Watergate Bay group reveals plans for new Beach Retreats aparthotel

The team behind Watergate Bay hotel in Cornwall will be opening a lifestyle aparthotel in Hayle, which will operate under the Beach Retreats brand.

Beach Retreats is the group’s self catering agency which was founded in 2006. This latest project is part of an ambitious new growth plan for the business.

Ben Harper, managing director of the group, which also includes Another Place, the Lake in Ullswater, Cumbria, announced the news at the virtual Annual Hotel Conference today. Harper spent five years at SACO, the Serviced Apartment Company, including as group commercial director.

The new venue will be on the beach and will take the concept of design-led, lifestyle aparthotels to a non-urban leisure environment, operated by Beach Retreats. The group has partnered with a developer to build the site.

Harper said: “We’ve been able to really crack on with our growth agenda despite the obvious uncertainties… We're really excited by the aparthotel concept and see this as a huge opportunity to grow the Beach Retreats brand. We’re looking for opportunities to do more.”

The announcement is the latest addition to the group’s ambitious expansion plans, which include the transformation of the former Fifteen Cornwall site at Watergate Bay into seven beach suites, due to open next year, and the relaunch of Amport House in Hampshire under the Another Place brand in 2022.

Chief executive Will Ashworth confirmed to The Caterer earlier this year that coronavirus has not dampened the group's ambitions, with hopes for a collection of five or six Another Place-branded hotels over the next five years.

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