Last week we spent an incredible five nights with some of our closest friends and their kids at a luxury holiday home in Cornwall called Stargazers. We had been counting down the days and excitedly chatting online about our holiday for weeks and so you imagine how delighted we were when we were welcomed by these views….
Normally when we arrive on holiday we cannot wait to rush in and check out our accommodation but at Stargazers we were quite happy to admire the amazing sea views whilst listening to the children shrieking and laughing as they ran around, exploring the ‘secret paths’ at the bottom of the garden and bouncing excitedly on the trampoline!
When we finally did gather up the kids and enter the property there were lots more excitable shrieks, this time from everyone in group, Dad’s included! I wish I had recorded it, it would have been hilarious to watch back…. Us adults were like big kids checking out each of the five bedrooms and bathrooms, trying out the reclining leather sofas in the front room and exclaiming loudly at the absolutely genius idea of having a separate living area for the kids, (which had a Wii console and play tent!)
Whilst this was going on the kids were running around trying out every bed and sussing out where all the toys, movies and books were stored. It didn’t take them long to discover three wardrobes FULL of dressing up clothes and we were soon being entertained by wannabe princesses, pirates and super hero’s, prancing around!
Just as we thought we had discovered all the hidden surprises in our new home the Dad’s discovered the garage. (I’m not even sure what made them look in there to be honest, I know I certainly wouldn’t have thought to check out the outbuildings!) They came into the kitchen with huge boyish grins on their faces and described the garage as a treasure chest… I thought they were being a little OTT, until I checked it out for myself. It was stocked full of goodies… a ping pong table, snooker table, an electric car for the kids to ride on, scooters, push chairs, wetsuits, buckets, spades, fishing nets, kites, bats, balls…. I could go on and on. The owner and mum of two, Amanda, had thought of absolutely everything that a family could possibly need for a beach holiday in Cornwall.
One of the features I will always remember about our arrival at Stargazers is opening up the double fridge and cupboards and finding them packed full of our favourite food and drink. St Mawes Retreats offer many concierge services including food unpacking which is an absolutely brilliant idea, especially for families. I ordered our food online through Tesco and the housekeeper had put everything away for us which made our arrival so relaxing and carefree.
We didn’t actually pop that bottle of Prosecco until the kids were in bed but instead we enjoyed a brew and the welcome gift of delicious homemade Cornish scones with clotted cream in the dining room bay window. Over the week this area of the house overlooking the gardens, ocean and lighthouse became our favourite place to chat and relax…
Before we arrived at Stargazers our group had chatted online about making the most of every day by getting up early to explore local attractions. Although we did visit several attractions during our week in St Mawes, I am so pleased to say that we didn’t rush out of the door at the crack of dawn every morning. Stargazers was such a lovely place to just relax and enjoy being together. As the six kids were all happy playing in the gardens, dressing up and having mini discos, us adults took full advantage of being able to take things at an unusually slow pace.
Each morning the kids would wake up and play or watch TV in the kids lounge and then, when all of us adults were awake, we enjoyed a relaxed breakfast together around the huge dining room table, before making up a picnic lunch and heading out around lunch time.
We didn’t even dine out in the evenings, which is very unlike Richard and I. Again the house was so spacious and such a lovely place to enjoy each others company that we didn’t want to waste precious evenings dining out. We tended to cook the kids some tea and put them to bed before having a leisurely dinner followed by a few drinks and playing games in the front room. We were exceptionally lucky with the weather and were able to make use of the gas BBQ provided to have our first BBQ of the year!
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Luxury holiday home in Cornwall with the services of a 5* hotel
Amanda prides herself on offering the facilities of a 5* hotel from the comfort of your own (huge!) luxury holiday home. One of the many concierge services she offers is private dining with a personal chef which we had the absolute pleasure of experiencing on Mother’s Day evening.
It was such a treat not to cook on Mothering Sunday and instead be served a delicious home cooked three course feast. Best of all we enjoyed our meal in peace as our chef Fiona, (Chef Fiona NZ) cooked first for our kids at 5pm and after we had bathed and put them to bed we enjoyed our celebratory meal.
Fiona and I had spoken a few times on the phone to establish our groups food requirements and she had sent through lots of menu ideas. After much deliberation, (because everything sounded absolutely delicious!) we finally decided on the kids having bangers and mash followed by knickerbocker glory. Our meal which much more elaborate… a sharing board of charcuterie, hay smoked duck, baked camembert, olives, houmous, breads, dukkah (mixed spices) and dipping oil. It was superb and beautifully presented with herbs, candles and flowers.
Our main course was a pan roasted lamb rump, ras el hanout, confit lamb neck fritter, squash puree and purple sprouting broccoli which we all thoroughly enjoyed. I’m not sure how we managed to find room for dessert but of course we did and it was exceptional – salted caramel torte served with white chocolate mousse, raspberries and honeycomb.
Fiona described every dish as she served it and had cooked/baked everything from scratch including the kids ice cream, homemade herby bread and even the honeycomb, which was broken up and scattered on our dessert. (I’ve told Richard that I expect this level of service every Mother’s Day from now on!)
