Overview

This impressive red-bricked hotel with stunning views of Fistral Bay was the star of the film The Witches. The spa is below the first-floor reception, spilling out onto the pretty café lined with silver birch trees which is virtually on the beach. There is an attractive thermal space with a heated pool, hot tub, spacious sauna and steam room with comfortable sofas perfect for relaxing. You can enjoy Elemis, Voya and OPI treatments, as well as a selection of treatments bespoke to The Headland Spa, perfect after a day overlooking the Atlantic Ocean or getting muddy in the lovely Rhassoul.

The Headland also boasts a new £10 million pound Aqua Club complex, complete with six pools (three indoor; three outdoor), including a 25-metre pool, an infinity ege pool overlooking Fistral Beach a family splash pool and a hydropool.  

Features

  • Family swim times
  • Six treatment rooms (two double)
  • Experience showers
  • Private Jacuzzi suite
  • Indoor hot tub
  • Indoor swimming pool
  • Outdoor swimming pool
  • Rhassoul
  • Sauna
  • Steam room
  • Spa lounge
  • VIP suite
  • Brow bar
  • Make up stand
  • Aromatherapy showers
  • Outdoor Sunset spa
  • Infinity edge pool

First Impressions

The Headland Hotel is an imposing red-brick Victorian mansion set high on a cliff top with far-reaching views over Fistral Beach. The bay is a world-class surfer’s paradise; even if you don’t fancy catching a wave, it’s mesmerising to watch. The five-star hotel has the new RenMor restaurant, a stylish spa and a new £10 million wellness complex - The Aqua Club - with no less than six pools and Atlantic views to die for.

Guests can park right outside the hotel and enter through the revolving door into the elegant reception area. Head down the staircase - or press -1 in the lift - to reach the modern spa.

What's on offer?

Spa reception area has stylish sofas to sit on while completing consultation forms. This space doubles as a pre-treatment area and spa lounge to have lunch. It's light and airy, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, white furniture and large pieces of silver birch.

If the sun is shining, head out onto the terrace where grey rattan chairs and sofas are perfectly positioned for catching the rays and soaking up beach views.

From reception, a door leads to the wet and thermal area with small, but perfectly formed, changing rooms at the back. Two private shower cubicles contain Elemis amenities; there’s also two private changing rooms, a hairdryer, a bank of keypad-operated lockers and a cozzie dryer. Help yourself to towels on the way out.

Begin your spa journey with a dip in the sleek 12-metre indoor pool – handsomely decked in turquoise mosaic tiles – with its central fountain and corner bubble seats.

At the far end of the pool you’ll find two showers behind glass screens, a sunken circular Jacuzzi seating six and a Cornish Salt Steam Room, also seating six.

The spacious sauna has two tiers of wooden benches accommodating 12, and a feature wall of thin circular tree stumps. Cool down between heat experiences in one of two experience showers: choose from Caribbean storm, tropical rain or cold rain.

Beyond the spa reception there’s a mani & pedi room with bold orange tulip chairs, and his and hers compact changing rooms with four cubicles to change and shower in; a low-lit corridor leads from here to the treatment rooms and, at the very end, a cosy relaxion room. Help yourself to tea, fresh fruit and a good selection of magazines. Six lie-back loungers line up the perimeter; fluffy pillows and blankets come as standard. Use the indoor gym if you fancy a workout.

The Aqua Club is The Headland’s new £10m all-singing-and-dancing wellbeing complex located in a separate building a short walk from the hotel. With its sweeping curves, pale wood, rugged Cornish stonework and incredible ocean views, it’s an architectural dream. The calm and sleek interior – in crisp white, cool blues and greens - pays homage to Cornwall’s lush landscape.

Collect a locker wristband from reception and head to the white glossy changing rooms where you’ll find three private changing rooms, four shower cubicles and two WCs. There’s a mirrored vanity area with three countertop sinks, two hairdryers and Elemis hand & body wash and lotion. The changing rooms lead past a row of rainforest showers to the main area.

A dip in the impressive 25-metre lap pool – with its Mermaid-tail tiles and light-green Cornish stone – is a must. Relax pool-side on curved woven loungers with side tables; spa butlers will take care of your hydration needs.

The indoor hydrotherapy pool has hydro beds and jet stations; bring your kids to the dedicated children’s shallow splash pool in the centre.

A little bridge leads you to from the changing rooms to the centre of the club, where you’ll find the Deck Bar: a curved building with log burner at the centre, and plenty of woven chairs and tables to chill out post spa-ing.

There’s more outside to admire, too: a Vitality Pool with tall granite centrepiece – a nod to Cornwall’s Celtic history. Chill under the open sky on a jet bed or soothe the shoulders under a swan neck pipe. Much life-pondering is sure to happen in the Edge pool with its curved floor-to-ceiling glass and un-obstructive view of the blue expanse; The hot and toasty Sunset pool (we told you there was six) will have you wishing you could move in.

It's worth noting the Aqua Club is free and unlimited to all hotel residents (booking essential). Spa-goers on the Headland Signature Spa Day get two hours access. All other visitors can pay for a three-hour session (adults: £45-£55; children: £20-£25).

Tell us about the treatments

We tried The Headland’s signature treatment, Opulence (85 mins, £160). 

My therapist, Anna, collected me from the spa lounge and led me to Rose Quartz, one of the six treatment rooms named after crystals. Taking a seat, Anna explained the treatment and asked about any problem areas. I selected the Elemis Destress massage oil with soothing camomile and lavender and a Frangipani Monoi Body Oil for the Indian Head Massage.

Lying face down on the bed, Anna commenced the treatment with a welcome touch, using grounding Thai pressure around the body to settle me before starting the back massage. Anna confidently focused on the knots in my shoulders and lower back, manoeuvring my arms into different positions to allow her to work out the deep seated tension, providing some much-needed relief.

