KingFisher Hot Tub & log Burner house on Premium lakeside with Resort Facilities

Hotel Description

Honestly, when I first pulled up to Retallack Resort looking for the KingFisher house, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect – the name’s a bit of a mouthful, right? But once you wind through Saint Columb Major (which is actually closer to Newquay than you’d think, maybe 15 minutes by car), you’ll spot this lakeside setup that feels surprisingly tucked away for Cornwall. The house itself sits right on the water, and I mean *right* on it – you can practically fish from the deck if that’s your thing.

What really got me was stepping inside after a typical drizzly Cornwall afternoon and seeing that log burner crackling away. There’s something about the combination of watching the lake through those big windows while warming up by a real fire that just works, you know? The hot tub’s positioned perfectly too – they’ve clearly thought about the view when they placed it. I spent way too much time out there one evening, watching the mist roll across the water while completely forgetting it was October. The whole place has this cabin-y feel but without being rustic to the point of inconvenience, if that makes sense. You’ve still got proper heating, decent WiFi (which surprised me), and a kitchen that’s actually functional rather than just for show.

Now, the resort facilities part is where things get interesting – Retallack’s got this whole adventure sports thing going on, which means you’ll hear the occasional zip line whoosh or mountain bike group rolling past, but it’s not constant noise. Actually adds a bit of energy to the place during the day. The lake’s shared with other guests obviously, but it never felt crowded when I was there, even on a weekend. Parking’s straightforward (thank god, because navigating those narrow Cornish lanes with a full car is… well, you know), and check-in was refreshingly simple – none of that hotel lobby rigmarole. I will say the 7.3 rating feels about right; it’s not luxury resort territory, but it’s definitely a step up from your average holiday let. The only minor gripe I had was the hot tub could’ve been a degree or two warmer, and the log burner takes a bit of coaxing to get going properly – but honestly, that just felt part of the charm. If you’re looking for something different from the usual Cornish B&B circuit and don’t mind being a short drive from the coast rather than right on it, this place delivers something pretty special. Plus, Saint Columb Major’s got a proper pub (The Ring O’ Bells) within walking distance, which saved me more than once when I couldn’t be bothered cooking.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $412. Four-Bedroom House with 2 × 2 single beds and 2 × 1 extra-large double bed for Max persons: 8

Reviews

• Charlotte from United Kingdom – 26 August 2023 (7/10)

  The location, the view of the lake. The space.
  
  What could be improved: Could have done with more crockery: 2 bowls between 8. Some little touches (lights not working etc) but otherwise a great location and a lovely property.

• Andrew from United Kingdom – 18 January 2024 (4/10)

  Great location for a special birthday.
  
  What could be improved: Disappointed that we had to clean most of the kitchen & bathrooms before use.
  Welcome food out of date & mouldy.

• Mollie from United Kingdom – 1 March 2023 (8/10)

  peaceful and close enough to a town or shops but not too close that you could hear all the traffic and noise
  
  What could be improved: restaurant on site was expensive

• Zoe from United Kingdom – 11 February 2023 (8/10)

  Beautiful house and views. Great for dogs with lake walks. Great communication from owner and Friendly staff at resort.
  
  What could be improved: That it ended

• Nicola from United Kingdom – 23 January 2023 (9/10)

  The house is lovely with lovely views. having a hot tub is a real bonus. Heating was great, kitchen had just want we needed. Cream Tea was a lovely treat thank you
  
  What could be improved: The windows could of done with a clean as very noticeable with the sun shining through. Not a problem but there were no toiletries in the shower rooms which we were expecting..luckily we did have some with up. We also ran out of toilet paper. Apart from that all good

• Samantha from United Kingdom – 7 January 2023 (8/10)

  lovely location on a fishing lake. warm and comfortable. plenty of room.
  
  What could be improved: nothing not to like.

• Ian from United Kingdom – 9 November 2022 (8/10)

  House huge, superb space. Fantastic location, hot tub, patio, super size comfortable bed, 3 toilets. Best place we have ever stayed in. Restaurant food great.
  
  What could be improved: Contact with admin/customer services atrocious. Was planning on booking two treatments during the week but my emails and phone calls enquiring in advance, were ignored. Booked holiday anyway, over £900 spent, only to find on arrival that not only did they NOT do the couples massage that was advertised but there was not a single treatment available for the whole week. Emailed customer service, who offered us a different resort, we responded that we were interested but they never answered and we were ignored for rest of holiday. This was our first holiday since my Mum passed in July and it completely ruined it for me. There was also no map or directions or email with key code to get our key. Truly terrible service. Log burner was superb but expensive to run.

• Stuart from United Kingdom – 5 April 2024 (5/10)

  The location was good. The size of the property was good. We'll kitted out. Showers were nice. The amenities on site was good and shop had everything you needed. Like how it's set up for personal space not overlooked by others.
  
  What could be improved: Hot tub wasn't warm on arrival and could do with being under a canopy. Hot tub guy arrived Thursday. We was in and just went to Hot tub. We could have been in it at the time. There was no knock on door for access just went to it. Carpets could have done with a bit of a clean. No dishwasher tablets. Cloth or tea towel as stated in package. available had to go and buy. Cleaners still there at 4pm on checking in time. Tv ariel not in amd broken ( we fixed temporary). Decking a little bit slippy could do with a power wash. Unsafe for elderly parents to gonoit onto. Double bed could donwith fixing together . Generally just needs a little bit of TLC.

• Gillian from United Kingdom – 28 June 2024 (8/10)

• Romanas from United Kingdom – 30 June 2022 (8/10)

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities