Blue Chip Vacations has released its top ten new Cornish properties for 2010 including stunning period houses, cosy cottages, chic coastal apartments and contemporary custom-built lodges, all of which are available for press visits and reviews.

1. By Farthi Best – New for 2010
Farthings is a stunning three bedroom cottage, which features a charming additional child’s room and bed.
Located right on the beach at Ready Money Cove in Fowey, Farthings house has good access to the National Trust Coastal Path, the beach, which is 30 yards away, and Fowey town centre.

Inside, Farthings has a beautiful open plan living, dining and kitchen area on the first floor, which has double doors that open up onto a balcony overlooking the sweet and secluded beach. A lovely wood burning stove keeps guest toasty and warm at night, and the flatscreen TV, DVD player and IPod sound system help to entertain in the brief moments away from the beach. The bedrooms are quirky and use the unique shape and features within this wonderful house to stunning effect.

Outside, Farthings has a hot and cold outdoor shower, perfect for washing off sand, and an enclosed courtyard, which acts as a perfect sun trap.

Farthings sleeps six and can be booked for seven nights from £788 (£131pp), or for three nights from £557 (£92pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/penzance/golden-sands.html

2. Grand Design – New for 2010
Curlew Point is one of those properties that could so easily have featured on Grands Designs. This amazing four bedroom house enjoys uninterrupted views of the South Cornwall Coastline and is only a short walk from the traditional Cornish village of Downderry, situated on the outskirts of Looe between Saltash and Liskeard.

Inside, the spacious living spaces each have access to the impressive balcony, which leads out to the lower decked and garden areas. A wood burning stove helps to make for a warm and cosy atmosphere during the winter months, and the 42” flatscreen TV, DVD player, CD player and IPod docking station provide plenty of entertainment at night or on wetter days. The open plan kitchen and dining areas each enjoy spectacular views. The bedrooms are large and spacious and the bathrooms have every convenience imaginable.

Outside, the property has direct access to the South West Coast Path. The beaches of Whitsand Bay and Seaton are both within a short walking distance, and Whitsand Bay Golf Course at Portwinkle, is close by.

Curlew Point sleeps eight and can be booked for seven nights from £788 per week (£98pp), or for three nights from £557 (69pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/whitsand-bay-downderry/curlew-point.html

3. Classic Cornish Cottage – New for 2010
Bryher Cottage is a beautiful barn conversion situated in the picturesque village of St. Mawgan. It has beams throughout, large bright and airy rooms, a toasty log burning stove and a fabulous 70 foot enclosed garden, which is a great sun-trap during the warm Summer months. A travel cot, high chair, stair gate, night lights, children’s cutlery and crockery are all provided, making this the perfect spot for a family getaway.

St Mawgan has a popular pub with a lovely beer garden and a great little village shop. For those looking to build sandcastles, swim, learn to surf or just relax, Mawgan Porth Beach and Watergate Bay – home to the Extreme Sports Academy and the Jamie Oliver inspired ‘Fifteen Cornwall’ – are within a five minute drive. Alternatively, the pretty harbour town of Padstow, home to Rick Stein’s sea food restaurants, is just a short trip around the coast.

Bryher Cottage sleeps six and can be booked for seven nights from £678 (£113pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/watergate-bay-mawgan-porth/bryher-cottage.html

4. Stunning sea views – New for 2010
28 Mount Brioni is a Mediterranean-styled self-catering house, which is situated in the village of Seaton on the coast of South Cornwall. It has stunning sea views and is thoughtfully designed to an exceptional standard, including lavish internal fixtures and fittings. Features such as under floor central heating, which is fuelled by a green ‘air exchange unit’, help to keep this property’s carbon footprint low.

Set in beautiful South-facing gardens and spectacular coastal surroundings, Mount Brioni is within yards of the Coastal Path. The beach is a 100 yard stroll away, where rock pools that are ideal for crabbing can be found. The beach is also a popular spot for anglers throughout the year.

