In the first of our Give Mum a Break series, our reviewers went to stay at Budock Vean Hotel in Cornwall

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly children can fall asleep in the car. Within moments of setting off on our journey to Cornwall, William and Catherine were out like lights – it does make it easier without the ‘are we there yet?’ questions every 10 minutes.

We stayed at the Budock Vean Hotel near Falmouth from 9th May to 11th May. Our biggest concern was arriving in time for our evening meal, having picked the children up directly from school for the journey and worrying about the rush hour Friday traffic.

Check in was smooth but I felt that we could have used a little more info about our accommodation and where to find our way around the hotel. A porter took our bag to the room (I did feel sorry for him carrying the bag up the stairs) and advised that if we needed anything just to ring downstairs. There seems to be a large amount of steps within the hotel – but on further investigation we did find a lift!

The family room was well furnished with a separate room and bunks for the kids. We were very pleased to see that both rooms had a TV. For a family of 4 there were only 3 chairs though, it would have been great to have a sofa. The bathrooms have all Elemis soap, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner should you forget to pack them.

You can chose to dine at the restaurant or family dining room. Dinner is a formal occasion at the Budock Vean restaurant, males are requested to wear a shirt and jacket, or a shirt and tie, females are requested to be in smart dress, jeans, t-shirts, shorts and trainers are not permitted in the restaurant but are fine in the family dinning area. The restaurant is elegantly furnished and there is a good choice of food on the menu. Dietary needs can be met, but you do need to advise the hotel prior to arrival. We were a little worried that the children would not enjoy the dressing up and the choice on the menu, but both nights the children tucked in with gusto. We were disappointed that the live music provided ended at 9.15pm on the dot both nights, as the menu is 4 courses and we were left in silence to finish our meals when the dining area was still rather full.

Breakfast is served from 8am -10am and there is a good choice of hot and cold food, although the children were disappointed that there was a lack of flavoured yoghurts and child friendly cereals.

Within the hotel there is a pool, sauna and hot tub, you can also book beauty treatments in the spa or enjoy a round of golf. Access to the river is a short 10 min walk away with a covered summer house, you can either walk through the beautiful gardens or along a path – the hotel can request a golf buggy to take you down if needed. If you do decide to walk through the gardens it can be muddy after a torrential rain storm, as Katie found out when she slipped over almost taking me with her.

There is a vast amount of activities to participate in outside of the hotel and plenty of places to take the children to keep them busy. Pendennis Castle was a worthwhile visit with lots of nooks and crannies to explore and stunning scenery.  

A must if you are staying at the Budock Vean is to participate in a fantastic Koru Kayaking tour. The weather had been extremely windy so we were not able to do a usual tour to Frenchmans Creek but Tom let us know that we would be able to tour the Port Navas Creek.  Wet suits are available to hire. Whilst the weather was extremely windy and the river choppy in places Tom assured us that should anything happen (ie capsizing) he would be there in a beat to rescue us. 

Suitable for 6 years up, children must be supervised with an adult and a safety and technique speech is given whilst still on dry land giving you plenty of opportunity to ask any questions. Tom’s exuberance for kayaking is infectious and his laid back nature makes you instantly feel at ease – there was even time for water fights. At all times your guide will ensure that you are all ok, that you are not struggling in any way and that you are all happy to proceed.

If you'd like to stay at Budock Vean you can book your visit now online or call: +44 (0)1326 252 100.  If you'd like to find our more information about the Kayaking experience take a look the website, call 0779 4321 827 or email