Looking for the best places to stay in Newquay? The popular options get booked up quickly in one of Cornwall’s biggest and busiest towns. In this guide, we help you get ahead of the crowd with our insider tips on the best hotels in Newquay, as well as our recommendations on the top guest houses, B&Bs and hostels. We also look at self-catered accommodation in Newquay and give you a quick introduction to the different areas around the town.
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About Newquay and its areas
We always love visiting Newquay. It’s one of the UK’s most popular seaside towns, and you can see why: pristine beaches, lots of activities to do, and more often than not, warm weather! The town is a must to include if you’re planning a Cornwall road trip itinerary.
Newquay began its life as a harbour town and sea port, but these days it’s better known for being the surfing capital of the UK. World surf championship events are often held here, and summertime means festivals and live music by the beach.
Foodies will feel well at home in Newquay too, with a choice of great seafood restaurants and classic Cornish fish and chip shops. It’s one of our favourite places to eat traditional Cornish food.
Newquay is one of Cornwall’s largest towns, but it’s still pretty small, and you can navigate most of it by foot. It’s about an hour’s walk from Fistral Beach on the far west side to Porth Beach on the far east, with the town centre in between.
The town’s 5 kilometres of coastline is marked by a series of beautiful golden beaches. You can read our guide to beaches in Newquay to find out more about them. The beaches are also useful pointers for the areas of Newquay where you might want to stay:
- Pentire Head and Fistral Beach. This is the headland and long beach at the western side of Newquay, and the most popular spot for surfing and watersports. It’s a really scenic spot and is always a hive of activity.
- Trevelgue Head and Porth Beach. This headland and beach mark the eastern side of the town, where it’s a bit quieter, but still busy on sunny days. It’s a pretty part of the coast for walks, and the beaches on this side are well sheltered, such as the secluded Whipsiderry Beach.
- Fore Street. The main shopping road at the heart of the town centre, and close to Towan Beach. It’s where you will find a lot of the cafés, shops, bars and restaurants.
- Newquay Harbour. This is the oldest part of town, and still an active fishing port. It’s a quieter area where you can immerse yourself in the town’s heritage and enjoy wonderful sunrises.
- Inland villages. As you venture further away from the coast in Newquay, the town begins to blend into smaller villages and residential areas. Lots of the properties in the inland villages have been repurposed as holiday homes.
Best places to stay in Newquay: quick comparison
Want the quick lowdown on the best places to stay in Newquay? Here’s a comparison table of our top recommendations:
| Place to stay | Quick description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Oceanside Lifestyle Hotel | Independent seaside hotel in a great location with spectacular views | Check on booking.com |
| Headland Hotel | Stunning 5-star hotel on in an iconic building on the headland overlooking Fistral Beach | Check on booking.com |
| Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa | Superb value 4-star hotel on the far headland overlooking Fistral Bay | Check on booking.com |
| Porth Beach Hotel | Small, family-run hotel with gorgeous views on the east side of town | booking.com |
| Newquay Bay Resort | Away Resorts holiday park with comfy lodges and extensive on-site facilities. Great for families | Check on booking.com |
| St Christopher's Inn Newquay | Party hostel on Fore Street in the heart of town | booking.com |
| Newquay International Backpackers | Laidback, homely hostel with a fun and sociable atmosphere | Check on booking.com |
| Tregarthen | Adults-only guest house on the east side of town, great for couples' trips | Check on booking.com |
| Aquarius B&B | Quaint, pet-friendly B&B a close walk from the beach | booking.com |
| Smugglers Rest | Fabulous budget-friendly guest house close to the town centre | Check on booking.com |
| Smarties Surf Lodge | Short walk from Newquay Harbour, some rooms have sea views | Check on booking.com |
| Trelinda Guest House | Lovely quiet area a five-minute walk from Towan Beach | Check on booking.com |
Newquay seafront hotels
In our experience, the most beautiful hotels in Newquay are usually the ones that overlook the sea! We always like to find a room with a sea view if we can, and there are plenty to choose from here.
These are a few of our favourite Newquay seafront hotels to consider.
Oceanside Lifestyle Hotel
You couldn’t ask for a better location than Oceanside Lifestyle Hotel, which is perched between the town centre and Fistral Beach. But what we love most about this place is the sea view from the rear of the building (and many of the rooms).
The hotel backs right onto the headland and South West Coast Path, so the views are naturally spectacular.
It’s an independent hotel that has been run by the same family for 40 years, which shows in its character. You will notice all the hallmarks of a seaside hotel, with a relaxed vibe, large and airy rooms with light colour schemes, and an in-house restaurant that serves delicious fish and chips. Not to mention the great cooked breakfast!
Check prices for Oceanside Lifestyle Hotel on booking.com
Headland Hotel
Welcome to one of Cornwall’s most spectacular hotels: Headland Hotel! This is without a doubt one of the best places to stay in Newquay if you are looking for somewhere that little bit extra special.
When you visit Newquay’s famous Fistral Beach, you won’t be able to miss the huge red-brick Victorian mansion standing on the clifftops above. This is Headland Hotel, one of Cornwall’s small selection of 5-star hotels.
If you’ve seen the movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, you might recognise the hotel as one of the main filming locations.
It’s an all-round great hotel with absolutely top-class service, huge rooms, cracking facilities and spectacular views.
Thinking of taking a workation in Cornwall? Headland Hotel fits the bill for this too, as every room is fitted with a work desk.
Check prices for Headland Hotel on booking.com
Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa
Standing above the clifftops on the far side of Fistral Beach from Headland Hotel, Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa also comes with stunning sea views and easy access to the beach.
Put this hotel on your radar for a wellness getaway, as it has a great luxury spa with various treatments available. There is also a restaurant and bar on site with views of the bay.