28 Mount Brioni sleeps four and can be booked for three nights from £398 (£99pp), or from £418 (£104pp) for seven nights.
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/looe-polperro/28-mount-brioni.html

5. Way impressive!- New for 2010
Wayside Cottage is a delightful single-story cottage, which is nestled on a country lane on a cliff above the beach at Cawsand. Inside, the living and dining rooms both possess impressive coastal views, while outside the real winner for this property is its large sea-front decking area and landscaped gardens.

Situated in the pretty village of Kingsand and Cawsand on the Rame Peninsula, Wayside Cottage is set in haven of peace and tranquillity. The beach is just a few minute’s walk away as is the village, which is blessed with pubs, narrow streets, charming colour washed cottages and a lovely selection of local shops.

Wayside Cottage sleeps six and can be booked for seven nights from £548 (£91pp), or for three nights from £389 (£64pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/kingsand-cawsand/wayside-cottage.html

6. Fore! Great Sea Views and Golf – New for 2010
9 Headland Point is a superbly located apartment that has fantastic sea views from the living room and patio area. Inside, the living area is styled with chic contemporary furniture and a modern open plan kitchen. The bedrooms are generously proportioned with large double beds that can be separated to provide twin beds.

Fistral Beach is just a 2 minute walk away, offering some of the best surfing conditions in the world. Also close by is Newquay Golf Course, one of the finest links courses in the area, offering 18 challenging holes with truly breathtaking views over Fistral Bay.

9 Headland Point sleeps six and can be booked for seven nights from £458 (£76pp), or for three nights from £326 (£54pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/newquay/9-headland-point.html

7. Goldrush! – New for 2010
Golden Sands is a fantastic holiday home situated just a few steps from the gorgeous Praa Sands near Penzance. It’s perfect for anyone who loves the sea and beach life, and there are plenty of water sports on offer close by.

Inside, the house is beautifully furnished. The living room has some of the best sea views in Cornwall, and the chic kitchen makes the most of natural light, provided via a clever room-length glass ceiling. The bedrooms are large, have beautiful seasoned wooden floor boards, and each has their own views.

Outside, the impressive large decked terrace is a perfect place to relax with a cool drink on balmy summer evenings. And, on arrival, guest are greeted with a traditional cream tea.

Golden Sands sleeps six and can be booked for seven nights or less from £718 (£119pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/penzance/golden-sands.html

8. Terraced stunner – New for 2010
18 Tregaskes is a stunning two-bedroom terraced house, which is situated just a ten minute walk from the beaches of Cooklets and Summerleaze, and the picturesque town of Bude on the North Cornwall coast.

The property has been beautifully appointed throughout combining exciting, modern architectural design with ecologically friendly features. Inside, the kitchen, dining and living areas are chic and contemporary, while upstairs, the bedrooms are large, funky and fun. The patio and rear enclosed garden are accessed from the sitting room.

18 Tregaskes sleeps four and can be booked for seven nights from £398 (£99pp), or for three nights from £284 (£71pp).
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/bude/18-tregaskes-parc.html

Bookings can be made by calling Blue Chip Vacations on 0844 5612001 or by visiting www.bluechipvacations.com

9. The Height of Coastal Chic – New for 2010
Harbour Heights is a beautifully converted 1930’s coastal house, which is perched on top of a hill above Victoria Pier overlooking the stunning, historic fishing harbour of Mevagissey. Recently refurbished, this five-star property matches its art-deco charm with chic contemporary features and furnishings.

Inside, the property has a large and spacious living and dining area, both of which enjoy impressive sea views. Loaded with the entertainment technology throughout, including a 50” Flat-screen Plasma screen, a Playstation 3 for gaming, HD movies, 5.1 Surround Sound System, Sky TV, Wifi and LCD TV’s & DVD players in every bedroom, even if the weather comes in, there’ll never be dull moment.

The contemporary high-spec kitchen has fabulous quartz work surfaces. Patio doors lead onto a side deck with stunning views over the harbour, and a six seat table for al-fresco dining. The bedrooms are of the highest calibre and the bathroom is made for indulgence, long soaks and hot showers.

Outside, Harbour Heights has a large elevated sun deck with seating for sun loungers, and beautifully landscaped gardens.

Harbour Heights sleeps six and can be booked from £618 for seven nights (£103pp) or from £438 (£73pp) for a three night stay.
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/mevagissey/harbour-heights-house.html

Bookings can be made by calling Blue Chip Vacations on 0844 5612001 or by visiting www.bluechipvacations.com

10. Penthouse passion – New for 2010
No. 52 Bredon Court is an impressive penthouse apartment with views over Newquay Golf Course down to Fistral Beach and out to sea. The apartment has two balconies; one from the living area and one from the bedroom, giving stunning sea vistas day or night.

Inside, the living and dining areas are stylishly finished with chic furniture and fittings. The sitting room has enviable views and a grand double height apex ceiling, which pours light in during the day. The bedrooms are large, comfortable and beautifully appointed.

52 Bredon Court sleeps six and can be booked from £508 (£84pp) for seven nights or from £361 (£60pp) for three nights.
http://www.bluechipvacations.com/holiday-cottages/newquay/52-bredon-court.html

The opening races of the Zapcat powerboat season will take place in Cornwall this year, when the Blue Chip Newquay Zapcat Grand Prix race weekend kicks off the season at Fistral Beach on the weekend of 24 and 25 April.

Blue Chip Newquay, which has over 170 high-end self-catering properties in Newquay, has played a key role in securing the race for the town as the season’s curtain opener, working closely with Tourism Newquay, Bare Feet Promotions and the Zapcat Grand Prix race organisers, ZCR Ltd.

The Blue Chip Newquay Grand Prix weekend is the first major event for Newquay, which has become known as the UK’s experience capital, and will play a significant role in attracting early season tourists, generating valuable income for the town. Early estimates suggest that as much as £750,000+ could be brought into the local economy as a direct result of the race weekend.

On the evening of St George’s Day (Friday 23rd), a grand Zapcats Parade will take place through the town featuring competitors and boats, raising awareness of the Grand Prix, and attracting visitors to come to the event over the weekend.

Viewing will be free and a range of entertainment and freshly prepared food and drink will be available for spectators. Opportunities to meet the race teams and see the powerboats up close will also be laid on to encourage a growing following for the championship, which already has international status.

Practice sessions will take place on the Friday, followed by spectacular races on the Saturday and Sunday at the north end of the beach featuring around 40 teams; the southern end of Fistral Beach will remain open for public use. Up to 16 heats of racing will take place culminating in two divisional finals each day. Each daily round will earn the competitors vital points towards the prestigious National Championships, the Services, Rookie, and Team, Mixed, Home Nations and Surf titles, all of which will come to their tense finales in October.

Teams, including local Royal Marines from RAF St Mawgan, will cut through the surf, performing daring and spectacular aerial leaps as they propel themselves through the sea at speeds of up to 50 mph. The Course will take the Zapcats out to the Fistral Headland before turning south and then returning parallel to the beach giving spectators an excellent view from every vantage point.

Commenting on the race, Alan Taylor, Managing Director of Blue Chip Vacations and Blue Chip Newquay, said: “2010 is the tenth anniversary for both Blue Chip Vacations and Zapcat racing in the UK. As soon as we realised that there was a possibility of bringing this awesome event to Newquay, we jumped at the opportunity. We realise just how important it is to support events that grab the attention of visitors and inspire them to stay during weeks that they might not normally consider.

“Over the last three years, late April has been a belter for warm weather and we’re confident that, combined with low off-season rates available through www.bluechipnewquay.com the Blue Chip Newquay Zapcats Grand Prix weekend will be a draw for many thousands of visitors and spectators from across the South West and the UK.”

