Last week we went on our first ever family holiday, eek!
Having already dropped the dogs at their holiday home (bye bye Lily and Lou Lou), we set off for Wales.
We were very excited and couldn’t wait to get going!
We had a really straightforward journey, stopping en route for lunch and arriving at Bluestone Wales just after 3pm.
WHAT IS BLUESTONE?
Bluestone Wales is a large resort of wooden lodges (and some traditional stone cottages) set in the stunning Pembrokeshire National Park. With its own village, shops, a grill, pub, bakery, spa and a play area, it could be mistaken for a cute seaside village.
Set a short distance from the central hub of the village is the Adventure Centre and the Blue Lagoon swimming complex. There is a bus running up and down site, but we never seemed to time it right to be able to catch it.
There truly is something for all the family at Bluestone; from the outdoor play area, soft play at the Adventure Centre and organised activities like messy play and Baby/Toddler sense. Older children can be entertained with climbing, archery and even ravine crossing! For the whole family there is the swimming pool, with wave machine, rapids, flumes and also a lovely separate toddler area (with a little slide). The setting is beautiful and there are many walks on site. Or if you prefer you can hire bikes and explore a little further.
OUR LODGE
I had obviously looked on line at the Bluestone site beforehand to see what our accommodation would look like. Even so, I was really pleased when we arrived at our lodge. It was a fabulous detached Gateholm Lodge in Preseli View; with three bedrooms (one double and two twins) which could sleep six. There was an en-suite (with a shower over the bath) attached to the double bedroom and a separate bathroom (with just a shower) off the hallway. I know some of the accommodation only has showers, so if you have little ones it might be worth checking you have a bath in the lodge you book.
Family bathroom
En-suite
The double room had double doors opening onto the patio area, which was complete with picnic table. We didn’t spend any time out there, but if we had visited during warmer months, I think we would have lived out there as it was so peaceful.
Linen and towels were included and the lodge really did have a luxury feel, the lovely heated towel rails helped! Each bedroom had a wardrobe (with hangers), chest of drawers and at least one bedside table. So there was lots of space to stash your things.
The interior of the lodge was very clean with modern fixtures and decor. To make the most of the views the living/dining area was upstairs, with the bedrooms and bathrooms making up the ground level. The living space was open plan with a fully equipped kitchen (dishwasher, fridge, small freezer compartment, cooker, microwave, extract fan), dining room with a large wooden table big enough to seat six plus room for highchairs, and a living room space with two three seater leather couches, coffee table and TV. One highchair and travel cot was standard in the lodge, any additional ones could be hired.
The dining area proved to be Baby’s favourite place to do a spot of her own blogging.
The view from our lodge.
Left for us on arrival was a small kitchen starter pack with a tiny bottle of washing up liquid, 3 dishwasher tablets, a cloth, a sponge and a tea towel.
We had just settled in and I received a text from my friend Katie, to say that her husband had forgotten to pack one of their daughters cases. Relaying the story to Mr Hubby, I saw the colour drain from his face, as he admitted he had forgotten to pack BOTH of Baby’s cases and consequently ALL her clothes. After the little bit of stress and a trip to Tesco, we were sorted for the night and spent the following day buying her a new wardrobe in NEXT! Silver linings!
DINING
You can obviously make the most of the kitchen and cook meals in your lodge. Before you arrive you can select your shopping and have it waiting in the lodge for you. The village shop is handy for anything you have run out of, but is not the place for a bargain. Or you can drive to Haverfordwest and stock up at the Morrisons or Tesco (a 20 minute drive).
On site you have these options of places to eat;
Millers Bakery – We stopped in here when we arrived before we could get into the lodge at 4.30pm. They do a lovely cup of tea and Baby approved of the milkshakes. You will find everything you would expect from a bakery, with a little indoor seating area and a larger area outside.
The WildWood Cafe – is part of a wooden treehouse in the adventure centre. For light bites, jackets, burgers, sandwiches and is also the venue for the ‘Once Upon a Time’ themed dinner shows.
Camp Smokey – A rustic woodland diner at the bottom of a ravine. This place looks amazing, however due to the weather conditions it was not open when we stayed.
