My accommodation for the Newquay stop of the Summer 09 UK Blogging Tour was at the Pure Shores Boutique Lodge at the Fistral Beach end of Newquay. On arrival I found that there were only two bathrooms (albeit beautifully appointed, clean and with complimentary Dove toiletries) between four bedrooms, meaning that with the three other quad bedrooms fully occupied I’d be sharing the bathroom facilities with twelve other guests. There’s no clear explanation on the Pure Shores Lodge website of the bathroom situation, no mention of shared or ensuite facilities.

It costs £35 a night per person including breakfast in the twin room at Pure Shores during July and August, which for a room with a shared bathroom, no sink and no tea/coffee making facilities seems a bit steep. In the interests of fairness I looked at the prices at two other lodges in Newquay. At Goofys an ensuite room for two including breakfast costs £35 – £42.50 and at Hillcrest £35 per person per night.

Pure Shore’s lounge

There are also several good points about the Pure Shores Boutique Lodge. The owners Lisa and Marco are really friendly and helpful. They kept my luggage during my final day as my flight to Manchester didn’t depart until 22:00. They said I could sit in the lounge and use the wifi if I needed to seek shelter from the rain during the day.The breakfast is excellent quality (but if you wish to have a hot drink and fruit juice there is an additional charge). The communal lounge area is spacious and very pleasant. There’s a flatscreen TV with Freeview in all the bedrooms. Wifi is available free of charge throughout.

Now Pure Shores does get great reviews on Trip Advisor. To me this illustrates the confusion caused by the blurring of definitions in what constitues a hostel, a surf lodge, a budget hotel or a guest house. So it’s best to ensure that you carefully check exactly what is provided before you book your accommodation.

Europe a la Carte Summer 09 UK Blogging Tour sponsored by