Review of St Moritz Hotel & Cowshed Spa

The fairytale sounding Trebetherick is a village situated on the right bank of the River Camel. It is 23 miles (37 kilometres) north of Newquay (nearest airport) and 15 miles (24 kilometres) from Bodmin Parkway – the nearest main rail station. It is a good 5-hour drive from central London to this part of Cornwall. 

St Moritz Hotel is 2 miles east of Rock – from where you can take a ferry across the river to Padstow – one of the most famous towns in Southwest England, thanks to its award winning restaurants and delightful setting. 

The world-famous Eden Project - complete with its biospheres, concerts, playgrounds, and restaurants - is 21 miles away (34 kilometres). 

This whole part of Cornwall offers stunning vistas – superb sunrises & sunsets – delicious seafood and wonderful walks … a holiday in Cornwall is something quite special.

Cornwall is not just a staycation destination but with its world-famous surfing beaches attracts visitors from across the globe.  

There are just 48 rooms & suites on offer in the hotel. Each one is like toothpaste – fresh & minty clean! The bedrooms are light and airy – with crisp white bed linens, throws & cushions in bright pastel hues and deep, comfortable chairs in which to relax. There are enormous windows and patio doors that flood your room with light and either let you out onto your own private patio or balcony.

While king-sized beds are in the majority, they can be split into twin beds. Some suites come with extra child-friendly z-beds – and these suites can sleep 4 guests in comfort.

The bathrooms feature heated towel rails and Cowshed amenity products. Some guestrooms offer just an en-suite shower room but mostly there are full-sized bathtubs with shower attachments. The bathrobes are thick, warm & very fluffy.

Ample storage is available in wardrobes and drawers. Hairdryers and straighteners are a welcome addition. Also look out for the complimentary Cowshed flipflops.

Every room boasts high speed Wi-Fi and a full roster of SkyTV channels. There are a good number of power & USB points. 

Some of the suites come with a sizeable full kitchen – i.e. cooker, microwave, refrigerator/freezer, dishwasher, washer/dryer, coffee/tea-making facilities and cutlery. This is certainly not an afterthought – all the appliances, plates and cutlery are of the highest quality. Every guestroom comes with some kind of kitchen …

The complimentary milk, coffee, tea and even bottled water is sourced from Cornwall.

There is daily cleaning service which ensures that you don’t have to worry about dirty dishes or unmade beds!

Some of the rooms that do not enjoy the best views are proffered a colourful private beach hut next to the outdoor swimming pool! What a great idea!

There are rooms for couples, rooms for families, rooms for those with beloved dogs and two accessible rooms. There is something for everyone!

Every guestroom receives a designated parking space.

The view is what sets your experience apart. Some prefer to stay on the ground floor – looking out over the lush gardens while others will prefer a sea view. With either, you get to enjoy a fabulous room experience … one that rivals most luxurious resort hotels around the world. Impressive!

What you can’t do in the hotel is available within an hour's drive.

On the ground floor of the main hotel building sits the Cowshed Spa. In 1998, Cowshed was founded at Babington House (member’s club & hotel) in Somerset. It has established itself as a luxury lifestyle and product brand – favoured by a trendy London-set.

St Moritz is the only non-Soho House establishment in the UK to feature a Cowshed Spa.

Expect highly trained aestheticians to massage your troubles away, de-age your face leaving it glowing & fresh, soften your feet to velvet, and treat & paint your nails in the latest colours. The spa also uses CBD oils in some of its treatments which really do relax in a way that you will really make you smile! The spa is open every day. Booking is necessary!

The St Moritz Gym is filled with modern equipment, free-weights and machines. An instructor can be at hand to ensure that your workouts are optimal.

The hotel offers a Mini-Moritz experience for young ones. A “safe” room is available for youngsters to play video games and watch movies. The hotel’s outdoor swimming pool boasts a kid’s pool and they have access to the indoor pool too. There is also a raft of activities available from rockpooling on the local beach to surfing lessons. Expect to see crabs, starfish … and if you are lucky, dolphins and porpoises.

There are two swimming pools on offer. The indoor pool is made up of three pools – one is 13 metres – ideal for laps – one oval pool for families and a splash pool for the youngest of guests. All heated to between 29 – 31 degrees Centigrade. Also, a steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi are available.

In the Season – from the end of March onwards – the 16-metre outdoor pool is available. It is heated and also has a kids pool too.

The outdoor pool sits next to the Seaside Café where lunch, drinks and snacks are served. There’s a table tennis table if you need to burn off some energy!

The hotel has an asphalt tennis court which is well-tended – racquets and balls are available. On the main lawn, croquet is played.

The “leisure lawn” is also next to the outdoor pool. Here you can while away the day, sitting on comfy chairs without a care in the world. There are also colourful, cute beach huts – to which certain room types have access.

There are a couple of golf courses within shouting distance of the hotel. Our choice would be St Enodoc Golf Club – 10 minutes away – where “golf meets the Atlantic”. This links course offers club hire, buggies and even caddies. It’s tough for low handicappers but offers something for goofers.

Cyclists will love St Moritz. As a base, the hotel offers amazing routes from short road sprints to longer, more testing routes – all offering superb views! The Camel Trail is particularly fun – as it takes you through the Camel Valley Vineyard. Of all the sparkling wines on offer, the Rosé is quite delicious.

