{"id":187215,"date":"2023-09-21T20:12:25","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T20:12:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsneednews.com\/?p=187215"},"modified":"2023-09-21T20:12:25","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T20:12:25","slug":"why-lifes-a-french-riviera-style-beach-in-swanky-salcombe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsneednews.com\/travel\/why-lifes-a-french-riviera-style-beach-in-swanky-salcombe\/","title":{"rendered":"Why life's a French-Riviera-style beach in swanky Salcombe"},"content":{"rendered":"
Any parent to a toddler knows that holidays with our little bundles of joy can be somewhat… challenging. The journey! The routine! The sleeping arrangements!<\/span><\/p>\n But it’s a case of sweet relief at Harbour Beach Club Hotel & Spa in the salubrious seaside town of Salcombe. Not only is it in a swanky location that makes the south coast of England feel like the French Riviera, but it makes relaxing with a toddler in tow a cinch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n From warm and friendly staff – who were happy to fulfil my two-year-old son’s requests of racing them at breakfast – to parent-pleasing free gin in every room, this picture-perfect Devon hotel makes for the ideal beachside bolthole for families.<\/p>\n Harbour Beach Club is\u00a0set in the beautifully unspoilt bay of South Sands in the\u00a0South Devon Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty,\u00a0a mile and a half outside the centre of the exclusive town of Salcombe, which was\u00a0named Britain’s most expensive seaside home location earlier this year.<\/p>\n The setting is truly hard to beat, with the scenic beach just two seconds from the hotel, a huge perk when you are travelling with young children and seem to be back and forth to your room constantly for snacks, clothes and nappy changes.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Louise Saunders checked into the Harbour Beach Club Hotel & Spa (above, behind the beach), set in the South Devon Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Louise says that the hotel is in a ‘swanky location that makes the south coast of England feel like the French Riviera’<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Harbour Beach Club Hotel & Spa is a mile and a half outside the centre of the exclusive town of Salcombe, which was named Britain’s most expensive seaside home location earlier this year<\/p>\n Offering panoramic views across the beach, the hotel is secluded enough to provide a welcome break from the tourist madness of central Salcombe, but within easy reach of its many attractions.<\/p>\n What’s more, guests can\u00a0park up for the weekend, ditch the car and visit Harbour Beach Club’s sister hotel in Salcombe using a free shuttle service. The town is perfectly walkable if you don’t mind hills.<\/p>\n My son Oscar, two, was delighted by the sweet local ferry from South Sands to Salcombe town.\u00a0Riding out into the bay on the ‘sea tractor’ was without a doubt one of the highlights of his trip (and probably life!).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Louise writes: ‘The setting is truly hard to beat, with the scenic beach just two seconds from the hotel, a huge perk when you are travelling with young children’<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are 44 rooms and six stylish suites at Harbour Beach Club, with some for families with older children that interconnect\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n All bedrooms are air conditioned, in case you hit the British seaside holiday jackpot and chance upon a warm week\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Almost all of the rooms offer ‘breath-taking’ views of the bay, Louise notes<\/p>\n There are 44 rooms and six stylish suites at Harbour Beach Club, with some for families with older children that interconnect. Almost all of them\u00a0offer breath-taking views of the bay and balconies so guests can while away the hours looking out to sea.<\/p>\n If the copious sea air and tranquillity isn’t enough to guarantee a good night’s sleep, the sublime super-king beds will have you nodding off in no time – and all bedrooms are air conditioned, in case you hit the British seaside holiday jackpot and chance upon a warm week.<\/p>\n Plus, all rooms feature plenty of creature comforts in the form of a Nespresso coffee machine, tea-making facilities, a well-stocked mini-bar and those all-important complimentary bottles of Salcombe Gin.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If the copious sea air and tranquillity isn’t enough to guarantee a good night’s sleep, the sublime super-king beds will have you nodding off in no time, says Louise\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘It’s the ideal beachside bolthole for families,’ concludes Louise, who spent four nights at the property<\/p>\n A brand new spa, which opened in March, is another bonus. It’s home to a 12-metre pool, with floor-to-ceiling windows, a suntrap terrace, sauna and steam rooms. I was lucky enough to enjoy a signature facial and drifted off to sleep in blissful relaxation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Time can also be passed simply relaxing and sandcastle-building on the beautiful beach. And handily, Harbour Beach Club has a well-stocked selection of beach goods, so not to worry if you’re short on space or travelling by train.\u00a0<\/p>\n We borrowed a bucket and spade, crabbing lines and a pair of adorable Hunter wellies for Oscar whenever we decamped to the sands.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Time can easily be passed relaxing and sandcastle-building on the beautiful beach. And handily, Harbour Beach Club has a well-stocked selection of beach goods, so not to worry if you’re short on space or travelling by train, notes Louise<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A brand new spa, which opened in March, is home to a 12-metre indoor pool (pictured), with floor-to-ceiling windows, a suntrap terrace, sauna and steam rooms<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The restaurant has ‘a good choice of children’s food options’, with adults ‘treated to a wealth of delectable seafood options and delicious local fish’<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Breakfast was a highlight, says Louise, with the pancakes a delight for little ones<\/p>\n There are plenty of activities on offer too\u00a0– including free beach yoga, paddle-boarding and kayaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n And those with more adventurous tastes can even try their hand at wild swimming, fishing trips and guided coastal hikes.\u00a0<\/p>\n We were treated to a boat trip around Salcombe Harbour with an incredibly knowledgeable guide who even let Oscar steer the boat, something he still talks about to this day.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, one of the main highlights for us as parents was that the staff seem to genuinely love children and even knew Oscar by name by the end of our four-night stay. And they thoughtfully allow parents to have a glass of wine in relative peace during mealtimes by giving little ones stickers and activity books.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The hotel is secluded enough to provide a welcome break from the tourist madness of Salcombe, but within easy reach of its attractions<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Louise declares: ‘With beautiful views, an A-plus location, wonderful staff and a genuinely lovely vibe, Harbour Beach Club is the perfect place for British beach fun for all the family’\u00a0<\/p>\n Old and young are kept happy foodwise, too, with the restaurant offering a good choice of children’s food options and adults treated to a wealth of delectable seafood options and delicious local fish, as well as a robust wine and cocktail selection.<\/p>\n Breakfast was a particular highlight, with guests enjoying an extensive continental buffet and a menu featuring plenty of cooked options. The pancakes seemed to be a huge hit for the little ones.<\/p>\n With beautiful views, an A-plus location, wonderful staff and a genuinely lovely vibe, Harbour Beach Club is the perfect place for British beach fun for all the family.\u00a0<\/p>\n Louise and her family were hosted by Harbour Beach Club Hotel & Spa, where rooms cost from \u00a3195 per night on a B&B basis.\u00a0<\/p>\n A Sea View Family Room is \u00a3390 per night bed & breakfast based on two adults and one child or \u00a3402 for two adults and two children.<\/p>\n Visit\u00a0www.harbourhotels.co.uk\u00a0for more information.<\/p>\n Rating out of five: <\/span>*****<\/p>\n PROS:<\/span> Huge rooms, great location, beautiful beach, shuttle service, relaxed environment for families.<\/p>\n CONS:<\/span> Having to leave.\u00a0<\/p>\nTRAVEL FACTS\u00a0\u00a0<\/h3>\n