If 5 years ago (about a year after I had my first child) someone would have suggested that I would be going on a break to Butlins I would have laughed in their face. I'll be honest and say that it never appealed to me even when I became a parent and that their name/old reputation had put me off. It was recently when my children would watch the TV advert and beg us to take them there that we finally caved in and booked a 3 night stay over February half term.
We had booked a basic accommodation with no dining package but Butlins kindly offered to upgrade us to one of the West Lakes riverside view chalets along with a dining package which including breakfast and dinner.
We arrived around 7.30pm on the Friday night so it was quite late in the day. We were greeted by friendly and welcoming staff at reception who made checking in swift and stress free. They gave detailed instructions of how to find our chalet, where to park and a brief overview of the resort which was very handy.
Accommodation:
I have already reviewed our chalet in a separate blog post which you can read by clicking through here, West Lakes Chalets at Butlins Minehead. Spoiler alert though, we thought it was fantastic.
Food:
Our dining package included breakfast and dinner at The Deck restaurant which was a buffet. I'm not sure why but whenever I think of a buffet I automatically think it's not going to be great. I couldn't have been more wrong here. Both the breakfast and dinner had so much choice.
First up the staff were wonderful. There was never a problem getting a table and there were a couple of drinks stations so you were never far from anything.
Breakfast consisted of lots of different things from hot to cold. You could also have freshly made omelettes, pancakes/waffles and also a hot sandwich (which was one of my personal favourites). There was also fruit, yogurt, cheeses etc.
There was a coffee machine which served various coffees and hot chocolate. You could also have water, squash or juice.
Dinner had something that everyone would like. There was Chinese, indian, British food, Roast Dinner and more. The kids also had a good choice with plenty of meat and vegetables plus chicken nuggets, burgers etc. Drinks were the same as what was offered in the morning.
The only complaint I had with the meal plan was that the dinner service finished at 7.30pm which sometimes was a bit too early for us. The night we arrived we couldn't use our meal plan as we didn't get there in time as we checked in late in the evening so we had to buy ourselves a meal instead at one of the restaurants.
If you don't have a meal plan there are quite a few restaurants you can choose from so there's plenty of choice available.
Entertainment
The entertainment was fantastic. There were things going on throughout the day and the evening. There were meet and greets with characters and children's shows in the day. Littlest loved the Teletubbies show.
In the evening there were various shows such as concerts, comedy and more. On our last night we went to the silent cinema which was a great concept.
Activities
There are lots of activities on offer for children every day. The majority of them are included in your stay but some are payable. My girls went to a few crafting sessions and archery.They loved both. During the crafting sessions was the quietest we'd seen them all weekend.
There are plenty of parks dotted around the site. There was also crazy golf, a climbing wall and a high ropes area.
We also hired a family bike type thing (sorry I have no idea what it's called). It cost £10 for 1 hour. The kids had a great time but I didn't think it was worth how much we'd paid for it.
Swimming Pool
The swimming pool was great. There were slides, plenty of swimming space, toddler areas and a wave machine. There was often very big queues for entry when the pool first opened in the morning so we tended to go in the middle of the afternoon when it was less busy and crowded.
The only thing I didn't like was the communal changing rooms. This is down to personal preference rather than there being anything wrong with them.
Funfair
One of the best bits of the whole trip was the fun fair and the toddler fun fair. We all had a great time and both areas are included in your break so you can ride everything as many times as you liked.
The toddler funfair is inside which is ideal if the weather isn't on your side. There was also a soft play area which we didn't get around to using.
Staff
One thing that I've been wax lyrical about is the staff. Every single member of staff that we encountered from the cleaners to the red coats were wonderful. They were all happy, approachable and professional. They couldn't do enough for you. It's testament to Butlins as a company as they all seemed very happy in their jobs.
To sum up I am a Butlins convert. As a family we loved every minute of it so much so the girls cried their eyes out when they realised we had to leave. We've already been pricing up future breaks as we are desperate to return.
*Disclaimer - We had already paid for a Butlins break but they offered us an upgrade in accommodation and a dining package in exchange for our review. All words and views are my honest opinion.*
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We had booked a basic accommodation with no dining package but Butlins kindly offered to upgrade us to one of the West Lakes riverside view chalets along with a dining package which including breakfast and dinner.
We arrived around 7.30pm on the Friday night so it was quite late in the day. We were greeted by friendly and welcoming staff at reception who made checking in swift and stress free. They gave detailed instructions of how to find our chalet, where to park and a brief overview of the resort which was very handy.
Accommodation:
I have already reviewed our chalet in a separate blog post which you can read by clicking through here, West Lakes Chalets at Butlins Minehead. Spoiler alert though, we thought it was fantastic.
Food:
Our dining package included breakfast and dinner at The Deck restaurant which was a buffet. I'm not sure why but whenever I think of a buffet I automatically think it's not going to be great. I couldn't have been more wrong here. Both the breakfast and dinner had so much choice.
First up the staff were wonderful. There was never a problem getting a table and there were a couple of drinks stations so you were never far from anything.