Turning onto my back, Anna applied OPI heated gloves and boots to my hands and feet before moving onto the facial. Anna performed a double cleanse using both Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash before a spritz of Soothing Apricot Toner. An application of Papaya Peel Enzyme left my skin tingling.

Anna then performed an arm and face massage, before applying the Pro-Collagen Hydra-gel Mask. While this worked its magic, she massaged my neck and scalp, gently turning my head to work out the achy muscles between the tip of my shoulders and base of my skull; this felt incredibly soothing. After peeling off the mask in one, Anna applied Pro-Collagen Marine Moisture Essence for optimal hydration, eye cream, neck balm, moisturiser and SPF.

By the end of the treatment, I was deeply relaxed; my muscles felt soothed and my skin was glowing. Anna led me to the relaxation room, handed me some water and left me to get horizontal under a cosy blanket.

The Headland Spa offers a range of head-to-toe massages (think Indian head and reflexology) as well as Elemis facials and Voya body treatments. The menu also includes treatments for men and mums-to-be, alongside finishing touches such as OPI manicures and pedicures.

Food Facts

Lunch is served in the stylish spa lounge next to the spa reception. Feast in your robe; if the weather is nice, head out onto the terrace to get even closer to Fistral Beach.

Choose from a menu of fresh salads, sandwiches, burgers and curries. We enjoyed the Witchy Afternoon Tea, a nod to Roald Dahl’s classic, The Witches, which was filmed at the Headland in 1990. Expect finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with jam and clotted cream and a delightful selection of cakes, from Pumpkin cheesecake to the little brown mouse: a peanut butter parfait with rice crispy cake. All was washed down with a glass of fizz.

The Aqua Club offers Mediterranean-inspired food at The Deck; flatbreads, pizzas and freshly prepared salads are the order of the day. Plus hot or cold drinks and sunset cocktails.

For dinner, we checked out the hotel's newly recreated restaurant, RenMor, which translates as ‘restaurant by the sea’. Perched fifty feet up on Newquay’s Towan Headland, the 12-foot windows stretch the length of the restaurant offering mesmerising views of the ocean. Head Chef Fred Goodrich promises sustainable Cornish produce from land and sea.

Our tartare of South Coast gurnard – with squid ink crackers, smoked eel and apple - was fresh and tasty. The main: deliciously tender Tregothnan Estate fallow deer with caramelised salsify, dirty mash and elderberry ketchup was another hit, washed down with a glass of Pinot Noir. Sadly, we had no room for dessert despite the tempting peanut butter parfait. Instead, we ordered Espresso Martinis and retreated to the lounge.

We loved / we didn't love

We loved

Bubbling away in Aqua Club’s Sunset Pool, glass of Prosecco in hand.

The staff: expect age-old charm without the stuffiness.

The design: the sleek curves and natural Cornish stonework in the no-expense-spared Aqua Club are super stylish.


We didn't love

Fighting off the Instagram posers for a space in the Sunset Pool.

Who do you think would like it?

Couples: walk barefoot on the beach, book a couple’s treatment and enjoy a slap-up meal at RenMor - the Headland has romance in the bag.

Ocean lovers: the epic views of the north Cornish Coast are simply breath-taking.

Families can book one of the Headland’s coastal cottages; kids even have their own designated splash pool in the Aqua Club.

What bubble rating did you give this spa?

We awarded the Headland Spa and Aqua Club a Good Spa Guide Bubble Rating of 5 Bubble Luxury for its dreamy design, extensive pools, locally-sourced food, imaginative treatments and friendly staff. Did we mention the epic Atlantic views?

Scarlet Spy visited in and awarded it 5 Bubble Luxury.

Spa location

Anyone who wants to indulge in the perfect combination of good food and great spa-ing. Keen spa goers who want to be tempted by a new treatment.

Headland Road,Newquay,Cornwall,TR7 1EW

01637 870200

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Awards

Extra Info

Dining

There are three dining experiences: the double AA rosette-awarded Restaurant RenMor, the contemporary Terrace and the Mediterranean themed Deck restaurant. Whether you are looking for sophistication and style or coastal cool, The Headland caters for everything from a relaxed breakfast or laid-back lunch to an indulgent dinner, all under one roof. 

Accommodation

The Headland has 95 bedrooms blending classic four-star hospitality with modern amenities for a truly easy-going ambiance. Wonderfully restful, each bedroom is unique. All feature tactile furnishings, restful hues and enough space to kick-back and truly relax.

Perched on a private cliff-top, 39 iconic, award-winning self-catering cottages are just yards from the UK’s most famous beach.

Opening Hours

Treatments: 9am to 7pm everyday; Leisure facilities: 8am to 8pm everyday

Travel and Parking

Complimentary parking onsite.

By Rail

The closest train station to The Headland is at Newquay. Travel is possible to Newquay by train from many parts of the British Isles.

National Rail

By Air

From Newquay it is possible to fly to a range of destinations across the UK and in Europe . Please note that there is no full-time taxi rank at Newquay Airport, and so pre-booking a taxi is essential.


By Bus

If you are wishing to use the bus service, the spa recommends looking at the Cornwall County Bus Service timetables.

Accessibility

The spa hotel accepts service dogs in all rooms and cottages, public areas, bar and restaurants. 

There are rooms suitable for wheelchair users. There are several rooms with large walk in showers with low lips. There is one bedroom that is fitted with alarms operated by a pull string next to the bed and in the bathroom, this is in addition to a wireless telephone with an emergency button. There are lifts to all floors.

Treatment menu

View the treatment menu

Products

  • Elemis
  • Voya
  • Made for Life
  • OPI
  • Delilah

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