments, including three accessible studios and large studios, each space boasts extensive sea or countryside views and is kitted out with a fully equipped kitchen and lounge areas that promote open-plan living. But the private spaces are just part of the story. At SeaSpace as much thought and effort has gone into the spaces everyone shares.
Outside, gardens, playgrounds and a maze encourage kids to roam wild while adults can take a load off under Cornish skies.
An Elevated Experience
Food and drink up the ante on the experience front, untying guests from more traditional hotel dining setups. An open-plan lobby café invites guests and visitors in for pastries, barista coffee and freshly made brunch and lunch dishes on the daily. Head chef Sam Shepherd has designed a vibrant menu full of soon-to-be favourites, including banana pancakes, chorizo hash, kimchi superfood salads and crunchy chicken wraps. His approach puts local ingredients and producers in the spotlight, with a heavy emphasis on big flavours.
As the evenings roll around, craft beers, curated wines and cocktails served at the bar, alongside pizza or pop-ups throughout the week.
Indoors, the 19m classic Miami-inspired ocean-view pool invites guests in, while the high-spec gym is complete with Matrix cross trainer, rowing machine, bike, free weights (and more), as well as a fitness programme including yoga, Pilates and HIIT classes keep wellbeing in check. Plus, a stone’s throw away, the Southwest coast path can be followed west to skirt the Newquay headlands and beyond or east towards Watergate and on to Bedruthan.
Local Memberships
Local memberships offer access to all of SeaSpace’s wellness facilities for guests and locals, with flexible offers for on and off-peak access. Ranging from ‘Just Gym’ from £40 to ‘All In’, memberships offer anytime access to the pool, gym and range of fitness classes. Easy-to-access lobby spaces, a sensory garden for anyone who needs time out from the bustle, pool hoist and under-counter hearing loops make sure everyone gets the full SeaSpace experience. Training has been given in BSL, Makaton and dementia awareness to key into guests’ needs. SeaSpace hosts will be on hand to share their tips and knowledge about the area, where to eat and what to do – bringing a local-eye view and community feel to elevate the sense of apartment-style living SeaSpace will become known for. apartment kitchen spaces — the emphasis is firmly on freedom and choice.
Spotlight on Partners
Curating a range of partnerships to strengthen the community and guest experience, SeaSpace is excited to be bringing the first UK Padel singles courts to the Southwest. The super sociable sport is arriving at SeaSpace with five brand new courts, including three doubles as well as the dedicated singles. This will make SeaSpace the largest padel club in Devon and Cornwall. Membership offers and taster days are planned for the first few weeks of opening and are already looking set to be highly popular.
Tapping into the surfing lifestyle, our onsite partners Wavehunters will be offering equipment hire from their on-site hub. Available to book online, wetsuits, boots, body boards and surfboards will be waiting in designated lockers, ready for guests to kit up and get wet. Soft racks for cars will be on hand to hire too, so whichever way the wind blows or surf rolls, surf explorers can strike out to track down the waves.
In the café, Pavilion bakery is coming onboard to bring its ever-popular loaves, cakes and patisserie to the table, while a programme of events in the open-plan lobby space is set to inspire – from music and open mic nights with local performers to creative sessions with hand-picked artists.
SeaSpace People
SeaSpace is delighted to be working with a number of longstanding team members from the original Sands Resort team. These include head café chef Sam Shepherd, his partner Mandy Ling, who’ll be leading the front-of-house set-up as café manager, and former head of marketing Britta Hoffmann, who, amongst other returning staff, are all looking forward to helping steer SeaSpace into this new chapter.
Mark Williams, SeaSpace general manager, says: “We can’t wait to introduce guests to the SeaSpace way of staying. With its relaxed feel and community-first focus, along with insider insight and freedom to choose, we’re giving everyone the independence to make their stay their own.”
SeaSpace CEO Ben Harper – who has led the project from concept to launch – says: “It’s exciting to be opening the doors of SeaSpace. For years I’ve been dreaming of bringing an offer like this to the table, and I’m so grateful to everyone who’s been a part of it. From the beginning, we wanted to create a space that felt part of the local community, and we’ve really leaned into that. We hope this place becomes known for its character, community, style and above all, the memorable experiences it offers – for everyone who visits.”
And this autumn is just the beginning. SeaSpace has its eyes firmly set on growth, with plans for an additional 16 studios and apartments in 2025, planning permission for a further 24 lodges in the grounds, and discussions underway to scale the concept to other UK coastal locations.
SeaSpace is open for stays from 18 October 2024, and is taking bookings for summer 2025. sea.space
Celebrating the official opening of SeaSpace, right now booking guests can take advantage of a standout launch deal. Offering 15 large studios (for up to four people) for just £50 a night every night from 3 November to 13 February, the launch offer is available over weekdays, weekends, bank holidays and school holidays, including Christmas and New Year. Available on a first come, first serve basis, the rooms are disappearing fast.