The hotel enjoys fabulous relationships with local water “adventure” companies. You can learn to surf, windsurf, wakeboard, waterski, yoga – on the beach and diving (PADI) – available for all ages and all very, very well managed. Being by the sea … and in Cornwall … guests can also enjoy fishing – catching some of the tastiest cod, mackerel, and pollack in the British Isles.

You will have to travel to nearby Rock, Padstow or Polzeath, to enjoy these sports.

The hotel can also point you in the right direction for horse riding and hot air ballooning.

One of the main reasons St Moritz is such a popular hotel are the views and the walks.

From any point in the hotel grounds, you enjoy delicious views of estuary & Ocean … at any time of the day.

While the hotel is not on the beach, it takes just 7 minutes to walk down to Greenaway Beach. Here you can enjoy the rockpools, the sand and, of course, the sea … which is warm, calm, and safe. It’s a great family beach.

Less than a mile north of the hotel – along the coast – is the town of Polzeath. There’s a wonderful sand beach, restaurants (The Cracking Crab stands out), pubs and shops. Further north, Pentire Point offers stunning views and further up the coast, The Rumps is a highlight.

South of the hotel, you first come to Daymer Beach (around 1-kilometre away), then further you arrive at Rock. Here you can really enjoy yourself! There are superb restaurants – including Paul Ainsworth’s The Mariner’s Public House – that offers tasty pub grub. From Rock you can take a water taxi over the River Camel to Padstow.

Padstow is a picturesque town that is a firm favourite for tourists. Here you can visit the National Lobster Hatchery, Rick Stein’s restaurants and Paul Ainsworth at No. 6 which serves up, arguably, the finest cuisine in Cornwall. It’s expensive but if you are a gourmand, it’s a must.

This part of Cornwall is simply the best!

In the 1930s, a large private house was built on the current site of the St Moritz Hotel. During World War 2, the house was turned into a boarding school and after was converted into a hotel. 

The owner, Richard Underwood had travelled extensively around the world and was impressed by the service & cuisine he received in the Swiss town of St Moritz – so decided to name his hotel after this Alpine location!

In 2008, the modern St Moritz Hotel opened to positive reviews. It is rather Art Deco (“tamed cubism”) in its design – and for hotel fans, Burgh Island and The Savoy are also of the same school. If you ever visit Miami Beach, you will see Art Deco hotels in number … and St Moritz carries it off with aplomb. 

The exterior of St Moritz Hotel is whitewashed with just hints of colour. The grounds are carefully and professionally landscaped. Nothing is out of place … 

The interiors of the restaurants, Bar, Reception and other public areas are unfussy. With large windows, maximum light gets into the hotel at all times.

Depending on season, there are two restaurants and two bars at St Moritz Hotel. 

Throughout the year, the main Shorecrest – located on the first floor of the main building – serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is either a buffet or à la carte affair – with wonderful quality local ingredients used by chefs who make to order. 

Lunch is a classic bar menu – tasty fish & chips, burgers, pizzas, and such like – followed by sensational local ice-creams or gelato. 

Afternoon Tea is a melange of colour … twinned with sweet & savoury. You need to give 48 hours’ notice but the result is quite spectacular. Cakes, tarts, éclairs, sandwiches, scones, Cornish clotted cream & jam, tea or coffee … Prosecco or Champagne!

Dinner is quite a unique affair. Jonathan Domé is both a brave and an amusing Executive Chef. Brave – because he creates a fresh evening menu every day and amusing is that he “plays” with his ingredients – with unexpectedly delicious results! Monkfish curry? Lamb tandoori pizza? Dirty Fries, Crispy Duck & Honey Bacon? Sounds crazy but tastes divine! The evening menu is short and sweet – four starters, four mains and four desserts. You could be very unlucky and not fancy anything on that evening’s menu but Chef will create something else. He and his Team are rather accommodating. 

In the Summer months, Shorecrest has a more set - themed - evening menu - Earth, Land and Sea. Here you can chop and change between vegetarian, meat and fish dishes. The Bar serves up easy meals - with scallop thermidor a highlight. 

The Seaside Café opens on March 31st. Here it’s all about fancy, easy food. Lobster, oysters, tiger prawns, salads, pizzas and a great vegetarian selection. 

There is a main Bar in the hotel (next to the Shorecrest) and one at the Seaside Café. You can enjoy everything & anything from fine Champagne, local sparkling wine, cocktails, spirits, ciders, and beer. The Shorecrest Bar also offers a wide balcony – fabulous for a sundowner.  

The hotel prides itself on using as much local ingredients as possible … and it shows. Even if you are self-catering at the hotel, a meal or three at Shorecrest and Seaside Café is a must. 

In an small area crowded with Michelin and celebrity-chef restaurants (Rock, Padstow and beyond), Domé and Team hold their own.

The hotel's minibus is electric and the St Moritz has a number of electric vehicle charging points. The indoor and outdoor pool are both run by biomass and solar, and the biomass runs the water for the kitchen too. The kitchen uses as much local produce as possible - and you can really taste the difference!!

All of the Cowshed products in the rooms & suites are large refillable bottles rather than the travel sized ones that get thrown away. 

In the guestrooms, waste is kept to a minimum with glass bottles used for water. You are offered the opportunity not to change towels and bedsheets every day.

St Moritz encourages all visitors to keep the beaches clean & tidy - leaving only your footprints in the sand….