Watergate Bay Hotel has acquired Sands Resort in Porth.
Watergate plans to turn the 72-bed site into a “new kind of self-catering holiday experience”, which it will operate under its Beach Retreats brand.
A bespoke-designed collection of studios and apartments, the development is set to get underway in the New Year and includes plans for 24 new lodges to be built on the 11-acre site.
Will Ashworth, chief executive of Watergate Bay Hotel, says: “The domestic tourism market is changing. Following the seismic shift of 2020-21, many self-catering holidaymakers want more from their coastal breaks than solitude and similarity – but to date it’s a demand which has not truly been met in this sector. Through Beach Retreats we’re looking to change this and put Cornwall at the helm of the self-catering evolution.”
Sands Resort has a rich history in the hospitality industry. Owner, Nicholas Malcolm, opened the resort in the 1970s as the first purpose-built family resort in Cornwall and, now retiring, is pleased to pass the baton to Watergate Bay Hotel.
He said: “Sands is very special to me, the hotel, the team, our guests. Retiring from something that has been such a significant part of my life has been a huge decision but is made easier by the knowledge that Watergate’s vision for the future carries on the legacy of innovation that has been the hallmark of my 45 years at Sands.”
Sands Resort remains open and bookings will continue throughout 2023.