Carreg Las – For fine dining in your posh togs.
The Knights Tafarn – This is the onsite pub in the centre of the village.
Baby perusing the menu!
We were pleasantly surprised by both of the meals we had in here. Great quality ingredients too. The children’s meals were huge – that is Baby’s sausage and mash! You can even get a dessert to take away…. just saying…
The Fish Shack – A waterside cafe in the Blue Lagoon Water Park.
Takeaway delivered to your lodge – There will be a £3 delivery charge if your order is below £20, but they do deliver drinks too.
Caffi Môr – Situated in the Well Spa, ideal for a drink and light snack between treatments.
The Farmhouse Grill – Offering a grill menu and a Sunday carvery.
ACTIVITIES
- Adventure Centre – This is fantastic and includes soft play, crazy golf, a bouncy castle, climbing walls, arcade machines and a giant tree house. There are also rooms where activities such as messy play take place.
- The Blue Lagoon – This swimming pool is fantastic. There are flumes for older children (over 1.1m)/grown ups and a special shallow toddler pool with a mini slide.
Photo courtesy of Bluestone
- Bear in mind the wave machine is quite full on if you are holding little ones! Our favourite thing was the lazy river that took you outside the building, along the back and then back in. Obviously it was freezing when we went, but I thought I would just see how Baby coped (keeping our shoulders well under the water). I needn’t have worried, from the moment we burst through the plastic curtain and were hit in the face by the icy blast, Baby was in her element. So much so, I had to go round seven times! I didn’t mind though as the look of pure elation on her face each time the cold air hit us was worth it! There was an outdoor decked area with loungers, which you could access from the lazy river.
- Outdoor play area – Set in the centre of the village, it features tunnels, rope bridges, swings and slides. Baby wanted to investigate as soon as we arrived.
There are also countless outdoor and indoor activities, all of which are detailed here. We booked Baby into a messy play session, which cost £7 (for an hour). We don’t really do much messy play at home so we were keen for her to give it a go. There were a few different stations, with a variety of messy play things on them, cake making ingredients, jelly and custard, paint. However, Baby just wanted to do the washing up!
- Meet friends! We were so lucky that when we stayed two of my lovely blogging friends where there too. It was so lovely to have a tea party with Hannah, Katie (Dave!) and their lovely kiddos. I also briefly met Michelle and Emma in passing during our stay.
HANDY EXTRAS
- Bluestone offers a pre-bookable baby sitting service. All the staff are experienced, trained and CRB checked.
- There is a crèche in the adventure centre, so you can have some adult time if you chose to.
ADULT ACTIVITIES
- The Well Spa – Situated in the heart of the village the Well Spa is equipped with a range of thermal rooms and you can book a massage or another treatment before relaxing in the plunge pool. More details on our spa experience coming soon.
GETTING AROUND THE SITE
Reading up before we arrived at Bluestone, we knew you could hire bikes or a golf buggy to get around. We opted to see how it went and not pre-book anything. Everywhere is easily walkable, but there are lots of hills, BIG hills. So it is definitely something to consider if someone in your party has a mobility problem.
MAKE SURE YOU PACK
- Cling film/Kitchen roll
- Salt, pepper, oil, ketchup etc
- Bin bags (you get two, but we used more)
- Toilet rolls (you are given one toilet roll per bathroom)
- Cleaning spray
- Children’s cutlery/plates
- Washing up liquid and dishwasher tablets (we coped with what was in the starter pack but depends on the size of your family).
- Tea/Coffee/Sugar and all your usual supplies/food
- Extra towels if you plan to swim
- Cot bed mattress
ACTIVITIES NEAR TO BLUESTONE?
There is so much to do on site that you don’t really need to leave. However, we had a recommendation to visit Tenby, so on our last full day we headed there to explore. It is less than 15 miles from the resort, so you don’t waste time travelling. We fell in love with the beach at Tenby and I wrote about that here.
Other local attractions are Folly Farm, which has a vintage fun fair, zoo animals, indoor and outdoor adventure play. Anna’s Welsh Zoo also looks like a great place to visit.
WHERE THERE ANY NEGATIVES?
