Hotels in Bude

There are 31 hotels published on BritStays for the Bude area, and the great majority of them — 25 — sit in Bude itself. The rest are scattered outwards: two at Bideford, one each at Okehampton, Camelford, Lifton and one listed simply under Cornwall. That shape tells you something useful before you even start comparing rooms. If you want to walk to the sea, you book Bude. If you want quiet, a car and somewhere to come back to after a long day out, the outlying handful are worth a look.

What this set of hotels actually includes

Read the names and you'll notice the category is loosely drawn. Alongside clear hotels such as Elements Hotel, Eagle House Hotel, The Beach at Bude Hotel, Riverside Hotel and Restaurant, White Hart Hotel and Hartland Quay Hotel, the same set includes East Thorne Yurts, Penstowe Holiday Park, Sandymouth Holiday Park, Anglers Paradise Holidays and Adventure International. Those aren't conventional hotel rooms, so check the property's own description carefully rather than assuming a reception desk, breakfast and daily housekeeping. It's an easy thing to get wrong when you're booking quickly on a phone.

Facility data across the 31 is thin, which is worth knowing rather than worrying about. WiFi is listed on seven, a bar on two, and sea views on just one — The Beach at Bude Hotel, which lists both a bar and sea views. Adventure International lists a bar and WiFi; Eagle House Hotel lists WiFi. The absence of a tick doesn't mean the absence of the facility, it usually means nobody has filled it in. If WiFi matters for work, or you want a bar you can sit in rather than drive to, email or ring and ask before you pay.

Coast or countryside

Bude is the obvious coastal base, and with 25 of the hotels there you have real choice on street, style and budget. Names like The Beach at Bude Hotel, Riverside Hotel and Restaurant and Hartland Quay Hotel point towards water in one form or another. Anyone wanting the softer, greener version of this trip should look at Lewtrenchard Manor at Okehampton, or the single listings at Camelford and Lifton — all better suited to people happy to drive to the sand.

Bideford, with two hotels including New Inn Hotel, is a sensible compromise if your plans pull north as well as south.

Families, couples and dog owners

None of the 31 listings states how many people it sleeps, so family groups should treat room configuration as the first question to ask, not the last. Be specific: two adults plus two children in one room, or interconnecting, or two rooms side by side. The holiday-park-style entries such as Sandymouth Holiday Park and Penstowe Holiday Park may offer more floor space per booking than a traditional hotel room, which can suit a longer stay with children.

Couples looking for an evening that doesn't involve going out again will be drawn to the properties listing a bar, or to Riverside Hotel and Restaurant and White Hart Hotel, where the names suggest food and drink on site — confirm serving arrangements when you book, particularly out of season.

Dog owners should know that no pet policy is recorded for any of these hotels on this page. Don't infer from the type of property. Ask in writing, and ask the specifics too: charge per dog, whether dogs can be left in the room, and whether they're allowed in the bar or dining area.

What to do once you're there

Upper Tamar Water Sports Centre is the attraction listed within Bude itself, and Flowrider Cornwall, Screech Owl Sanctuary and Spingfields Fun Park and Pony Centre are listed more broadly under Cornwall. The Milky Way Adventure Park is the main theme park landmark for the region and the obvious wet-weather insurance policy with children.

• Museum of British Surfing and Braunton and District Museum — both listed under Woolacombe, so plan them as a day out rather than a morning stroll.
• Combe Martin Museum — listed under Ilfracombe.
• The Tamar Valley Donkey Park — listed under Looe.

Check opening days directly with each attraction; several are seasonal in this part of the country.

When to book

With only 31 hotels and most of them in one small coastal town, school holidays and surf-season weekends go first. For July and August, or any bank holiday, book several months ahead and expect the sea-view and bar-equipped options to disappear earliest. Spring and autumn midweek stays can usually be picked up far later.

Whenever you book, do three things: get the room's occupancy confirmed in writing, ask what's actually open on site during your dates, and note the cancellation deadline in your calendar the day you pay.