Between its gorgeous beaches, incredible foodie hotspots and stunning historical landmarks, visiting Cornwall is a no-brainer. But while a Cornwall holiday can be an easy decision, choosing what kind of accommodation is right for you can be a little trickier.
As you’d expect from a tourist paradise, Cornwall has more than its fair share of hotels, B&Bs and self-catered holiday homes to choose from. Each has their pros and cons, so choosing which is the right one for your stay ultimately comes down to what you’re looking for in a holiday space.
What do you want to do about food?
Whenever you go on holiday, food is always one of the biggest considerations. You’re there to unwind and enjoy your surroundings – you don’t want to keep cutting into that with having to figure out where you’re going to find food three times a day.
What kind of accommodation you choose can have a big impact here. If you stay in a hotel, you’re obviously going to be spending a lot of time eating out – while you might have breakfast on offer, especially if you’re in a B&B, tracking down lunch and dinner will have to be something you factor in each day.
The plus side to that is that you don’t have to do anything of the mental chore of preparing all of your own meals – deciding what to make, buying ingredients, taking time out of your holiday to prepare and cook everything. So long as you don’t have any arguments over who wants to eat where each night, a hotel or B&B might be for you.
But it’s worth pointing out that while self-catering sounds like you’ll be doing all your meal prep yourself, that’s not really true. For one, having your own kitchen to cook in doesn’t stop you from eating out if you want to, or getting in a delicious local takeaway. You could even hire a caterer or private chef to cook in your kitchen, giving you a restaurant experience without having to head out.
What self-catering accommodation really provides is the flexibility to choose how you want to eat. If you’ve got fussy eaters or dietary requirements, your own kitchen takes away the pain of finding restaurants that cater for everyone.
Consider what space and flexibility you need
If you’re travelling alone, a hotel can be ideal – you get your own little oasis with everything you need in one room, and everything taken care of.
But as soon as you add other people into the equation – whether that’s your partner and kids or your dearest friends – that all changes. A hotel room means sharing the same space and the same bedtime routine with everyone. And if you get separate rooms to keep your own space, that then means it’s harder to socialise if you want to without heading to somewhere public like a restaurant or the hotel bar.
With self-catered accommodation, you can find something of a happy medium. At Kilden Mor, for example, you have three ensuite bedrooms available together with a sitting room, a dining and breakfast area, a private outdoor terrace and a TV and games room. Everyone can have their own room and a place to find quiet and privacy if they need it, as well as someone to hang out together without sitting amongst strangers.
That means you can put the kids to bed at their usual time, and still stay up for a glass of wine or some stargazing in the hot tub. Or if you’re visiting with friends and want to hit the hay first, it means you can get the rest you need without everyone else having to call it a night too or decamp to the hotel bar to give you some quiet.
And because you have the accommodation to yourself, you don’t have to spend your holiday worrying about your kids disturbing people by running in the hallways or misbehaving at breakfast.
What about facilities and concierge services?
One of the biggest draws of choosing a hotel stay is the facilities you can have right at your door. Of course, you don’t want to spend every day inside the hotel – especially when you’re visiting somewhere like Cornwall with stunning coastal walks, historic landmarks and hidden gems to discover. But having luxuries like a swimming pool, creche service or cinema on hand never hurts!
However, it’s definitely worth pointing out that hotels don’t have a monopoly on luxuries. As we’ve already mentioned, our own self-catered home comes with a hot tub and a cosy film and games room all ready for you to make the most of.
There’s also the value of a concierge service to keep in mind. If you’re visiting the area for the first time, there’s nothing like having someone at reception who can point out the best things to do with your kids nearby or what local culture hotspots are waiting to be discovered.
Almost any hotel or B&B will have a concierge service on hand to ask if you need any tips or advice on what to see. But once again, don’t rule out the idea of a self-catering option with its own concierge service – at Kilden Mor its something most of our guests take advantage of. So if getting a sense of local flavour is important for your Cornwall stay, make sure you look out for places that have someone on hand to answer any questions you have.