We had such a fabulous holiday, however there were a couple of small things that could have been better.
- Travel cot – We were told there would we a travel cot as standard in the room. After a good search we discovered there wasn’t one in our lodge. I called the customer care line and was told it would be in a wardrobe (which it wasn’t), then they agreed to send someone down with one. As you cannot get into your lodge until 4.30pm and Baby’s usual bedtime is 6pm, we were keen for it to be delivered. I called another two times to be assured it was on it’s way. The final time I called was after 6pm, so I had to call security. It was delivered around 6.30pm, by which time Baby had started to melt down. There was no mattress, which we needed in order to use our monitor, so the lovely man that dropped it off went to get us a mattress pad. This did mean that it was 7.30pm by the time her bed was ready for her.
- Stair gate downstairs – There was a stair gate on the bottom (and top) and the stairs. The one on the bottom was retractable. Unfortunately. it wouldn’t pull out and so couldn’t be used. I am sure it would have been fixed, but we didn’t find time to report it.
- Cupboards – As the parents of a VERY inquisitive toddler, we spent a great deal of time telling her to get out of the cupboards, moving crockery and holding cupboard doors shut. For us, it would have been wonderful to have child locks on the doors. However, I do appreciate this wouldn’t be an issue for the majority of people. It just meant for us, we were constantly chasing after her.
- Plug sockets – In the same vein, there were lots of exposed plug sockets. It would have been fabulous to have plug socket guards in place.
- Nappy bin – There was no outside bin so all dirty nappies had to be kept in the lodge and then walked to the bin park a few seconds walk from the lodge. We did spot a burst nappy bag and strewn nappy one morning. I imagine someone popped it outside their lodge and an animal attacked it. I know lots of outside bins would potentially spoil the aesthetics, but it would be handy for parents of younger children.
- Swimming – There were a couple of rules that didn’t affect us, but could affect others visiting. Bluestone insist on a child to parent ratio of 1:1 (for all children under four) when swimming. Baby is an only child, but there are many circumstances where this could be an issue. Also all children under 4 years old are required to wear a swim nappy even if they are fully potty trained. Baby isn’t potty trained yet, but I can imagine trying to wrestle her into a swim nappy if she had been potty trained for any length of time might be a challenge.
OUR VERDICT?
We loved it! There were a few small issues (highlighted above) but nothing that would have prevented us from enjoying ourselves. The staff were friendly, the onsite food was great and there was lots to keep us all occupied. The site wide wifi was a great bonus. It is very hilly, so if you have mobility issues or children of a young age, you might want to hire a golf buggy. Even though this would have been nice, it didn’t take us that long to get anywhere, even with Baby insisting she walked… We all know a tired toddler walk is not a quick walk! Especially when she insists on pushing her pram…
We had a lovely first family holiday and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bluestone to anyone looking for a fabulous UK break.
We would like to say a massive thank you to Bluestone for inviting us!
Disclosure: We were given a four night break in return for an honest review.
Comments 89
so glad yoU had a good time, and so lovely you got to meet up with other bloggers! Really helpful tips which I’ll have to remember for when we go in March! Xx
Author
You will have a wonderful time, I know it. I wish we were going back in March it’s Baby’s 2nd birthday xx
Sounds like you had a great time! Accommodation looks good, and it seems like a great place for families too. x
Author
It is fantastic x
I grew up in West Wales so know that the area is very beautiful, It looks like a perfect family getaway I need to put this on the list of places to visit! xx
Author
You should it is so great! xx
It looks great! Thanks for the packing tips – we’re visiting in March so that’s definitely handy. Also I’d never have bothered with a swim nappy for Wonderboy – a bit strange that’s required but we’ll see how we get on.
Glad you enjoyed your first family holiday! x
Author
I think as long as you are aware, a friend that went didn’t know and so didn’t have any nappies. Thanks hun x
It looks really lovely there and I really like the idea that it is all contained so you don’t have to travel far if you don’t want to once you are there.
Author
It is such a wonderful place, highly recommended x
Aw it looks absolutely lovely with so much to do. Love your photos and really pleased you had such a great first holiday. Brilliant review.