Breakfast consisted of lots of different things from hot to cold. You could also have freshly made omelettes, pancakes/waffles and also a hot sandwich (which was one of my personal favourites). There was also fruit, yogurt, cheeses etc.
There was a coffee machine which served various coffees and hot chocolate. You could also have water, squash or juice.
Dinner had something that everyone would like. There was Chinese, indian, British food, Roast Dinner and more. The kids also had a good choice with plenty of meat and vegetables plus chicken nuggets, burgers etc. Drinks were the same as what was offered in the morning.
The only complaint I had with the meal plan was that the dinner service finished at 7.30pm which sometimes was a bit too early for us. The night we arrived we couldn't use our meal plan as we didn't get there in time as we checked in late in the evening so we had to buy ourselves a meal instead at one of the restaurants.
If you don't have a meal plan there are quite a few restaurants you can choose from so there's plenty of choice available.
Entertainment
The entertainment was fantastic. There were things going on throughout the day and the evening. There were meet and greets with characters and children's shows in the day. Littlest loved the Teletubbies show.
In the evening there were various shows such as concerts, comedy and more. On our last night we went to the silent cinema which was a great concept.
Activities
There are lots of activities on offer for children every day. The majority of them are included in your stay but some are payable. My girls went to a few crafting sessions and archery.They loved both. During the crafting sessions was the quietest we'd seen them all weekend.
There are plenty of parks dotted around the site. There was also crazy golf, a climbing wall and a high ropes area.
We also hired a family bike type thing (sorry I have no idea what it's called). It cost £10 for 1 hour. The kids had a great time but I didn't think it was worth how much we'd paid for it.
Swimming Pool
The swimming pool was great. There were slides, plenty of swimming space, toddler areas and a wave machine. There was often very big queues for entry when the pool first opened in the morning so we tended to go in the middle of the afternoon when it was less busy and crowded.
The only thing I didn't like was the communal changing rooms. This is down to personal preference rather than there being anything wrong with them.
Funfair
One of the best bits of the whole trip was the fun fair and the toddler fun fair. We all had a great time and both areas are included in your break so you can ride everything as many times as you liked.
The toddler funfair is inside which is ideal if the weather isn't on your side. There was also a soft play area which we didn't get around to using.
Staff
One thing that I've been wax lyrical about is the staff. Every single member of staff that we encountered from the cleaners to the red coats were wonderful. They were all happy, approachable and professional. They couldn't do enough for you. It's testament to Butlins as a company as they all seemed very happy in their jobs.
To sum up I am a Butlins convert. As a family we loved every minute of it so much so the girls cried their eyes out when they realised we had to leave. We've already been pricing up future breaks as we are desperate to return.
*Disclaimer - We had already paid for a Butlins break but they offered us an upgrade in accommodation and a dining package in exchange for our review. All words and views are my honest opinion.*
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If you follow me on instagram then you'll know that over the last half term we had a weekend away, staying at the West Lakes Chalets at Butlins in Minehead. It was a fantastic few days and I'll be going into detail about what we got up to on other posts, so keep an eye out for those. This post is focusing on the accommodation alone.
There are many different types of accommodation available at Butlins Minehead, categorised into value, moderate and premium. We were fortunate enough to stay in a Lakeside Chalet in the West Lakes area.
We arrived at about 7.30pm to check in, which was all very quick and simple. We were handed a map and shown which way to drive to our accommodation and where to park. the parking was not directly next to where we were staying but it was about a 2 minute walk so that wasn't an issue for us. It may be an issue for others with carrying things back and forth from the car but it honestly isn't far too walk.
First impressions of the area and chalet were wonderful. The surrounding area seemed very quiet, peaceful and pretty. From the outside I thought the chalet would be quite small but it wasn't at all. It was like a Tardis. We were staying in a 2 bedroom chalet.
Once through the front door there was a hallway with plenty of coat hanging space and areas to place bags and shoes.
To the left was the master bedroom which had a double bed, plenty of wardrobe space, a TV, hairdryer and iron. The main bathroom was also accessible from the bedroom as well as from the hallway.
The main bathroom was a good size with a bath, shower, toilet and many shelves for placing your toiletries etc. It also had a mini wash bag with some essential products in it.
The other side of the hallway had the 2nd bedroom which was sized well for our 2 children. It had 2 single beds and a small wardrobe and dressing table which was more than adequate for their belongings.
There was also a separate toilet room which was at the end of the hallway, which again had a mini Butlins wash-bag I was pleased to see that 2 toilets were in the chalet as I think it's needed when you're staying as a family.
The lounge/dining area was at the end of the hallway. It's an open plan room with the kitchen to the left and lounge area to the right. It was modern, bright but it still felt very homely and welcoming. The TV had plenty of channels to choose from.
The kitchen area had everything you could need including a dishwasher (essential when you're away on holiday as you don't want to be doing all the chores). All cutlery, pots, pans etc were there. We had a meal plan which including breakfast and dinner so we only used the kitchen area for making lunch and drinks.
