Having sold their family farm just inland from Harlyn Bay to The Pig group for its nearly-always-booked Cornish outpost, Jessica and Ash Alken-Theasby shifted their focus down the coast (a tadge) to Trevone Bay, where they set about renovating a series of grand Victorian terraces that have remained in Jess’s family for centuries.
The result is intriguing: a cleverly measured aesthetic and layout reflecting the coast’s understated appeal, while packing serious design punch and five-star hotel attention to detail and comfort.
The ultimate joy of Atlanta Trevone is its privacy – no sharing salons with Londoners photographing shelf scaping, no arbitrary breakfast deadlines to groan out of bed for – just your clan, spanking-fresh Cornish produce to barbecue and glossy magazine-worthy interiors where you can hunker down after long romps along the craggy coast.
Where is it?
Perched dramatically over Trevone Bay, on Cornwall’s wild, Poldarkian northern coast, not far from Padstow, Atlanta Trevone is a group of handsome Victorian terraces peering out to sea.
Standing proud in the village’s most privileged spot, these designed-to-the-nines stays perfectly cater to coastal capers, whether running a surfboard or picnic to the blonde mass of sand lining Porthmissen Bay or its rockier neighbour, Newtrain, where children fastidiously hunt for crabs and pretty shells.
A saunter into the village will lead you to a beach-cum-convenience store, a farm shop selling artisanal goodies including local craft beer and creamy butter, and Bruno’s Bar, where happy hour reels in a mixed bunch – salt-infused locals, Londoners eagerly dressed in nautical stripes, and lots of sandy dogs.
Coastal walks are as scenic as Cornwall gets – muddy trails snaking along the coast with arable fields one side and either a calm, twinkling turquoise or cliff-bashing frothy theatre on the other. Bring your wellies.
Standing proud in the village’s most privileged spot, these designed-to-the-nines stays perfectly cater to coastal capers
Style
A collection of five fully revamped cliff-top properties, Atlanta Trevone spans an eight-person penthouse to a cosy loft, all of which show off enviable Neptune kitchens (the sort that fold out like origami), wood panelling, and divine beds that elicit the same “oohh“as a five-star London hotel.
The design mixes hefty Victoriana (roll-top baths, orb-like wrought-iron ceiling lamps, grand fireplaces) with sumptuous modernism and an impressive degree of tech. The result is a cosy, traditionally inclined aesthetic that never veers into stuffy territory and serves as a chic, coastal home-from-home (one you’ll quickly convince yourself is your own).
Facilities
Ah! A Drummonds bathroom, and did I mention the Neptune kitchen? Chefs will delight at the sheer ingenuity of those thick wooden drawers, cupboards, compartments - all of which house something genuinely very useful: a proper carving knife, a kettle tap, bottle openers, and the like.
Every aspect of the Cornish seaside retreat has been thoroughly considered, as far as the extras are concerned, from cooler boxes for the beach to lanterns and even a carefully curated smores box for roasting over a fire.
Bathrooms are stocked with delicious Land and Water products and soft robes hanging on the bathroom doors elevate this stay from a rental to a hotel-minus-the-lobby and constant bothering.
Extracurricular
It’s all about picnic-laden beach days and cobweb-blowing coastal walks here, with a scenic romp along the cliffs to Harlyn Bay a winner, (particularly with lunch booked at the Pig), as well as those horizon-splitting sunsets that generously linger.
When not exploring Padstow’s maze of narrow, time-warp streets or taking a surfboard to one of the surrounding coves, Knightor Winery (just over half-an-hour’s drive away) is well worth a visit. Not far from St Austell, Knightor’s goal is to strip wine of its associated snobbery, making the topic more accessible and, ultimately, more fun.
Head winemaker David Brocklehust and his team decode the enigmas surrounding wine on tours of their home-spun style vineyard, showcasing Knightor’s lighter, fruitier, sparkling and still wines along the way with tastings.
And if there’s an appetite for the briny deep, Padstow operates a sealife safari, with regular sightings of dolphins and seals.
Food & drink
The fridges at Atlanta Trevone are thoughtfully stocked with fresh Cornish milk, butter, and bacon. But it’s the hampers left in the kitchen for guests which blows most luxury hotels’ ‘welcome’ out of the water.
Showing off Cornwall’s bounty, Jessica and Ash treat guests to elderflower cake, Danish Rye, Cornish apple juice, rhubarb jam, home-made granola, and a generous bottle of Knightor Wine. There’s a local farm shop to stock up on extra goodies, and those averse to cooking full stop can organise a local chef to bring their culinary wizardry (and local produce) in house or, in summer, whip up some show-stopping barbecues. It’s all listed on beautifully illustrated cards left by the hampers, though it’s advisable to book chefs and any prepared meals well in advance.
And whilst Atlanta Trevone is superbly teed up for cooking and entertaining, the area is a goldmine of restaurants, many of which are considered some of Cornwall’s finest.
Nearby Padstow, dubbed Padstein for Rick Stein’s unmissable influence, hosts three of the eponymous chef’s restaurants where just-caught fish is grilled or battered to perfection, and Stein’s signature Indian spins are performed immaculately on fresh Cornish produce. However, if it’s dark and stormy outside, you don’t even have to move from snuggling in front of the Atlanta’s pretty coral-lined fireplace however, as Stein has an At-Home online shop that delivers.
The Pig’s innovative 25-mile menu shows off the area’s top-drawer produce amid its right-on-rustica interiors deep in candle-list Poldark country. Line-caught Newlyn sea bass, Scott Martin’s pigeon breasts lathered in balsamic sauce, and garden mizuna pesto pappardelle vie for table space across two light-filled dining rooms.
Which room?
It very much depends on which of the five properties you choose to hole up in. With the spec of decor, sheets, and towels consistent across the board, aside from space, it’s all very democratic. The room that seems to trigger most Instagram snaps, though, is Atlantic House’s master bedroom, whose deliciously long, thick curtains peel back that spine-tingling view across Trevone Bay – achingly pretty sunrises for those prepared to wake up for them.
Alone with a lavishly sided bed, the room dons an en suite with a statement artwork of a red bird hanging over a small-but-perfectly-formed rolltop bath.
Best for
An all-season coastal bolthole. Atlanta Trevone is as alluring in those blustery winter months as it is in the summer haze. Cornwall’s off-season coast is wild, dramatic, and vastly underrated – with restaurant bookings less of a bun fight and fishing villages unclogged from tourists.
However, if a staycation summer is on the horizon, here’s a stellar option for those after the best of both: the spoiling comforts of a hotel with the privacy, ease, and laid-back appeal of a self-contained coastal hideaway.
Details
From £1,400 per week in Atlanta View; atlantatrevonebay.com
