Is Budva worth including?
Budva is not the wrong answer; it is the wrong answer for the wrong traveller. Go for beaches, nightlife and a busier coast mood, but do not expect the calm, old-stone Montenegro people imagine from Kotor.
Answer
Budva is useful when you want an easy beach base, a social coast, restaurants, bars and a stronger summer-holiday machine. It is less useful if you came for still water, stone villages and quiet evenings. The old town has charm, but the wider Budva experience is much more commercial than the Bay of Kotor fantasy. That can be exactly the point for some travellers. For others, it is the stop that makes Montenegro feel less special than it is. The planning move is simple: include Budva for energy, not because every coastal itinerary needs it.