Amid the tears, tantrums, snotty faces, tense negotiations, inane chatter and bribery, lies a beautiful concept, writes Naomi Gornall.
This is a place where parents can exist without fear of reprisal, without tuts or judgemental looks, because here, everyone is in the same boat.
This is the Bedruthan Hotel & Spa and it is a place of wonder.
Its location, just 10 minutes from the stunning Mawgan Porth beach in north Cornwall, certainly gives it the edge but even without that, this is a hotel worth the distance.
While loved up couples and/or blissfully unaware parents-to-be can wallow time away in its sister hotel, The Scarlet (five minutes down the road), Bedruthan is one for families, and it makes no secret of it.
From the availability of children’s tea from 4.30pm every day to stop those hunger pangs, to games of Twister in the ballroom, its emphasis is on making parenting that bit easier, which is ultimately what we all want.
Despite its family friendly facilities, it also strangely feels like a very grown up hotel. Its stylish Scandinavian-inspired interior, awash with artwork along every corridor, provides a contemporary feel yet it also manages to be cosy.
After a few days of dreadful British weather, hastily arranged ‘indoor’ attractions for my toddler, and the odd huff here and there (me and her), we arrived at Bedruthan looking for some respite.
It was a welcome relief to find that everything can be catered for on site.
For my almost three-year-old daughter, it was like Christmas had come early, as she managed to squeeze all her favourite activities in one afternoon. First stop was the soft play room, which had areas for both younger and older children. Next it was the indoor pool. There was also a play room full of toys plus a TV/entertainment zone.
Outside, the options are numerous and great fun for accompanying adults too, including a trampoline, adventure playground, zipwire, tennis courts, and two swimming pools.
For those wanting to try surfing, an instructor is on site every day for anyone interested in having a go.
Come the early evening, there are regular children’s activities in communal areas, like board games and magic shows.
Once my girl had exhausted herself (which takes a lot), we retired to our comfortable spacious family room, which had a stunning sea view.
However there were many other relaxing spaces around the hotel, with sofas, children’s books and milk available.
All meals for the children are served in The Wild Café, which produces quick, simple food, like pizza and pasta. The Herring Restaurant (beneath The Wild Café and only catering for over 12 year-olds) provides a fine dining experience, with dishes such as monkfish and roast duck breast on offer. You can book a Flexible Food Package, which gives you an allowance to spend on any food and hot drinks throughout your stay.
While there is obviously plenty for children here, the adults are not forgotten. The spa, which features a range of treatments including some more unusual ones, is for adults only (apart from one hour every Thursday morning, which is a dedicated family session).
I managed to escape for a blissful hour to try the hotel’s newest treatment in the Sensory Spa Garden, which opened in March. I was fortunate enough to be the only one booked in for that time (there is a limit on numbers to retain the tranquillity of the space).
Beautiful wild flowers adorn the garden as you enter through a bamboo gate but the overwhelming smell is a log burning in the fire pit.
I was led around the garden by Stacey, who explained how the treatment is made up of seven different stages, which you undertake yourself.
I started by applying a dry salt scrub, then washed it off in a rainforest shower. Next it was onto the sea-view cedar wood sauna. Following this it is an ice-cold drench under a bucket shower. There are then three different tubs- two hot and one cold - to raise and drop your body temperature, alternating between opening the pores and refreshing your skin. The final wet scrub, a mix of oil, seaweed and salt, left my skin feeling soft and nourished. It was then time to wrap up in a towelling robe and sit by a fire pit, sipping herbal tea while my feet were immersed in a warm copper footbath.
When I resumed toddler duties afterwards, I had renewed energy.
As well as a crèche, there is also a baby monitoring service for the evening, whereby a listening device is activated in the room and linked up to reception.
Parents bring a buzzer to their table while they have a meal in the restaurant so that they can return to the room at any time. While it may not be for everyone, the facility is well used and gives the parents some peace of mind that their child is being closely monitored.
Bedruthan has been owned by two generations of the same family for more than 50 years and thanks to some forward thinking, modern décor and design changes over the years, it shows no sign of slowing down just yet, which is just as well, because I can’t wait to go back.
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