Win a 1-night stay for 2 at The Athenaeum Hotel and Residences in London’s Mayfair
Home / Travel / News, Features, Tips & Advice

The Aqua Club: The £10 million swimming and wellbeing centre in Cornwall is now open

By LLM Reporters   |  
Image Credit: Anthony Greenwood

If there was ever a reason to seek out a staycation on the stunning Cornish coast, then The Headland Hotel’s brand new multi-million-pound Aqua Club has to be it.

Boasting no less than six pools, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant named The Deck and a sun terrace overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the impressive new addition to this five-star delight is the perfect upgrade to an already top-quality hotel.

aqua club
The heated sunset spa encircled by an edge pool offers a glorious spot to relax. Image credit: Anthony Greenwood

The Headland, which overlooks Fistral Beach on the north Cornwall coast, opened The Aqua Club to hotel and cottage guests in July, following news from the UK government that swimming pools could reopen, in the same month that The Headland celebrated its 120th anniversary.

Carolyn Armstrong, owner, said: “It was a great pleasure to introduce our hotel and cottage guests to The Aqua Club. Combined with our five-star facilities and enviable location on the north Cornwall coast, The Aqua Club will provide our guests with some much-needed relaxation, and a place to escape and recharge following a turbulent few months in lockdown.”

the headland
The Headland, which overlooks Fistral Beach from a private clifftop on the north Cornwall coast. Image credit: The Headland Hotel

She continued: “The summer marks the 120th anniversary of The Headland first opening its doors to the public. While Covid-19 has brought an incredibly challenging start to the season, the opening of The Aqua Club is a brilliant way to celebrate our rich and interesting history, whilst looking forward to the future.”

The opening of the new centre marks the end of a further phase of investment for The Headland’s owners, John and Carolyn Armstrong, who have spent in excess of £40 million renovating and improving the destination over a 40-year period.

So, what can visitors expect of this luxury new addition? The Aqua Club houses no less than three pools, including a 25-metre swimming pool, a children’s splash pool, and a hydrotherapy pool. Outside on the sun terrace there is a heated sunset spa encircled by an oceanfront edge pool, and a vitality pool with a Cornish granite menhir as a central focal point. The new sun terrace also features stunning oceanfront views and connects to The Deck, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant which serves homemade flatbreads, fresh salads, coffees, and cocktails.

The Deck restaurant
The Deck restaurant is a Mediterranean style eatery with a great selection of fresh foods and delicious drinks. Image credit: The Headland Hotel

Situated between the hotel and self-catering cottages, The Aqua Club makes use of natural stone, and features a living roof and natural planting on stone hedging to provide a habitat for the flora and fauna found around The Headland’s peninsula.

Awarded five stars by both the AA and Quality in Tourism in 2019, The Headland’s facilities also include luxury bedrooms and suites, self-catering cottages, two award-winning restaurants, a five-bubble rated spa and gym, and a surf school.

Hotel breaks start at £155 per night on a bed and breakfast basis, while cottage breaks start at £145 per night with a minimum three-night stay. Complimentary use of The Aqua Club and The Headland Spa is included for hotel and cottage guests as part of their stay, with details about membership options for non-residents being released in autumn.