The room prices at Fistral Beach Hotel are surprinsigly cheap for a 4-star hotel, especially in the off season. It’s an option well worth considering if you’re thinking of a Cornwall break in winter.
Check prices for Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa on booking.com
Porth Beach Hotel
The far east side of Newquay is our favourite part of the town’s coastline, with lovely walking trails and hidden beaches. One of our favourite things to do in Newquay is to walk out to the ancient fort site at Trevelgue Head for a picnic with views.
Porth Beach Hotel is one of the best places to stay in Newquay on this side of town. This small, family-run boutique hotel stands a little way up the hill from Porth Beach with sweeping views of the bay.
The hotel has a classy, intimate feel about it. With just 11 rooms, the service is friendly and attentive. It’s perfect for a couple of nights’ break, and the kind of place you’ll immediately want to book again for another escape.
Make sure you try the delicious breakfast in the on-site restaurant.
Check prices for Porth Beach Hotel on booking.com
Newquay holiday resorts
For a traditional holiday in Newquay, you could book to stay in one of the town’s holiday parks. These are mostly located around the outskirts of town, and offer package-style getaways in a contained resort setting.
Let’s take a quick look at one of our recommended Newquay Holiday Resorts to get a flavour of what you can expect.
Newquay Bay Resort
We’ve stayed in Away Resorts holiday parks in the UK before. They tend to have a similar formula, with comfortable lodges, caravans and holiday homes all contained within a single site with lots of facilities. You’ll usually find restaurants, kids’ play areas, swimming pools, sports pitches, group activities and the like.
Newquay Bay Resort was recently acquired by Away Resorts and follows the same formula. Situated just outside town on the east side, it takes you away from the humdrum for a more relaxed vibe, while still being close to Porth Beach by foot.
There’s a typically fun choice of activities, including surf lessons and equipment hire. You can self-cater at the accommodation units, which have kitchen facilities, but there’s also a restaurant and bar within the complex.
Newquay Bay Resort is a great option if you’re looking for a relaxed family getaway.
Check prices for Newquay Bay Resort on booking.com
Hostels in Newquay
Newquay is a great town for backpacking. It has the best setup for nomadic travellers of anywhere in Cornwall, and just has that kind of vibe to it.
With its cool bars and cafés, a great live music scene, and several of the best coworking spaces in Cornwall, Newquay is made for wanderers. It’s also the only place in Cornwall that has multiple budget hostels to choose from.
So, let’s take a look at a couple of our favourite hostels in Newquay.
St Christopher’s Inn Newquay
St Christopher’s Inn is a chain of backpacker hostels that started in the UK but now has locations across Europe. We’ve stayed at their hostels in London before, which is where they first started, and they now have eight hostels across the city.
The St Christopher’s Inn in Newquay is also one of their original hostels. Like all St Christopher’s, it has a Belushi’s bar on site, which is where the party gets started.
This place ticks all the boxes for a fun, sociable hostel experience. It’s definitely a bit of a party place, but it’s not too loud in the rooms at night. The staff run regular activities, such as surf schools and pub crawls. Best of all, the location is on Fore Street right in the town centre, and a stone’s throw away from the beach.
Check prices for St Christopher’s Inn Newquay on Hostelworld
Newquay International Backpackers
For a hostel with a more relaxed vibe away from the town centre, Newquay International Backpackers is the place for you. It’s on the Fistral Beach side of town, set in a quiet residential area but within wallking distance from the sand.
There’s still a really social vibe, and the hostel runs events as well as offering surf lessons and equipment hire. It’s more of a homely atmosphere than a party place, but you’ll still meet people and have a great time.
This is more our kind of hostel now that we’re a bit older! It’s top of our list for digs when we go to Boardmasters Festival or as a base for nearby coastal walks.
Check prices for Newquay International Backpackers on Hostelworld
Other cheap places to stay in Newquay
Hostels aren’t the only form of budget accommodation in Newquay. The town has lots of reasonably priced guest houses and B&Bs where you can get a room without breaking the bank.
Best guest houses in Newquay
Family-run guest houses and B&Bs are part of Newquay’s fabric. Here are some of the best guest houses in Newquay where you can get rooms beginning in the price range of £60–£100 per night:
- Tregarthen – adults-only guest house on the east side of town, great for couples’ trips
- Aquarius B&B – quaint, pet-friendly B&B a close walk from the beach
- Smugglers Rest – fabulous budget-friendly guest house close to the town centre
- Smarties Surf Lodge – short walk from Newquay Harbour, some rooms have sea views
- Trelinda Guest House – lovely quiet area a five-minute walk from Towan Beach
Self catering accommodation in Newquay
Want a place of your own for your trip to Newquay? You will not be short of choice. The town is full of apartments and cottages that are available for short lets all year round.
We use Vrbo to find and book self-catered accommodation in Cornwall. One reason we love Vrbo is that it only lists properties where you will have the entire place to yourself.
Vrbo has hundreds of properties listed in and around Newquay. We trawled through them to pick out some of the best self catering accommodation in Newquay:
- Stunning cliff-top apartment (2 bedrooms, sleeps 4) – incredible sea view location, with easy underground parking
- Town centre apartment (2 bedrooms, sleeps 4) – right next to Fore Street and Towan Beach, brilliant value
- Beach-style flat (1 bedroom, sleeps 2) – lovely top-floor apartment near central beaches, ideal for couples
- Quiet dog-friendly apartment (2 bedrooms, sleeps 4) – spacious cottage-feel apartment, close to town centre
Check out this map of self-catered accommodation in Newquay for more Vrbo properties:
Map of places to stay in Newquay
You can see the locations of the places to stay in Newquay featured in this article on the map below:
Have you stayed in Newquay before? Let us know your own tips on the best places to stay in Newquay in the comments below.
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