Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
On a quiet bend of the tranquil Helford River nestles the award-winning 4 star Budock Vean Hotel. Set in 65 acres of glorious gardens, woodlands and its own golf course - The Budock Vean is a sanctuary for rest and relaxation. With a restaurant renowned for amazing food, relaxing treatments in the Natural Health Spa (which is open Tuesdays to Sundays inclusive) , luxury self catering holiday homes, dog friendly cottages, tennis courts, kayaking and boat trips along the river, you can be as active or as relaxed as you wish.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to VisitEngland.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled in a scenic locale, Budock Vean Hotel is celebrated by guests for its picturesque surroundings and convenient access to local attractions, providing a gateway to natural beauty and scenic walks. While opinions are mixed regarding value and atmosphere, many find the hotel's charm and relaxed vibe outweigh concerns about dated decor. The hotel's amenities, including a pool and spa, generally receive positive remarks, though some areas are noted to need updates.
Service at Budock Vean is consistently lauded for staff professionalism and friendliness, and cleanliness standards are upheld throughout, with travelers often noting the spotless environment. Room experiences vary, with comfort and views appreciated, even as some guests point out a need for refurbishment.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Inconsistent
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Relaxing
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The hotel was very clean and well presented, our room was very large and comfortable with first class, Elemis, bathroom products. There were dressing gowns, slippers and separate towels to use for the pool and leisure spa. The hot tub and sauna were a welcome pleasure following a day of walking the Cornish Coastal Path. We ate in the restaurant a couple of times and the 4 course meals were delightful. The staff were very friendly and welcoming from our first arriving to the day we left. The bar staff and restaurant staff were engaging and always had a smile for everyone. We will definitely be visiting again and would recommend the hotel for a relaxing holiday.
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Martin Barlow, Owner at Budock Vean Hotel
Responded 24 Jun 2024
Hello Paula, thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review regarding your recent visit to Budock Vean Hotel. We are so pleased to hear that you had such a lovely stay and that you enjoyed using our leisure facilities following a day on the coast path. It is also wonderful to hear that you enjoyed dining with us in our restaurant for dinner. A huge thank you for your lovely feedback regarding our team! We will ensure that your review is shared with our wider team and we do hope to welcome you back again soon.
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Our fifth visit to Budock Vean . It can’t be denied it is stuck in a bit of a time warp and cannot compete with other boutique top notch hotels in the area and beyond. But it has a certain magic and unpretentious charm about it , set in a stunning setting it provides fantastic value for money together with great food and good old fashioned service. It does need some tweaks and updating here and there , the swimming pool area could definitely do with new flooring but I would imagine the refurb in this size hotel is an ongoing process. Our only gripe which we mention every time we visit is the public areas lack ambience, the overhead lighting in the bar and sitting rooms is stark and not conducive to cosy relaxation. Some low level lighting would make such a difference . Some things they get really really right, huge Elemis toiletry bottles in the bathrooms , warm toasty rooms ( not a given in hotels nowadays given the current running costs ) and piping hot food served on piping hot plates for breakfast. Dinner is very good, service excellent, there is plenty of choice and a menu that changes daily. The accompanying bygone piano playing we personally could do without ! Our bedroom was lovely despite having a dog ( we often find we are penalised and given inferior rooms ), but not here , it had been nicely refurbished , was bright and sunny and had a lovely view over the garden . It is without doubt excellent value for money hence our continued return . Perfect for families in the school holidays with the many facilities on site plus self catering cottages , a well manicured golf course for golf enthusiasts and off season its busy with a slightly older clientele enjoying the many seasonal breaks on offer . As a little girl I lived in the area , dad was a local businessman and he often bought us here for Sunday lunch on those special occasions or as a treat . As you sit in the hot tub listening to absolute silence apart from the woodpecker tap tap tapping away or wander down to the creek through the stunning garden abound with azalea rhododendron pink campion and bluebells , the peace washes over you , and you think ah there it is there’s the magic.
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Martin Barlow, Owner at Budock Vean Hotel
Responded 22 Apr 2024
Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review regarding your recent stay with us at Budock Vean Hotel. We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay in a dog friendly room and that you used many of our hotel facilities. We greatly appreciate all of your feedback and will ensure that this is passed on to the appropriate teams within the hotel. It is so lovely to hear that you often came to Budock Vean as a child and continue to visit us. Thank you for choosing to stay with us at Budock Vean and we do hope to see you again soon.