Author
Thanks hun. It was such a fab holiday x
WOW……What a fabulous time you had. I must say i am in love with those little boots and the final picture looks so angelic. Glad you had fun and thanks so much for sharing. xxxx
Author
Ah thanks huni! It was awesome, something we couldn’t do at the moment without this blog, so I am very grateful xxx
Wow – what a beautiful place. The cottage looks so clean and well organised. So many activities to keep children busy. This certainly looks like a place I would love to stay.
Author
It was such a great holiday x
It sounds like you had a fantastic first family holiday! Love the look of the accommodation and food! There looks like there is lots to keep little ones busy too.
Author
It is such a wonderful place. I hope we can return x
We went there last year, it’s great isn’t it! xx
Author
Fabulous! xx
Wow Aby it looks great- so much to do for little ones. My kids would love the adventure playgrounds and soft play. And the little restaurants and shops look so quaint. It sounds like it was a fab holiday and you deserve it- what a great review and round up! xx
Author
Thank you so much huni. We had a wonderful time! We wouldn’t have been able to go away at the moment without my blog, so I am so glad we got this opportunity xx
So much to do there! We holiday in Tenby a fair bit so we have visited Bluestone, but I’d really love to stay there. Sounds fab x
Author
I am sure you would all love it x
Wow, that looks like a great plce to go for a break with the family. I love all the brightly painted buildings
Author
Such a fun place to spend time x
We’ve never been but we haven’t decided where we’re going on our family holiday this year and Wales is in the running. It looks really lovely. I’ll be sending this link to the husband 🙂
Author
I hope you book, you will have a wonderful time x
It sounds like you had a really lovely break. We went November 2013 and are going again in May, can’t wait! x
Author
It was fab, I hope we can go again x
Brilliant review hun! Awesome photos!
We went in November – Its such a beautiful place isn’t it. Would love to go again in the Summer I bet its even better.
Glad you guys had a goof time.
Thanks for sharing,
Charlotte x
Author
Thanks so much huni. Glad you liked it x
Very thorough review with lots of useful info that you wouldn’t find elsewhere. We’ve looked at Bluestone before but haven’t made it yet, it’s on our list though! I’m always a bit panicky until I know that the cot etc has been remembered in the places we stay in so I can understand your frustration. I get the 1:1 ratio for the swimming pool (our local pool has the same rule) but I’m surprised at the swim nappy rule, I would have to pretend that S is 4! That said, it looks like you had a fantastic family break with great activities etc.
Author
Thanks so much, I am glad it was helpful and that you enjoyed reading it x
Looks like a real gem of a place! So many things to do too! Thanks for sharing your experience =) #sharewithme
Author
It is a fabulous holiday destination x
I’ve heard so many good things about Bluestone, I’d love to go!
Author
Such a lovely place x
What a thorough review. I enjoyed reading about you time x
Author
Thank you huni, glad you liked it x
Such a good review! I enjoyed reading and these days I rarely do as they usually bore me. The views say everything really nice and the places around keep everyone entertained.. great getaway in the end x
Author
Wow thanks so much. I am glad you enjoyed reading, it is such a great place x
Superb review and what a wonderful place to visit
So glad you had such a great first holiday. We are just thinking now about our first holiday with Ted so this was really useful. The pics look great 🙂
Author
I am sure you would love it there, so much to do. x
Looks like you had a wonderful time. Definitely like the idea of a spa and babysitting service. Wales isn’t far from me so think I may have to try it out at some point with my lot 🙂
Author
You should definitely check it out x
My kids would not want to leave the lagoon swimming pool – they are now tall enough to take full advantage of it too!
Author
It was great fun x
It looks like a lovely place all round. We don’t have passports so we always holiday in the UK.
Author
It is a great place for all the family x
It looks gorgeous there and I love the pretty buildings, it definitely looks like there’s a real village feel to it. Definitely one to add to the list of ‘must visits’
Author
It is so pretty x
Sounds like a fab place, I may have to get a visit booked for when my step son is with us in his school holidays it sounds like both my little boy and my 10 year old step son would love it. Love your tips on what to take as I definitely wouldn’t think about things like that before hand #TheList
Author
Thanks hun, glad it was helpful x
What a wonderful holiday you all had! Sounds and looks like it was amazing. I can’t believe how much there is to do there – a must when you’ve got little ones who need entertaining!
