CAMILLA TOMINEY unwinds with a beauty treatment in a luxurious new baby-friendly hotel retreat set on a 43-acre woodland estate in St Austell

MY  GOLDEN rule when planning mini-breaks is to go the extra mile for a hotel willing to go the extra mile for you. Cornwall isn't everyone's idea of an ideal weekend destination, and is quite far from London where I live. Lured by the appeal of a new hotel and spa in St A ustell, however, we were curious to see whether the county famed for its clotted cream and pasties was also a palatable prospect for a short break with a toddler.

A long car journey with 16-month-old Annabel was unthinkable so we found the solution in Air Southwest flights from Gatwick to Newquay, which take less than an hour. No queues either end and within minutes of landing, we were driving off in our hire car, enjoying the coastal views.

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St Austell isn't much to write postcards home about but the picturesque seaside villages around it, such as Charlestown, Porthpean and Mevagissey, are w hat attract visitors to the south Cornish coast every year.

The Cornwall Hotel Spa & Estate, a £30million woodland retreat, is certainly a handsome addition to the neighbourhood.

The converted 19th-century Georgian manor house is complemented by the thoroughly modern addition of 56 chalet-style woodland rooms and The Clearing Spa complex, complete with gym and treatment rooms. Here, my husband Dominic enjoyed a massage, I was treated to a facial and Annabel was able to swim in the infinity pool, which has designated adult hours but is otherwise open to all guests.

We stayed in one of the nine suites in the main house, all decked out with four-poster beds, plasma screen TVs and roll-top baths. The interior design is as high-spec as you would expect of exclusive chain Bespoke Hotels.

Adding to the aura of opulence are paintings by celebrated local artist Robert Lenkiewicz. These hang in the ultra-modern slate floored reception area and trendy lounge, which overlooks the 43-acre estate. With patio doors on to the gardens, we could only imagine how wonderful it will be in the summer, when a croquet lawn and children's adventure playground are installed.

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Annabel was genuinely made to feel welcome. Staff happily played peek-a-boo with her as we tucked into the sumptuous breakfast on both mornings. Off menu, beans on toast was available should Annabel not have fancied anything on the children's menu in the Acorns Brasserie, the hotel's family orientated restaurant with an open-plan kitchen and pizza oven.
Nothing was too much trouble, from giving Annabel her own plate and cutlery, to allowing us to enjoy a delicious cream tea in our suite so Dominic could watch the rugby on Saturday afternoon.

The hotel is so relaxed that some rooms even allow pets and you would be daft not to take up the offer of in-room babysitting in order to eat at The Arboretum, the hotel's fine-dining restaurant.

Between courses of foie gras, pan-fried skate and a luxurious apple crumble, we were offered two delicious veloutés, one featuring beetroot dust, something neither Dominic nor I had come across before. It was like being on the Master Chef judging panel - if we'd been able to award a Michelin star, the chef would have got one.

The next day we drove five miles to the Eden Project for a welcome dose of balmy weather in the humid Rainforest Biodome, the world's largest greenhouse, before pushing Annabel around the Lost Gardens of Heligan. This was a serenely English experience featuring all manner of flora and fauna, from immaculately laid out rose gardens to a slimy pond with frogs (Annabel's favourite).

As the three of us admired the breathtaking view of the Cornish coast across rolling green fields, we realised it had been well worth going that extra mile.

GETTING THERE:

The Cornwall Hotel Spa & Estate (01726 874050/ www.thecornwall.com) offers doubles from £129 per night (two sharing), B&B (offer until the end of June). Travel cots £10 per day.

The Arboretum restaurant offers a five-course menu excluding wine from £50pp.

Air Southwest (0870 241 8202/www.airsouthwest.com) offers return flights to Newquay from various UK airports from £58.

easyCar.com (08710 500 444/www.easycar.com) offers daily car hire from £49.

VisitCornwall: 01872 322900/www.visitcornwall.com