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This is now the 5th time we’ve stayed at Budock Vean in 2 years, and yet again our stay was faultless! My husband and I decided to visit with our daughter and her partner for my 50th birthday for 3 nights, as we knew they’d love it here, and the hotel staff made us feel extra special and welcome. As usual the rooms were lovely and spotless, and we were given two adjoining Signature rooms overlooking the gardens and golf course, such an amazing view to wake up to each morning! Breakfast was delicious, as were the cocktails in the bar (we didn’t dine in the hotel in the evenings, as we prefer to find local restaurants) The location of this hotel is perfect, nestled in the Helford Estuary next to Trebah Gardens and Glendurgan, which are both walking distance, and near to Falmouth, which has lots of pubs, restaurants and independent shops, and some lovely beaches nearby. We’ve booked to return in September…can’t wait!
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Date of stay: April 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Martin Barlow, Owner at Budock Vean Hotel
Responded 24 Jun 2024
Hello Fiona, thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review regarding your visit to Budock Vean Hotel. We are so pleased to hear that you all had such a wonderful stay for your 50th birthday and that you enjoyed your signature rooms, dining with us for breakfast in our restaurant and for cocktails in the bar. Our location on the Helford is certainly beautiful and we are so glad that you agree! Thank you for choosing to stay at Budock Vean Hotel and we very much look forward to welcoming you back in September.
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I really do hope they pay their staff well as they were the only reason I wasn’t furious at spending over £300 to stay at a tired, unclean and outdated hotel.
The staff here were second to none, and we could not have asked for more from them. They’re an absolute credit to the hotel and I hope they get most of the fee, seeing as the money clearly isn’t being spent on updating the hotel facilities.
The rooms have not been updated in many many many years, there’s one very small television which is connected via Ariel so don’t expect to be able to watch anything other than a few grainy channels. The decor, fittings and appliances are dusty and from the 80s.
The bathroom in the room was grotty so I could barely have a shower without touching old limescaly fittings.
But worst of all, the swimming pool area is vile. It’s carpeted, severely unhygienic and the pool doesn’t look like it’s been cleaned since the 90s with black dirt all through the grouted tiles. The carpet around the pool is mouldy and wet leading to the hot tub (which has broken pieces of plastic all around it so I only imagine a very cheap type model as they said in other reviews it’s been updated?). If I was staying in one of the updated rooms (as there seem to be some based on the hotels other reviews, I would be furious to pay and find that “spa” awaiting me”.
The gardeners however obviously do a very good job and the reception staff and waiting staff were very very attentive. They can’t help the poor facilities.
There was not a clean plate in sight for breakfast, the plastic cabinets and containers are obviously not regularly cleaned so everything just needs a good scrub.
The food however was ok.
Would not recommend at all.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Martin Barlow, Owner at Budock Vean Hotel
Responded 10 Sept 2024
Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review regarding your visit to Budock Vean Hotel. We are extremely sorry to hear that you felt parts of your stay fell short of the usual high standards in place across all of our accommodation, including the 10 non-refurbished bedrooms which have the traditional décor you mention. We don’t often receive such reviews so have already shared your feedback with relevant team members to ensure that we can make any changes that are necessary as soon as possible. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed our beautiful gardens and thank you for your lovely feedback regarding our team. Please do not hesitate to reach out directly to us should you wish to. We would welcome the opportunity to have a further discussion about your stay. We know there are always positive things we can learn about how to improve Budock Vean. You can reach us at relax@budockvean.co.uk. Many thanks
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The hotel is in a peaceful, secluded setting with beautiful gardens and views. There are so many things to do on site – swimming, outdoor jacuzzi, golf, tennis, spa, a boat trip, walks through woodland and gardens and down to a private beach. The beach has its own café and guests can watch the river, fish popping up in the shallows and the little blue boat taking people for river trips while relaxing with a drink or snack. Dogs are welcome and you can check out areas dogs are allowed with hotel staff. The hotel is in a brilliant location with other attractions and places to visit nearby. I walked to Grebe beach and had lunch at the Red Lion pub in Mawnan Smith while I was here. The bedrooms are well equipped with luxury toiletries, a super-comfortable bed and wonderfully soft pillows. In the restaurant, conservatory or terrace, even the simplest of food is prepared with fresh ingredients, well presented and tastes delicious. The service is excellent in all departments. Staff are friendly and efficient, helping guests to make the most of their stay. It’s easy to unwind here; I had an extremely relaxing time with my dog and will be back again soon for another visit.
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Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:I'm only speaking about my own room and didn't see any of the other rooms.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Martin Barlow, Owner at Budock Vean Hotel
Responded 26 Jun 2024
Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review regarding your recent visit. We are so pleased to hear that you had such a lovely time and that you found your room comfortable and well equipped. Our gardens and foreshore are certainly beautiful places to be and we are delighted to read that you got to spend some time exploring them. Thank you very much for your lovely feedback regarding our service. I will ensure that your email is shared with the whole team, all of whom contribute to the hospitality that BV offers. We do hope to welcome you back alongside your dog very soon.
