Atlantic Hotel, Newquay Explained

The Atlantic Hotel is in Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It was first opened in July 1892 and occupies a prominent position on the shore, with views of the Atlantic Ocean & the North Cornish coast.[1] [2]

Atlantic Hotel
Alternate Names:The Atlantic
Location Town:Newquay
Start Date:1891
Completion Date:1892
Opened Date:July 1892
Architect:Silvanus Trevail
Address:Atlantic Hotel
Dane Road, Newquay TR7 1EN
Website:https://atlantichotelnewquay.co.uk/
Map Type:Cornwall
Architectural Style:Victorian Architecture
Floor Count:4
Main Contractor:Messrs Lang & Son
Renovation Date:2016
Roof:Mansard Roof (1892)
Rooms:57

The hotel has 57 bedrooms.[3]

History

The Atlantic Hotel was designed by the Cornish architect Silvanus Trevail.[4] [5] [6]

In 1890, Trevail formed the Cornish Hotels Company.[7] His aim was to build several large first class hotels in key locations, such as Falmouth, Newquay, St Ives and Kynance, to accommodate the large number of tourists and visitors traveling to Cornwall by the improved Great Western Railway passenger service.[8] In June 1891 the Cornish Hotels Company proposed to the Newquay Board that a new hotel was needed for the town. In October 1891, Trevail attended the Cornwall licensing committee on behalf of the company to obtain a provisional licence which was granted for the Atlantic Hotel.[9] His plans were approved and the builders, Lang and Son, undertook construction work on the hotel.[10] [11] The Hotel opened to guests in July 1892, as a property occupying 10 acres of land.[12] The opening was a success but there were problems. An outbreak of scarlet fever threatened to scare off visitors coming to Newquay and furthermore a local water shortage caused issues with the Atlantic Hotel's state of the art sanitary facilities. The Newquay board described the hotel as being in a remarkable position, having been built on the summit of a bold headland jutting out into Newquay Bay, with the Atlantic Ocean surrounding three of its four sides. It had views along the coast and could be seen for miles before visitors reached the town.

The Hotel has been considerably modified during the 20th century and has lost a lot of its original architectural qualities (mainly to the exterior), however much of the interior still contains original features such as the grand staircase and the marble columns.[13] [14]

The Beatles

During filming for the Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles arrived in Newquay on Tuesday, 12 September 1967 and stayed at the Atlantic Hotel, which caused a sensation around the town as The Beatles were the most famous band in the world at the time, following the success of their Sergeant Pepper album.[15] [16]

The Beatles had only intended to stay at the hotel for just one night but eventually decided to use the hotel as a base for three nights.[17] The band stayed in four luxury holiday flats adjoining the hotel and needed a police cordon to have their meals in the hotel dining room.

The scene they filmed at the hotel was of a bikini-clad woman, who was chased around the hotel's swimming pool.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Atlantic Hotel, Newquay 4 Star Award Winning Sea View Hotel. 27 September 2020. atlantichotelnewquay.co.uk.
  2. Web site: 2003. Newquay Character Study. Cornwall Council. 18.
  3. Web site: Cheers to 125 Years! – Atlantic Hotel Newquay. 27 September 2020. atlantichotelnewquay.co.uk. 28 February 2017 .
  4. Web site: Kresen Kernow. 31 March 2021. Kresen Kernow. en-CR.
  5. Book: Harper, Shelia. Newquay Through Time. Amberley Publishing. 2013. 9781445613260. 15.
  6. Web site: Lists of all buildings designed by Silvanus Trevail. 12 April 2021. www.luxsoft.co.uk.
  7. Web site: Kresen Kernow. 12 April 2021. Kresen Kernow. en-CR.
  8. Web site: BBC. Silvanus Trevail. 12 April 2021. www.bbc.co.uk. en-gb.
  9. News: 22 October 1891. 1891. The news of the county. Royal Cornwall Gazette.
  10. Web site: The Cornish Hotels Company and the Atlantic Hotel Book Hotel in. 31 March 2021. es-ES.
  11. News: 16 May 1892. 1892. Notes in the west. The Western Morning News. 16 May 1892.
  12. Book: Harper, Sheila. Newquay Through Time. 15 November 2013. Amberley Publishing Limited. 978-1-4456-1326-0. en.
  13. Web site: 2019. Cornwall Council – Character study.
  14. Web site: Atlantic Hotel: SOUTH WEST COAST PATH – a photo tour. 12 April 2021. southwestcoastphotos.com.
  15. Web site: 20 September 2017. Beatles fans celebrate Fab Four visit Newquay Voice. 4 April 2021. www.newquayvoice.co.uk. en.
  16. Web site: Smallcombe. Mike. 25 November 2018. The story behind The Beatles' mystery trip to Cornwall and Devon. 4 April 2021. CornwallLive. en.
  17. Web site: 20 September 2017. Beatles fans celebrate Fab Four visit Newquay Voice. 4 April 2021. www.newquayvoice.co.uk. en.