A Mini Break at The Vale Hotel, Wales

Whether it be near or far a mini break as a family is always something we look forward too especially when its in such a beautiful location of that of The Vale Hotel which has so much greenery surrounding it. The Vale Hotel and Resort is only around a 20 minute drive from Cardiff city centre yet you instantly leave that busy city life behind you for a far more tranquil spot. This hotel is very popular spot with Golfers and those looking for somewhere that is stylish and relaxing but with easy access to both the city, coastline and beautiful boutique towns such as Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan.

We have actually been to the Vale Hotel a few times before as wedding guests or to use their amazing gym and spa facilities but we have never actually stayed the night so I was really interested to see what it was like having a little bit longer here instead of our previous flying visits. This time of course we also had the kids with us and as they actively encourage families to visit so it was also good to see what family friendly facilities they had on offer.

The reception area is very spacious, spotless and impressive and our check-in was swift with the staff being very friendly and welcoming to both boys offering them some colouring-in packs to take with us to our room. We were given a family room on the ground floor in what felt like a very quiet part of the hotel which was probably best as the boys were very excited (and a little noisy). Our bedroom was more than big enough for a family, in fact it easily could of slept 5 with a large kingsize bed, roll-out bed and a double sofa bed we were spoilt for choice when it came to sleeping arrangements. 

What I love most about hotels is the small details because those are often the ones you remember such as the crisp laid out towels with little chocolate biscuits on each one, the bottles of sparking water and the cute soft toy dragons they left for each of the kids. 

I have to say when it came to our room my favourite part was the bathroom with it's beautiful modern roll top bath and toiletries from The White Company. My eldest also loves nothing more than a big bubble bath so of course this had to happen.

We had also kindly been invited to try out The Vale Grill for a 3 course evening meal, so in the afternoon before supper I decided to take my youngest out for a walk in the grounds and explore a little outside and hopefully run off a little steam before sitting down to eat. It was lovely and peaceful and we didn't actually see anyone else on our walk and the views across the gold course are beautiful.

We headed over to the Vale Grill early evening and the restaurant was large and filled with natural light from the large windows over looking the lake golf course. We opted for a South African (of course) bottle of red while deciding on what to eat as every dish sounded amazing. In the end I went for the vegetarian soup as a starter and John has the Feta and Spinach Filo parcels which were equally divine and just the right size leaving more than enough space for the main. The kids menu also offers up some favourites with little twists and lots of options for healthier swaps as well.

For the main I had the Light pastry croustade of Provecal Vegetables, I really didn't know what to expect as sometimes vegetarian mains like this can be heavy but this wasn't the case at all, the pastry was very light and the creamed leek and parsley sauce worked really well. John went for a far meatier option of the 24hr Slow cooked honey Glazed Pork Belly with bok choi, Japanese baby apples and apricot puree which I am told was very good.

Of course we also opted for some dessert with my youngest having big bowl of fruit salad and my eldest diving into some homemade ice-cream while John went for the apple tart and I tried the Apricot Frangipane Tart with poached apricots and was a lovely way to finish the meal. Both of the kids up until this point had been pretty good with the help of some crayons, puzzles and books (and near the end some YouTube as the restaurant was starting to get busy & they were getting very restless).

What we discovered on our way out was next to the bar is a kids room with some toys and a wooden kitchen space and long blackboard wall of colouring. We decided to have a little wine spritzer while the kids had some fun and John and I actually got to sit down and talk for a few minutes uninterrupted and now we know this exists we may pop into the Vale Bar for a light bite in the future.

From the moment we arrived the kids were made to feel welcome and even though it is a luxury hotel it incorporates families really well. There is also a fantastic pool and gym available for hotel guests and if you have time and want some down time they offer a whole array of spa treatments and of course you could also have a round of golf.

This is the perfect spot for visiting and exploring the area as a family but also if you want some down time and a night out as a couple. They are also going to be having a special Fathers Day lunch on the 18th of June if your looking for somewhere special to take the whole family.

Thanks to the Vale Hotel for inviting us to come and stay, views are 100% our own