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Our first time to Helford area as keen to visit some of the great gardens. We needed a dog friendly hotel which were very limited last minute and for less than a week stay. when I phoned directly to check availability Judy on reception was extremely helpful with her knowledge of great local walks and places to stop for a drink. On arrival right throughout our stay all the staff in every area were friendly and helpful We stayed in a standard room which was roomy very clean and comfortable also very quiet . Bath robes, beach towels and Elemis toiletries provided. Loved there was a hotel residents tumble dryer great after a wet walk Breakfasts excellent and we ate on 2 nights in the dining room and conservatory. Menu choices in both areas good and always served with a smile . The hotel gardens leading down to their private beach with facilities to kayak paddle boarding or just have a drink and enjoy the views was a bit special Hotel is in a lovely location to go exploring We enjoyed our stay so much we have booked to return next year and plan to stay longer
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Martin Barlow, Owner at Budock Vean Hotel
Responded 13 Sept 2022
Thank you so much for taking the time to review your stay and for your lovely comments and feedback. It means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back again next year.
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We have stayed at Budock Vean several times and it has always been comfortable, relaxing and fun. The hotel has a country house ambience, proper service, wonderful food and free use of the 9 hole golf course, tennis courts, croquet lawn and magnificent indoor pool with outdoor hot tub, as well as private parking. The four course dinner menu is locally sourced, freshly cooked and beautifully presented and a real treat at the end of the day, we gave up all ideas of going elsewhere. Gentlemen are asked to wear a jacket in the restaurant at dinner which seems perfectly reasonable and gives us ladies a chance to dress up! Breakfast is cooked to order with a good selection of cereals, fresh fruit and freshly baked croissants. The Helford is an area of river inlets, tiny lanes, pretty villages and Cornish ravine gardens - Glendurgan (National Trust) and Trebah are 3 mins away by car, Trebah has a very good cafe/restaurant. The hotel itself has lovely grounds with walks down to a private beach with waterside cafe when the weather allows. We also visited the Seal Sanctuary at Gweek, where there's a project to introduce beavers, fascinating to see how they have created their own environment. We were offered an upgrade to a Signature Room which my husband loved as it overlooked the 9th hole! The roomy bathroom had walk-in shower, very efficient towel rail and was well stocked with little bottles and a shower cap which I always forget to bring. There were two armchairs in the room and a small table which were a nice addition. This is the most relaxing hotel I have ever stayed in, you really do feel like a guest not a paying customer and the staff are unobtrusive, attentive and delightful.
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Date of stay: October 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Gentlemen need a jacket in the restaurant in the evening.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Martin Barlow, Owner at Budock Vean Hotel
Responded 31 Oct 2022
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, we really do appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback. We always pass this on to the team, it means so much to them.
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We visited this stunning hotel in March, having not been to this part of Cornwall previously. We stayed in the 'Old Nineteenth" cottage. This cottage is graded 4* gold award by Visit England and is the largest cottage, with four double/twin bedrooms, comfortably sleeping eight people, which was perfect because we were having an extended family stay, which was a multi-generation group, so with a swimming pool, spa, sauna, hot tub, tennis, golf and a full sized snooker table on site, there was going to be plenty of activities to keep us entertained.
The facilities at ‘The Old 19th’ cottage were plentiful, with parking for four cars, an enclosed garden (which was really handy for the two dogs), most bedrooms were en-suite, free Wi-Fi, flat screen tv in the lounge and every bedroom too, all bedding, towels and tea towels, bath robes and swimming towels, hairdryer and ironing board. The large kitchen, which has a separate utility room, was also well stocked including dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer. The hotel also arranged a lovely welcome pack, containing biscuits, sweets and lotions in a travel bag.
Service was exceptional, the food in the restaurant was fine dining at its best, with a delicious menu in the light and airy restaurant. On one of the evenings there was gentle live music to add a nice ambience in the background.
We had the swimming pool to ourselves in the evening because it stays open until late and then we sat in the hot tub looking at the stars...breathtaking. Likewise, every evening we had several frames of snooker. Whilst staying at the hotel we experienced the spa facilities, with a wonderful massage, whilst our daughter opted for the manicure treatment. The golf course is also open to guests at the hotel and the cottages.
Take a slow wander down through the landscaped gardens to the river. Take the path adjacent to the golf course and you will descend down to the quaint beach on the shoreline. From there a short walk takes you to the Ferry Boat Inn at Helford Passage, where we ate out twice, sitting outside overlooking the sea. Another great eating place is the Shipwrights Arms across the river at Helford.