I love the village feel to it and the fact that although you have your own lodge, everything else is at hand. Genius! And so important when you have little ones as we all know unforeseen things do happen and cause chaos.
Lovely post. Hope you all created some beautiful memories as a family x
P.S The takeaway idea is genius too! When can i check in?! 😉
This looks like a great place and it looks like you had a fantastic time =)
Loving Baby’s swimming costume hehe
Author
So cute isn’t it, I was actually quite happy Mr Hubby forgot her cases and we had to buy new 🙂 x
What a great review Abi, Bluestones looks lovely and very tranquil, the activity centre looks fantastic x
Author
Thanks huni. It is a really wonderful place x
Looks like you had a fab time! Loads to do there it seems. V useful tips and list of things to take (useful for any trip like this really) Love the pic of your baby nosing in the kitchen drawers 🙂 x
Author
It was really great thanks huni x
The kids play areas and the pool look great fun, and your lodge looks fab. It’s a shame you had a few tiny problems. The last thing you want on your first night is a bedtime meltdown that could have been avoided! Overall, it looks like it was a great place for your first family holiday x
Author
It was just an error, so although inconvenient it didn’t really affect our holiday. It was still a really lovely break x
Really thorough review Aby and thank you for the helpful tips. Will add those things you mentioned on to my packing list.
So pleased you had a great time. :))
#TheList
Jenna xx
Author
Thanks huni, glad it was helpful xx
The lodge you stayed in looked lovely – ours was a little small for all of us but we managed, Love Bluestone and would love to return when its warmer
Author
It was really lovely x
Ah, Bluestone is such an amazing place. We had a wonderful time here two years ago. You are right about the lack of bins for nappies. We found that a real problem during our stay – given how many young families staying here, you would have thought they would have sorted it out by now! #thelist
Author
Yes it is just a little thing, but we are used to an outside wheelie bin for the smelly ones! x
This looks fab! Will definitely look into going here in the summer.
Author
It was a wonderful holiday. Oh you should you would love it x
Great review! It looks like a great, family place and so much to do!
I love the picture of Tenby beach
Author
Thanks so much. Such a lovely place x
Wow Aby this looks absolutely amazing. I saw a few bloggers got to go. I have never heard of it before but from your lovely review it looks like my two kids would be in high heaven for sure. Lovely post and captures. Thank you ever so much for linking up to Share With Me. #sharewithme
Looks amazing. My boss goes twice a year with her 5 children and absolutely loves it! Great review x
Author
Thank you huni, it is such a fab place x
It looks amazing. I’m so sad we couldn’t go on our break.
Glad you all had a wonderful time
Author
Thank you huni. Such a shame you couldn’t go x
Fab review, looks lovely, shame we couldn’t make it work for us to review due to my blogging commitments, love your shots as always. Thanks for linking up to #brilliantblogposts
Author
It was really lovely, thanks huni. Shame you couldn’t make it work x
I WANT TO GO! That is all I need to say… looking online in my next tab 😉
Author
Oooh exciting, I am sure you would love it, such a wonderful place x
Looks like you had a lovely time, what a great balanced review too. Baby looks like she had a lot of fun as well. I can relate to what you say about cot & locks etc. I took our toddler away this week, just for a couple of days to stay with family without locks, stair gates and precious items everywhere – I was forever chasing after him! 😉 Think we could do with a Bluestone holiday too – what an amazing array of activities, a great break it seems 🙂 xx
Author
Thanks, I am glad you liked the review. She is just a bit of a nightmare and into EVERYTHING so she did keep us on our toes. Such a fabulous place xx
Fab review lovely. Sounds like you had lots of fun. We’re off to Bluestone in March so looking forward to experiencing it ourselves. Have made a note of the extras to take, thanks so much! Xxx
Author
Thanks huni. You will have a ball! xxx
This is a great review Aby, We are going in May so reading this post has made me even more excited! I love Baby’s pink fluffy jumper, I want one myself!
xx
Author
Oh me too! You will have a wonderful time! xx