Hotel Owner

Blue Flag award puts Carbis Bay in a league of its own

The Carbis Bay Hotel, St Ives, is celebrating being named as the only hotel in Britain to boast its own private Blue Flag Beach.

The Blue Flag Award is an internationally recognised symbol awarded to the best beaches in the world. In Britain, the scheme is administered by Keep Britain Tidy, which recently announced that Carbis Bay had retained its award for another year.

The 25 acres of golden sandy beach at Carbis Bay is owned by the Carbis Bay Hotel, which overlooks the bay and offers direct access to the beach for its guests. Stephen Baker, owner of the Carbis Bay Hotel said: “We are delighted that our beach has been awarded the Blue Flag, which lets all our guests and visitors know that they can expect the highest quality in water, facilities, safety, environmental education and management. To be the only hotel in Britain with a private Blue Flag beach is a fantastic honour, and will not only benefit the hotel but will also be a boost for tourism in West Cornwall.”

The Blue Flag announcement comes as the hotel reveals plans for a new beachfront development, which will incorporate a multi-function entertainment venue, restaurant, water sports centre and community facilities. The development will be a flagship project for Cornwall, creating around 70 new jobs, encouraging year-round use of the beach and bringing more visitors to the area.

Carbis Bay is one of six beaches in Cornwall and 79 in England to be awarded a Blue Flag for 2012.