Soul-soothing sea views

Our first impression of our Meadow Villa room? ‘Oh my goodness look at that view’ (followed swiftly by ‘doesn’t it feel lovely and calm? and then ‘what a great amount of space for a family of four’)

Just below the main hotel building, the Meadow Villas feature huge windows that frame uninterrupted sea views, and big bifold doors that open onto a little terrace (which then rolls into a shared stretch of enclosed grass the kids can run straight out across). As a parent travelling with small children (with energy to burn), that detail alone was the dream!

What impressed us equally was the layout. Family rooms can often feel like one space with a few extra beds squeezed in, but here it felt like someone had considered how families function. The kids sleeping area was tucked around a corner, and you could pull down a big blind to block out their light after bedtime (we had a double sofa bed and a cot in this section, but there are bunk options as well)

The bathroom was equally generous (and super slick, with huge bronze tiles & sleek gold taps). The huge walk-in shower was big enough for Toby to crawl around in. And, less exciting but very practical, there was also a mammoth amount of storage space to hide away the suitcases and keep everything aesthetic!

If you can, I’d opt for a seaview room every time. Waking up to the Atlantic is profoundly peaceful, and very special. For more info on room options, see here

Did someone say softplay?

If Bedruthan had a headline act, surely it would be their Jungle Tumble, the hotel’s enormous double-storey soft play. And when I say enormous, I mean it. I’m talking rope bridges, slides, tunnels, ballpits and those foam rollers I always get stuck in when trying to retrieve a child. It stretches across multiple levels, with distinct zones for different ages. And criminally, it would be easy enough to miss, hiding modestly behind a non-descript wooden door. But don’t do that – because you’re going to make their holiday and blow their tiny minds (in a good way!) in one fell swoop

On the topic of doors – I made it my mission to open them all. And what I found did not disappoint. There was a little craft room filled with coloured papers, pens and glue sticks. Another revealed a hidden cinema room, with armchairs, stacks of family favourite DVDs and a TV on the wall. Through another, a pool table where a dad was playfully challenging his son to a game. What I’m getting at – this is a hotel where you can really make yourself at home, with no shortage of help-yourself toys, games and activities

During our stay we also joined a screen-printing workshop, as the hotel runs daily craft sessions where you can learn a new skill together. I’d love to say we left with proudly produced masterpieces – in reality, ours were rubbish, but we had lots of fun trying!

The indoor pool was another highlight, warm enough for even the smallest swimmers and complete with a shallow splashing area for timid tots, as well as plenty of pool noodles. A December trip meant the outdoor pool was out of bounds, but I can only imagine how stunning it would be come summer!

Get ready for stress-free suppers (I swear!)

The food at Bedruthan was one of the biggest surprises of the stay, largely because of just how much of it was made in-house (and taste the difference, you could)

Most family meals happen in The Wild Café, a relaxed restaurant where children are clearly very welcome. Colouring arrived almost immediately at our table, which meant we could relax rather than scrambling to keep the kids entertained while they waited (though thoughtfully, there’s always appeared first). Their menu was genuinely excellent too, and after finishing more than a few leftovers I can confirm, the children’s dishes were every bit as good as the adult ones. They very cleverly walked a fine line, familiar enough that the kids happily tucked in, while we were delighted they were packed full of goodness (this isn’t frozen chicken nugget territory!)

There’s also an in-house bakery, and if you take one thing away from this, please tuck into a treat. I believe the hotel have their very own team of pastry chefs, and the cakes and bakes were next level. If you don’t believe me, grab a homemade cinnamon roll at breakfast and you’ll soon see, you really need to taste test the rest of their selection. On the topic of breakfast, it is worth noting hot options cost extra

And for parents wanting something more refined, Ogo offers a more sophisticated dining experience overlooking the sea, with seasonal Cornish ingredients and beautifully prepared seafood. In all honesty, I can’t imagine the food gets much better than at The Wild Café, but once the hotel babysitting is up and running (it’s in the works), a more elegant ambience would make a knockout date night

A gorgeous golden bay steps away

I’ll ‘fess up – with just 3 days at Bedruthan Hotel and Spa, we barely left the grounds

Between the beach and the constant stream of activities (‘Mummy can we go to the pool? Now can we go to the softplay? Now can we go to the craft room?’), an entire long weekend passed in the blink of an eye, without ever strolling further than a few minutes to the sea

But my, what a beach! Mawgan Porth is one of those vast golden sandy stretches that is basically made for sandcastle building, framed by cliffs and perfect for rock pooling and wave jumping, when you’re not busy trying to find the cave monsters

If you do want to explore further afield, though, there are plenty of family friendly outings nearby. We’ve been to Newquay Zoo on a previous trip and it makes for an easy morning (or afternoon) adventure from the hotel, while Camel Creek Adventure Park offers rides, animals and huge play areas that can easily fill a whole day

Lappa Valley is another option that comes highly recommended, with miniature trains that take families into a hidden valley filled with playgrounds, pedalos, musical trails, softplay and more

Though I’d be willing to put money on it: with the Atlantic stretching endlessly in front of you and so much happening inside the hotel, it’s entirely possible you’ll arrive at Bedruthan and decide you’ve no desire (or need) to leave