The hotel is in the perfect location to explore the Lizard Peninsular. Some great places to visit are Helford, Durgan, Coverack, Lizard Point, Cadgwith, Kynance Cove, Praa Sands and St Michael's Mount. All of these places are within about a 45 minutes car drive. Some of the windy roads are spectacular with little villages and coves on the way.
We found all of the staff very friendly and helpful and would love to return here again soon.
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Date of stay: March 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:The 'Old 19th" cottage is perfect for a large family holiday
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Martin Barlow, Owner at Budock Vean Hotel
Responded 20 Apr 2022
Thank you for your lovely review Graham, we're so pleased you and your family had such an enjoyable holiday with us, and hope that you will return in the future.
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This is such a lovely hotel. We have visited many times and love the fact that the same enthusiastic staff are there year after year. We always feel very welcome and let pled after.
Dinner is reliably good with the emphasis on local seafood and fish. Soups and desserts are very good too.
Not many places serve such a good breakfast- the usual buffet of cereals and fruit but then freshly cooked to order hot choices - full English, kippers, porridge, etc. it’s really rare to find this in a hotel.
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:The indoor pool can be busy before 5pm
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Martin Barlow, Owner at Budock Vean Hotel
Responded 7 Oct 2024
Hello Anne, thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review regarding your visit to Budock Vean Hotel. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your visit to the hotel. Thank you very much for your lovely feedback regarding our team and it is also wonderful to hear that you enjoyed dining with us for breakfast and for dinner. We will ensure that your review is shared with our team at Budock Vean Hotel. We do hope to welcome you back again soon.
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I stayed overnight as a solo guest on a weekend. I felt completely safe whilst at the hotel at all times. I opted to have room service in my room as I wanted some peace and quiet! I did have to go to reception to find out what menu I could choose from but they were helpful and took my order whilst i was there. The food was absolutely delicious, one of the best meals I had ever eaten. I will say however that the portion sizes were small and I was pretty much hungry the entire duration of my stay. The room was spacious and relatively clean. The bathroom was modern and light. I was really impressed by the fact the hotel room was actually warm as I usually find them to be cold upon entry. The hotel was extremely quiet at night and I enjoyed looking over the golf course as the sun set. The breakfast menu was quite limited in my opinion. It was basically cereal, yoghurt, croissants and hot cooked breakfast, which again was nothing extensive. I asked for a plate of bacon, tomatoes, sausage and potatoes and literally recieved a plate of one of each item.. But it was all cooked thoroughly and again was very tasty and well seasoned. Although I didn't ask for much during my stay, I got the impression that nothing was too much to ask for and every staff member I came across were polite and pleasant.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Martin Barlow, Owner at Budock Vean Hotel
Responded 14 Oct 2024
Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review regarding your stay at Budock Vean Hotel. It is lovely to hear that you had a wonderful time and that you found your room to be comfortable. Thank you for your feedback regarding your dining experience. We will ensure that your review is shared with our team. We do hope to welcome you back to Budock Vean in the not too distant future.
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Mawnan Smith, United Kingdom31 contributions2 helpful votes
Hi Yvonne, just give our Reception team a call on 01326 250288 and ask for a mini fridge to be placed in your room for your arrival. We're more than happy to help.
Mawnan Smith, United Kingdom31 contributions2 helpful votes
Helford Passage Beach (sandy, low tide only) and Grebe Beach at Durgan (pebbles, low tide only) are our nearest. Maenporth, Swanpool and Gyllyngvase are sandy beaches and have cafes, toilets and facilities to hire equipment for water based activities.
They do ask that you dress smart/smart casual, i.e. not jeans or shorts but something like linen trousers would be fine. On the two occasions that we ate in the restaurant I wore a long summer dress. As far as I could tell most people respected the code. Hope that helps.
Mawnan Smith, United Kingdom31 contributions2 helpful votes
Hi, Grebe Beach, also known as Durgan Beach, is about a mile from the hotel along the coast path. There is a sandy beach at low tide outside the Ferryboat Inn at Helford Passage plus there is lovely beach at the bottom of Trebah Garden which is perfect for adults and children alike.
The hotel has private foreshore access to the Helford River but it's tidal and not sandy. Mark H's answer above is also correct that Maenporth Beach is 3 miles away and the beaches in Falmouth such as Swanpool, Gyllyngvase and Castle Beach are all about 20 minutes by car.
We hope you are able to come and stay with us.
There are more places to choose from in the Mawnan Smith area.
PRICE RANGE
S$184 - S$408 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
budock vean falmouth
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandCornwallFalmouthMawnan Smith
NUMBER OF ROOMS
50
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