While we had a good experience overall, there were several areas where the stay could have been improved. The first issue we noticed was with the cleanliness of the pod itself. Our sofa bed smelled strongly of wet dog, despite the fact that we don’t have a dog. This suggests it was left behind by a previous guest and hadn’t been dealt with thoroughly before our arrival. Alongside that, the floor wasn’t spotless – we found dog hairs around, which isn’t what you expect when checking into a “deluxe” pod. Even allowing for the fact that the site is covered in white dust and stones, which inevitably get tracked indoors, the standard of cleaning could definitely have been higher.
The shared facilities, while generally decent, also had their drawbacks. Although they were cleaned each morning, they became messy quite quickly throughout the day, often because of guests. It was frustrating to find soap dispensers empty at times, and on more than one occasion, a number of toilets were out of order. That reduced the available options and caused queues at busy times.
We also found the wooden cabin showers to be a bit impractical. The water only ran for 30 seconds at a time before you had to press the button again, which made showering feel unnecessarily difficult, especially when trying to manage children. While other shower blocks had longer water flow, the fact that the newer wooden cabins were less convenient felt like a missed opportunity.
Another issue was litter around the site. While this may largely be down to guests not disposing of their rubbish properly, it still impacts the overall impression of the site. More regular litter-picking by staff would have gone a long way to keeping the space looking clean and welcoming. It’s something small that could make a big difference, as the setting itself is lovely, but litter can really detract from it.
The onsite shop, while useful, was noticeably expensive. A small bottle of drink at £2.70 felt excessive, especially considering that families with children are likely to use the shop regularly. On top of that, it was card-only, which could be inconvenient for some guests. While we appreciated having the shop there, the pricing and payment options made it less guest-friendly.
One other practical issue we found was the access to the National Water Sports Centre. Although the proximity was fantastic, the only way to get there was by crossing a fast-moving road. This felt unsafe at times, especially when walking with young children. A safer crossing point, or at least clearer signage or guidance, would have made a huge difference.
All in all, while the experience was enjoyable, these issues held it back from being excellent. A stronger focus on cleanliness (both in the pods and around the site), quicker repair of broken toilets, better stocking of soap, more practical shower setups, improved litter management, and more reasonable shop pricing would really elevate the experience. The site has all the right ingredients to be fantastic, but these small frustrations added up and made it feel less polished than it could be.
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