5 things we loved about our luxury holiday home in Cornwall
On our last morning, whilst enjoying one final breakfast together, I grabbed a pen and pad of paper and asked everyone to tell me what they enjoyed the most about our holiday at Stargazers. (The kids were very vocal and the conversation became quite loud as they battled to talk over each other!) Thirty minutes and ten scribbled pages of notes later I had to change the subject because I knew I couldn’t possibly include everything here in this article. Here is a summary of that conversation…
The incredible location!
With a unanimous vote, the location of Stargazers came in first place. This short video shows it off in its full glory.
Spacious & luxurious accommodation
We all agreed that Stargazers felt like an uber-luxury hotel but with plenty of space for three families to spread out and not be on top of one another. We loved the dual side by side sitting rooms, (a formal one for the adults and a cosy comfy one for the kids), spacious dining area with enough sitting for everyone and five large bedrooms all with ensuite bathrooms.
Richard and I particularly liked our HUGE master suite which had its lounge area to sit and enjoy the sea views. Our room was connected to a kids new bunkbed room, which worked perfectly for our boys.
The attention to detail
Stargazers is fully, and I mean FULLY equipped for families! (Amanda puts many luxury, so called ‘family hotels’ to shame). All of the ‘basics’ were provided including stair gates, bottle steriliser, nappy bin, toilet seats, booster seats, bed rails, plastic tablewear. PLUS as mentioned above, three wardrobes of fancy dress costumes (including several of the most popular outfits to avoid wannabe Elsa and Anna meltdowns!), kids toys, books, movies, Wii console, beach equipment, trampoline in the garden, playtent… The washing machine and dryer also came in very handy as did the beach towels which were also provided.
Our fabulous welcome
It was lovely to walk through the door and be welcomed with homemade scones, teddies on all the kids beds, fresh flowers, a hand written greeting card and essentials provided in the kitchen.
Proximity to St Mawes Castle, St Mawes village and several stunning beaches
It was a pleasure to be able to leave the cars at our temporary home and explore the area on foot. We also hopped on the local ferry and travelled across to Falmouth which as you can imagine all six kids thought was the most amazing experience ever! St Mawes itself is absolutely stunning…
As you may be able to guess from this rather lengthy review, we absolutely adored our week at Stargazers! If you are looking for a luxury holiday home in Cornwall, to enjoy time with family or friends, we can thoroughly recommend you check out St Mawes Retreats. The family run company owns a total of six luxury holiday homes in St Mawes which cater for between 2 – 14 guests. The cost for 7 nights at Stargazers start at £1,790 (which spilt between three families is less than £100 per family per night!) Check out their website for more information – http://www.stmawesretreats.co.uk
Disclaimer – We were kindly invited as guests of St Mawes Retreats in return for this honest review. All photos copyright Travel Loving Family.
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This looks so marvelous. It can be difficult to find the perfect multi-family accommodation and to find something like this in Cornwall? Fabulous!
Lovely travel idea sharing this post. This looks amazing – I wish I could afford luxury travel. I believe if we get down to Cornwall this year, it will be in a tent!
Looks absolutely fantastic, Lisa. I’d book it just for the pleasure of waking up to those views alone! Love the attention to detail that has gone into the children’s rooms too. #getgone
It’s so beautiful isn’t it. I read this review again and was immediately transported back their. I really do want to visit again!!
Wow what an amazing house! We would love to stay if we ever head to Cornwall! The views looks great!
This sounds amazing! We are always looking for places that can accommodate all nine of us, this will definitely be added to our list.
Seperate living area for the kids? How wonderful is that!?!? Everything about the place and your trip sounds lovely.
Wow this looks amazing – so many facilities for everyone and I love the fact they unpack your shopping.
Wow – what a place! Such amazing views – totally understand why you didn’t want to venture too far during your stay!
You’ve excited me by the fancy dress. I’ve only got the shoes for my girls so far.
What an incredible house! That view is absolutely stunning too!
Wow, wow and wow is all I have to say about this place. Those views are stunning, I love all the play activities (even as an adult, that play tent looks like the perfect place to get the imagination running!), and even a private chef. This sounds like the perfect holiday. Wow.
Sounds like you had a great Mother’s Day. Stargazers sounds like a fabulous accommodation!
I read your review with a smile on my face. It looks and sounds idyllic. The kids look super cute dressed up, what a lovely idea. The games garage sounds fab too. And shorts and a t shirt at that time of year….wow.
That place looks amazing and love the fact that everything has been catered for!
What a wonderful place and yes, I can see how the garage was the result of all that excitement. I can see it being popular with our lot too! #MondayEscapes
This really is a luxury getaway! Looks like you had so much fun and ooo your own chef too hey ;) AMAZING!
I remember seeing your photos on Facebook and drooling over this. It really is incredible – the views, the accommodation, dressing up costumes – they really have thought of everything.
I’m making a note of the company as it really is superb – and great value, considering how amazing it is.