We had a small cleaning set which including washing up liquid, tea towel and sponge. There was also tea, coffee, sugar etc provided. My husband said a coffee machine would make a great addition to the kitchen.
The wow factor came from the balcony/veranda area. It was stunning. It was huge in size and provided fantastic views of the lakeside area and other chalets. The girls loved watching the wildlife out there whilst we sat and enjoyed a glass of wine or tea. It would be perfect during hotter weather.
Cleaning was offered at the chalet daily although we only accepted it once.
Overall, we were very impressed. The chalet was more than big enough for a family of 4. It had all the amenities we could need. We felt very comfortable and relaxed. It was quiet and fairly soundproof as we didn't hear our next door neighbours at all (they were definitely there). We loved all the decor and the Butlins vintage prints.
The downside was how far away the West Lakes area was from the main area with all the attractions etc. It was about a 10 minute walk with the kids (would be shorter without them). It's not too far but if you have children who don't like walking then that may be an issue. This could also be seen as a good thing as you're away from all the noise and commotion so I guess it's a catch 22. We did appreciate the quietness of the area.
The other negative for us was that the doors were quite heavy (especially to the living room) but I'm guessing this is because they are fire doors perhaps?
We would definitely stay again, in fact we are pricing up a break over the easter holidays. We would either stay in a West Lakes chalet again or we'd like to try their new premium seaside lodges or bayside apartments which look fantastic.
*We were already booked to go on our break to Butlins but they Kindly upgraded us to this accommodation in exchange for this blog review. All opinions, words and photographs are my own*.
There are many different types of accommodation available at Butlins Minehead, categorised into value, moderate and premium. We were fortunate enough to stay in a Lakeside Chalet in the West Lakes area.
We arrived at about 7.30pm to check in, which was all very quick and simple. We were handed a map and shown which way to drive to our accommodation and where to park. the parking was not directly next to where we were staying but it was about a 2 minute walk so that wasn't an issue for us. It may be an issue for others with carrying things back and forth from the car but it honestly isn't far too walk.
First impressions of the area and chalet were wonderful. The surrounding area seemed very quiet, peaceful and pretty. From the outside I thought the chalet would be quite small but it wasn't at all. It was like a Tardis. We were staying in a 2 bedroom chalet.
Once through the front door there was a hallway with plenty of coat hanging space and areas to place bags and shoes.
To the left was the master bedroom which had a double bed, plenty of wardrobe space, a TV, hairdryer and iron. The main bathroom was also accessible from the bedroom as well as from the hallway.
The main bathroom was a good size with a bath, shower, toilet and many shelves for placing your toiletries etc. It also had a mini wash bag with some essential products in it.
The other side of the hallway had the 2nd bedroom which was sized well for our 2 children. It had 2 single beds and a small wardrobe and dressing table which was more than adequate for their belongings.
There was also a separate toilet room which was at the end of the hallway, which again had a mini Butlins wash-bag I was pleased to see that 2 toilets were in the chalet as I think it's needed when you're staying as a family.
The lounge/dining area was at the end of the hallway. It's an open plan room with the kitchen to the left and lounge area to the right. It was modern, bright but it still felt very homely and welcoming. The TV had plenty of channels to choose from.
The kitchen area had everything you could need including a dishwasher (essential when you're away on holiday as you don't want to be doing all the chores). All cutlery, pots, pans etc were there. We had a meal plan which including breakfast and dinner so we only used the kitchen area for making lunch and drinks.
We had a small cleaning set which including washing up liquid, tea towel and sponge. There was also tea, coffee, sugar etc provided. My husband said a coffee machine would make a great addition to the kitchen.
The wow factor came from the balcony/veranda area. It was stunning. It was huge in size and provided fantastic views of the lakeside area and other chalets. The girls loved watching the wildlife out there whilst we sat and enjoyed a glass of wine or tea. It would be perfect during hotter weather.
Cleaning was offered at the chalet daily although we only accepted it once.
Overall, we were very impressed. The chalet was more than big enough for a family of 4. It had all the amenities we could need. We felt very comfortable and relaxed. It was quiet and fairly soundproof as we didn't hear our next door neighbours at all (they were definitely there). We loved all the decor and the Butlins vintage prints.
The downside was how far away the West Lakes area was from the main area with all the attractions etc. It was about a 10 minute walk with the kids (would be shorter without them). It's not too far but if you have children who don't like walking then that may be an issue. This could also be seen as a good thing as you're away from all the noise and commotion so I guess it's a catch 22. We did appreciate the quietness of the area.
The other negative for us was that the doors were quite heavy (especially to the living room) but I'm guessing this is because they are fire doors perhaps?
We would definitely stay again, in fact we are pricing up a break over the easter holidays. We would either stay in a West Lakes chalet again or we'd like to try their new premium seaside lodges or bayside apartments which look fantastic.
*We were already booked to go on our break to Butlins but they Kindly upgraded us to this accommodation in exchange for this blog review. All opinions, words and photographs are my own*.
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