This is Plymouth --Fine food, fantastic scenery, and so much to do...Helen Pearse visits the Bedruthan Steps Hotel and Spa in north Cornwall
SOME places just have it all. Something for him, something for her, and something for the kids.
Bedruthan Steps Hotel and Spa in north Cornwall is exactly the type of place which has something for everyone.
The four-star location, situated overlooking stunning Mawgan Porth beach, can cater for any type of break. The numerous awards it's won proves that.
Whether it's a romantic adult-only break, or a family holiday with the children and grandparents, Bedruthan must surely be top of the list of choices.
Ours was a couply break with relaxation, good food and G&Ts on the priorities list. We'd been warned by friends that Bedruthan is full of children, and to go prepared for a noisy, hectic weekend, but nothing could be further from the truth. You won't believe me, but we did not see a single child the entire weekend.
That's not to say that in peak season it would be the same, I'm sure. Bedruthan markets itself as a hotel ideal for families, and from what I could see, it seemed like the ideal place to take the children and have all your needs catered for.
But it was also the perfect place for us adults to get away from work, turn our phones off, and enjoy.
As you pull into the car park, I wasn't inspired. But Bedruthan is a fine example of how you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The hotel has been welcoming guests for 50 years, and I have to say, the building is dated. But an overhaul of the inside has made the most of the interior and with modern decor and furnishings, on the most part you could be in a brand new hotel.
Situated in Trenance overlooking the beach, the view really is the selling point of this hotel. And there's no surprise that the spectacular ocean vista dominates most areas of the hotel, to the comfy bedrooms, restaurants, spa and ballroom.
There is something about waking up to a sea view that can't be beaten, so it's great you don't have to drag yourself away for breakfast – the view comes with you into the restaurant. A perfect way to start the day – bacon and eggs while watching the surfers below.
With its own private path down to Mawgan Porth beach, guests can easily enjoy a wander on the sand, or pick up the South West Coast Path in front of the hotel. We went for this option to walk off our breakfast and headed east towards Bedruthan Steps, Carnewas and Porthcothan. The scenery is incredible and the terrain is relatively easy – ideal for all the family to get a breath of fresh Cornish air.
After the obligatory exercise we decided to explore the local area. A few miles down the coast is Watergate Bay, a stunning stretch of beach, mecca to local surfers and dog walkers and home to Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant.
Or if you head further up the coast, eight miles away is Padstow with its plethora of galleries, boutiques, my favourite clothes shops and of course, Rick Stein's empire.
(I mentioned this weekend's priorities list included food didn't I?)
But if you don't want to venture too far, there is plenty to do at the hotel. After a day out, we decided it was time to relax and test out Bedruthan's spa. As usual I ignored the gym, in favour of a few token lengths in the heated indoor pool – made even better by being the only person in there, before heading into the spa area. The spectacular sea views and a massive, luxurious spa pool is certainly a winning combination. Normally hotel jacuzzis are so small, four people makes it feel crowded but you could easily fit 20 people in this one and still find it relaxing. Although the fact that we were the only two in it for at least half an hour, was something I'm not going to complain about. This was relaxation at its best.
Combine that with the cleansing benefits of a cedar sauna, a eucalyptus steam room and a lavender caldarium, plus a whole host of pampering and beauty specialities in the treatment room, it's little wonder Bedruthan is one of the most restorative luxury spas in Cornwall. I told you there was plenty to please us girls here.
But if action is more your thing, then the hotel has plenty of activities on offer from tennis and surf lessons to coasteering, wild swimming, sea kayaking, mountain biking or golf. I'd offer to tell you more about them – had I found the inclination to try any.
After using up all your energy on those activities, the hotel's adult-only tranquility lounge is perfect for peace and quiet. You can curl up with a book from their shelves, use the room's computer, play a board game, or just watch the sunset. The next-door cocktail bar served us our drinks and for a couple of hours we chilled out on comfy sofas in front of the woodburner. Bliss.
But back to that pressing issue of food. Bedruthan has two restaurants, The Herring and the Wild Cafe. The cafe, where breakfast is served, is colourful, funky and offers a mixture of tapas and hearty favourites or salads and patisseries. We had dinner in the sophisticated Herring restaurant, which recently won Restaurant of the Year at the Cornwall Tourism Awards. Our foodie desires were more than satisfied with monkfish scampi, brill and hake followed by local Cornish cheeses and washed down with a delicious offering from the extensive wine list.
Our weekend here was romantic and relaxing, but those with families would have an amazing time too.
The hotel offers a mix of off-the-wall activities for all ages of children to enjoy and considers it their job to make it easy for parents. There are a number of play areas and adventure playgrounds in the hotel grounds, an outdoor pool, games room, children's clubs, and in the school holidays the hotel has visits from magicians and the local sea life centre.
There is a full activity programme, kites to use and craft workshops for the whole family. We noticed baby monitors in the bedrooms so adults can still dine in the restaurants while children sleep, the breakfast buffet included baby food and utensils, and there are microwaves dotted around the hotel to prepare children's food. It seems like they've thought of everything.
But if you haven't got children, don't let the whole 'family friendly' thing put you off. Bedruthan seems to have got it sussed. Absolutely loads to keep children entertained, and plenty for us adults to do too without feeling like we're spending a weekend at a children's birthday party. Told you some places have it all. Bedruthan certainly does.
For more information about Bedruthan Steps Hotel and Spa, and the activities and special breaks they have on offer, log onto www.bedruthan.com or ring 01637 860860. Reported by This is 8 hours ago.