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Yes I was very surprised when I divided the cost between three families too Trish;)
Oh my god it looks amazing, we are dying to visit cornwall and this looks just up our street and aw Jack and Joe used to have the exact jeep. The Wolf ah happy memories x
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Yes my boys wanted to bring it home Sarah;) You would love Stargazers!
What? This place is beyond incredible. A little tent in one of the living rooms and costumes too? Sounds like so much fun. Love the idea of having a private chef. Plus, the weather was gorgeous during your stay. #MondayEscapes
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My son has just asked for one of these tents for his birthday;) He loved it!
This property looks amazing! I can’t believe all the thoughtful touches you found in the home. I am totally envious and would love to be there right now!
My word, that’s an impressive holiday home. Love the dressing up costumes, but the house itself looks great too.
Wow that looks like an amazing place! What a lovely review, this could be the place for the family and I to go for my 40th!
What a fantastic place! Those toys and dress-up clothes look absolutely amazing. How great to find a place that really understands kids (and parents!) that way!
I can see why it’s five stars, it’s so well kept and bright and clean! I’ve never been to Cornwall, but my uncle has friends there who he’s always talking about. It seems like a lovely seaside place.
Amazing house and at a beautiful location! Indeed it sounds better than a family friendly hotel! #mondayescapes
This sounds like an incredibly luxurious accommodation! You really had everything you could possibly need plus those fun surprises and a very service oriented staff to top it all off. Lovely!
The views are stunning. But the wardrobes of fancy dress are truly above and beyond. That’s CHILD FRIENDLY in capital letters!
What a lovely place! Totally geared towards families and friends coming together, looks lovely. I stayed in a similar place in Swanage Dorset with my family many years ago, really enjoyed it. #mondayescapes
What a dream vacation! That house, that setting, that view!! What a breathtaking getaway. Added to the dream list!
Love St Mawes! Great accommodation with everything a family needs, fantastic sea views, lovely garden, BBQ and you didn’t have to do all the cooking! Everything a family could want. #MondayEscapes
looks great for families in particular! LOVE those views! Wow
WOW! Such attention to detail – what an amazing place to take the kids! Looks like a blast. II don’t think they have anything like that in Denmark! #Mondayescapes
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Great business idea for you Erin! Parents are always going to want to stay at places which can accommodate their kids. This place went above and beyond, we have never stayed anywhere that offered quite so much for families. Completely blown away by it;)
What a superb holiday you all had! I love reading about places that really ‘get families’ and understand what’s needed to give everyone a break. All the extras for the kids and the option to have an amazing meal cooked for you takes the stress out of a holiday and adds that all important luxury we all crave…even after having children!! Lovely review and lovely pictures
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Absolutely agree Claire. Our cars were all full just with essentials, clothes etc so it saved us a small fortune not having to buy buckets, spades, crabbing lines etc for all six kids! My boys have slept with their new teddy bears from Stargazers every night, they are quite attached to them!
OMG! I just love Cornwall. I used to spend time there when I was a kid and totally loved it. I have been talking about going back there, with my husband, for yonks now!
Found your blog through #MondayEscapes
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I hope you persuade him to book something soon! I also have very fond memories of family holidays to Cornwall and watching my dad surfing in Newquay!
This looks like a very family friendly place to stay with great facilities and what a welcome, you won me with home made scones but flowers and a hand written note is awesome.
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I always a big fan of the little touches!
Oh wow! What a gorgeous place!! I love Cornwall, we usually stay with family in Bodmin but I’d love to actually have a “proper” holiday there. Sarah
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I hope you get to have a real holiday soon Sarah;) I would love to have family in Cornwall so that we could visit more often! A stunning part of the UK
Oh my life, I’m completely blown away…and I’m only reading about it. It sounds absolutely amazing, wha a place! We had a great holiday in Cornwall last year. Great part of the country.
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It certainly is! We hadn’t visited Cornwall for three years until last week, we will not leave it so long for our next visit ❤️
Wow, this looks amazing! Luxury, toys, culture and that amazing location: we would so enjoy this!
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It’s going to be pretty hard to beat Marta!
This looks amazing – I really wish I could afford luxury travel. I think if we make down to Cornwall this year, it will be in a tent!
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We have camped in Cornwall too;) Believe me, we don’t always get to stay in such luxury!
What an incredible place for a family stay. And your description of your mother’s day meal is mouth-watering. I can quite imaging it’s set a high bar in your household! :-)
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It certainly has! It also got my husband off the hook this Mother’s Day as he didn’t need to cook dinner or take me out to a restaurant;)
I’ve been following your stay on Instagram and just blown away by how beautiful it is. Such a lovely setting, beautiful house, great facilities – and is that even blue sky I see in Cornwall? You’ve sold me to give it another try – I only have soggy old memories in a B&B with our first baby!!!
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Oh no! You definitely need to return Keri, it doesn’t always rain in Cornwall, I promise;) It is such a beautiful part of the world. I could definitely be tempted to pack up and move there if it wasn’t for my husbands job
Looks amazing – Cornwall is high on my Uk bucket list
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I hope you get to visit very soon!