Blue Chip Newquay has properties in some of Newquay’s most iconic buildings, many of which are set overlooking the sea, the town or the golf-course. Properties that are particularly close to Fistral Beach, which will host the Zapcats event, include Zinc, Bredon Court, Ocean 1, Pentire Mews, The Vista, Pearl, Trehellan Heights and Headland Point.

Other properties within a 15 minute walk include Rocklands, Glendorgal, Golden Bay, Harbour View, Seapoint and The Old Edwardian.

Martin Jupp, Managing Director of ZCR and Race coordinator for the Zapcat Championship added: “This is the first time a Zapcat Racing event has been held at Fistral Beach and we are expecting a fantastic turnout of race teams, supporters and spectators alike. Zapcats in the surf is always great entertainment with plenty of thrills and spills!”

Richard Wilcox, Business Development Manager for Tourism Newquay said: “The Grand Prix is a fantastic spectacle and will help kick-start what we hope will be a great season for Newquay. This event is the perfect platform to show off all that is exciting, innovative and fun about Newquay, appealing to people of all ages from across the globe. And importantly, by engaging with Newquay businesses and organisations, we can ensure that the Zapcats weekend works for them and has a positive economic impact that is felt across the town.”

Guy Thomas, Cornwall Council Newquay Town Centre Manager, says: “The Zap Cat event is a great addition to Newquay’s events calendar and offers an exciting spectacle for everyone to go and see. The boats are great fun to watch and an event of this calibre helps to showcase the town as a venue for top quality sporting events of all natures. I hope this will become a regular event in Newquay and it is a very positive step for the town”.

The Newquay Discovery Trail enables you to explore the interactive maps before yourholiday to discover Newquay’s best kept secrets. Newquay may be best known for it’s surfing lifestyle, Cornishpasties and cream teas, but follow the cryptic clues on the engraved slate disks when you arrive, to discover 11
beaches surrounding the town, a river estuary rich in rare species of plants and birds and a diverse cultural maritime and mining history.

Perfectly positioned within walking distance of Newquay Zoo in the midst of the Newquay Discovery Trail, Riverside House has views over the River Ganel and glimpses of thesea and is just a short walk to both the famous surfing beach at Fistral and the summer passenger ferry toCrantock Beach. Cornish horizons (01841 533 331 www.cornishhorizons.co.uk ) are offering seven nights at Riverside House for up to 6 people from £404 in low season to £1097 in peak season.

The official Tourism body for Newquay and a number of the town’s leading hotels are reporting an increase in European bookings for the 2010 season, giving the popular resort a boost to its year round trade.

The Euro to sterling conversion rates would appear to be making the UK, and in particular Newquay in Cornwall, a very popular destination for the overseas market.

Cornwall and Devon have always been popular destinations with overseas visitors with people from Germany, Holland and Belgium making up the bulk of European customers.

A number of hotels in the seaside resort have seen a clear increase in the number of group bookings for 2010. The Hotel Victoria in the centre of Newquay has enjoyed a steady increase in foreign travellers over the years.

Tony Townsend form Hotel Victoria, said: “We have worked hard to ensure we deliver exactly what the European coach operator is looking for at the Hotel Victoria. This has seen the interest in foreign group travel build steadily now over the last four to five years, especially the Austrian and German market.

“This year we have seen another increase with an average of one coach a week from Germany every week from April through to September. Many of the trips are for 4 nights or more which is a great boost to our year round occupancy rates, pushing our overseas trade up 20% on last year.”

The Esplanade Hotel has also seen an increase in the number of European visitors staying at the hotel. The latest figures show a growth of more than 20% year on year from 2008 for private and group bookings.
James Nettleton, Director of The Esplanade Hotel added: “We are enjoying growth in all year round business at The Esplanade and a considerable proportion of our guests visit us from across Europe. In particular, we have seen a notable rise in the number of German groups that stayed with us in 2009 and have made repeat bookings for 2010.

