Bedruthan Hotel & Spa review: my verdict on this relaxed Cornwall hotel

Our verdict

Bedruthan Hotel & Spa is perched on the cliff above Mawgan Porth Beach in north Cornwall, with steps winding down onto the sand. The huge hotel is designed so that pretty much every window is pointed towards the stunning view of the sandy beach and rolling hills.

The hotel is quite the rabbit warren, with lots of stairs linking each level, and they thoughtfully provide wagons and lifts to help you navigate without too much faff.

Luggage wagons in use at Bedruthan Hotel & Spa

Decorated with art by local artists and with a clean, whitewashed aesthetic, the hotel has a calm, spacious feel. Set right on the north Cornish coast, it makes a great base for exploring the county, with Newquay, The Eden Project and Padstow all within 45 minutes' drive.

There are tons of family-friendly activities at Bedruthan. Not only is there a creche and kids' club, it's the activities aimed at the whole family that set this hotel apart. From a family session in their outdoor sensory spa garden, to craft sessions and open-air entertainment at their sea theatre - it's definitely worth browsing their school holidays activity timetable and booking in some quality time together ahead of your visit.

For times when you're doing your own thing, there are indoor and outdoor pools, soft play and a games room. When you get hungry, head to the sustainable Wild Cafe for child-friendly dining and delicious local fare, or grab pastries from the on-site bakery. But the real star of the show is the sandy, unspoiled Mawgan Porth Beach.

When we visited, we were incredibly lucky with the weather - visiting in early May is always a gamble - and spent a glorious day on the yellow sand, even braving a dip in the freezing sea. The beach was clean, dog-friendly and there were shops, cafes and public toilets just across the road.

The beach is a short (but steep) walk away

Geared towards relaxation and creativity, Bedruthan is a lovely place to stay. The hotel balances luxury with child-friendliness really well. For example, the Wild Cafe restaurant is child-friendly all day and evening, while the Ogo restaurant has kids' dinner sittings only between 5.30-6.30. There are a whole range of activities specially for children, adults and the whole family, plus there are even spa sessions aimed at including the kids. It's touches like this that make Bedruthan perfect for a family trip to remember.

How we tested

Our private terrace and view

I stayed at Bedruthan Hotel and Spa for two nights in May 2025 with my wife, our 12- and 14-year-old children and our two dogs. We drove from Sussex which took about 6 hours (with pit stops). We stayed in a large villa room and ate at the hotel's Wild Cafe.

What are the rooms like?

The main bedroom in a large villa room

At first, the rooms struck me as very sparsely furnished, with no rugs and minimal soft furnishings. However, the fact that the beach at Mawgan Porth is just a short walk from the hotel means hard floors make sense for sandy feet.

There are a range of family rooms available: a spacious sea view room (sleeps 2 adults and 2 children); villas (sleep 2 adults and 2 children, with a private terrace) and apartments (sleep 2 adults and 4 children). We had a sea view villa, which is split into 2 bedrooms with ensuites.

Children's room in the large villa

We stayed in a large villa, a spacious, two-bedroom suite with a sea view and a private terrace. From an airy walkway, the doors open straight into the children's room, which was furnished with a bunk bed and chests of drawers. My teens were a little disappointed not to have a TV in their room, but the WiFi was good so they were able to watch Netflix on their phones, or pile into the big bed in the master bedroom with the grown-ups and dogs.

The suite had two ensuite bathrooms - one with a bath and one with a shower, and a separate toilet. However, none of these had locks, which we all found quite surprising.

The room had tea and coffee making facilities, a mini fridge with fresh milk and bottled water, plus a welcome pack of local cookies for the humans and treats for the dogs.

The villa rooms are designed to be cooled by the sea air, so there's no air con in these particular rooms. Our dogs meant we couldn't have the big sliding window open, only the smaller hinged window, so it did feel a bit hot in the large bedroom, especially when the sun was shining right into the room. The children's room was nice and cool, as it's set away from the large window, with doors onto an airy, shaded corridor outside.

The terrace was a lovely place to lounge with a book. They open straight out onto a beautiful wild garden, with a path directly down to the beach. The lack of a fence or gate to separate the terrace from the garden means that little ones (and dogs) need to be supervised at all times.

What activities are on offer?

Bedruthan has a whole host of thoughtfully-curated activities. For kids and families, there are daily craft sessions, silent discos, quiz nights, story telling and an outdoor theatre - there's even the option to book a family session in the outdoor sensory spa garden.

You'll find soft play, indoor and outdoor pools, plus a small games and gaming room off the main bar. There are board games and a pool table for those of a competitive bent.

The playroom at Bedruthan

To grab some kid-free time, there's a creche for under-fives year-round, and a kids' club for older kids in the school holidays. For all activities and childcare, you do need to book in advance, and there's a £15 charge per child for each 2-hour session (£20 for under-2s).

For adults, there's an indoor and outdoor spa, with treatments available to book. Daily exercise sessions are included each morning, with yoga, Pilates and qigong sessions in the studio. Spa treatments and sessions come with an additional charge, but exercise sessions are complimentary. It's best to book ahead for all sessions and treatments.

The star attraction is the beach, but if you get less-than-perfect weather during your stay at Bedruthan, it's safe to say you won't be bored.

What's the spa like?

Bedruthan's spa is one of its stand-out features. The day spa consists of a sauna, steam room, Roman-style caldarium and hydro pool with sea views, all designed for ultimate relaxation.

The treatment menu includes massage, facials and three pregnancy-specific treatments - plus there's a therapist-led, 60-minute hammam experience.

The charming sensory spa garden is located in a fragrant outdoor setting, with seven stages of scrubs, hot and cold temperatures. Want to include the whole family? 30-minute family sessions in the sensory spa can be booked for just £10 per person during the school holidays, and they're suitable for kids aged 8 and up.

You'll need to book treatments and spa days ahead, and they all come with an additional charge.

What are the food options?

Afternoon tea at the Wild Cafe

We ate in the sustainable, kid- and dog-friendly Wild Cafe for all our meals at Bedruthan. There's also the more grown-up Ogo restaurant, offering locally-sourced cuisine and with children only allowed between 5.30-6.30.

For breakfast, there's a generous buffet, with plenty of options to suit everyone - from homemade granola to croissants, chia pudding to good old jam on toast. If you fancy something hot, there are eggs, porridge and cooked breakfasts available to order, although these aren't included with your stay.

If you want to take some pastries, cakes or a loaf of sourdough away, there's an on-site bakery with mouthwatering picnic options.

The bakery at Bedruthan

We went for the afternoon tea for lunch, with both vegetarian and meat options available. Each cake and sandwich was delicious, with surprising and thoughtful flavours. We all managed to try each one, even if the generous portions were a bit too big to finish.

For dinner, there's a crowd-pleasing menu of salads, burgers, steak and pasta options, plus a kids' menu with something for even the fussiest palate. Every meal was set against gorgeous views, which really adds to the experience.

What is there to do nearby?

We didn't need any more than the beach, thanks to the glorious sunshine during our visit, but Bedruthan's location on the north coast of Cornwall is excellent for seeing the best of the county.

The nearest town is Newquay, and attractions such as the Eden Project, Lanhydrock and Padstow are all within around a half an hour's drive. The scenic South West Coast Path runs right past the hotel, and the dramatic rock formations of Bedruthan Steps are just round the corner.

A view from Bedruthan

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She researches and reviews the places and products Mumsnet users swear by, with a particular focus on home essentials, laundry and fans.

Covering multiple locations in the south of England, Poppy also reviews family-friendly hotels and days out, including Moonfleet Manor, Chessington World of Adventures and New Park Manor.