“Our location at Fistral Beach, large public areas in the hotel and our adjoining Quiksilver surf school are all of great appeal to larger visiting parties. And, in terms of the wider local area, Newquay has a lot to offer European visitors – our stunning coastline, fine beaches and wide range of outdoor activities to name just a few.’

The official tourism website for the town, www.visitnewquay.org has seen a dramatic increase in traffic from overseas. Comparing the past two months with the same period last year the site has seen a 35% increase in visits from Germany,
80% increase in visits from France and an 11% increase in visits from Netherlands.

Richard Wilcox, Business Development Manager for Tourism Newquay said: “Newquay has a great appeal to overseas visitors and many of the hotels in the town have made the most of the opportunity presented to them by the strong Euro. Newquay’s location is also working in its favour, as it is proving to be a popular area for groups to base themselves while exploring the rest of the county.

“Our website www.visitnewquay.org has seen many more hits from overseas in the past six months, showing that there is a definite interest and desire to travel to Newquay.”

Newquay’s four star Headland Hotel has also seen an increase in European guests, predominantly from Germany, France and Spain.

Veryan Armstrong from The Headland Hotel said: “The increase in European visitors that we have seen at The Headland could be attributed to the fantastic location that Newquay enjoys, coupled with the great transport links provided by Newquay Airport. Within the town we have an abundance of great accommodation, attractions, and things to do, which will provide our European neighbours with a great holiday or business trip at whatever time of year they visit.”

Richard Wilcox concluded: “It is wonderful to see so many of our hotels reporting an increase in European bookings. It is our challenge to ensure that once the strength of the pound increases we do not lose our overseas visitors. There is a fine balance to be had and we have to ensure that Newquay remains a popular destination no matter what the state of the economy.”

With Atlantic washed beaches, breathtaking views and fresh sea air Cornwall has long been synonymous with rest and relaxation and now, thanks to the lavish treatments and sublime facilities offered at the pampering paradise of Fistral Spa, the county is in the running for a prestigious national award.

The Newquay-based Fistral Spa – which opened just two years ago – has been shortlisted for a highly sought-after Professional Beauty Award, flying the flag for Cornwall in the Residential Spa of the Year category. Open to resorts with up to 10 treatment rooms, the shortlisting places Fistral Spa among the finest six spas in the country and puts Cornwall’s luxurious standards firmly in the national spotlight.

Nestled at the heart of The Bay Hotel overlooking Fistral Beach, the spa boasts nine ESPA treatment rooms and a tranquil relaxation room, in addition to an indoor child-free heated pool with underwater music, Jacuzzi, steam-room and sauna. Treatments ranging from aromatherapy and massage to facials and full body wraps are available, along with more distinctly Cornish choices such as the ‘Surfer’s Massage’.

Having already been mystery shopped and visited by the expert judging panel which included the likes of George Hammer, owner of Aveda and Urban Retreat, and Debbie Green, Operations Director at The Sanctuary, Fistral Spa is now awaiting the final awards ceremony which takes place at the Park Lane Hilton in London on March 8th.

Malcolm Bell, Head of Tourism at VisitCornwall, comments: “Cornwall has all the ingredients for a relaxing break with quality facilities and experiences to complement our natural environment. Fistral Spa being shortlisted for such a creditable award is testimony to this and demonstrates how Cornwall’s unique blend of luxury and quality can rival the finest in the country.”

Manager of Fistral Spa, Diane Nettleton, adds: “Fistral Spa is certainly unique and our mission in creating the spa was to develop a proposition that wasn’t just the best in Cornwall but that would sit amongst the top spas on a national level too. Getting shortlisted for a Professional Beauty Award is a huge honour and it shows we are achieving our vision. I have every confidence in our wonderful team of therapists and we’re all really excited about the award ceremony. It’s a fantastic achievement to be shortlisted in such a tough competition and to win an award would just be marvellous.”