Marlie Holiday Park

We really enjoyed staying in the pods .even though the weather was bad but didnt upset our week end

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Staff, super friendly and helpful

Everything had to be some via an app! A shocking App at best. The staff dome everything to iron out any problems.

The camping pod was great and well heated which made such a difference. Nice touch having a large mirror and some storage shelves too.
Toilets and shower block really close to the pods which was good.

The cheese pizza in the restaurant was really tasty and staff were friendly.

For older children there really is very little to do here. I had put my hopes on the park and the arcade to amuse my Son. But the park was out due to heavy rain.
The arcade smelt horrible and damp. It is really small and there are only a few things to play on. When we went to get change the machine wasn't working so we couldn't use the arcade anyway at that point!
If the arcade was upgraded it would make such a huge difference.
Also unable to book to swim as pool fully booked.

We paid to paint some pottery one morning which was enjoyable in itself, but organisation in the event room was really poor. We were told to sit at a table and then proceeded to wait for 25 minutes to even be acknowledged by someone. When we were seen, the staff were pleasant but the wait was frustrating.
Younger children were crafting when we came in, but supplies were all over the floor and it was just unorganised in general. Lots of people waiting to do activities but little direction or instruction given by staff.
None of the staff were unfriendly. But if there was just a bit better management of the little things, it would be much more relaxing and enjoyable for guests. (I.e. not having to wait, being told what to expect, tidied surroundings.)

On our last night we ordered food in the restaurant, the pizza was nice but there was very little choice on the menu.

Lovely view from Pod. The toilet/shower facilities were clean. We didn’t use the restaurant or pool but they were open. Friendly staff on check in.

The pod hadn’t been cleaned - the floor was dirty and there was underwear left from the previous stay under the bed. The heater didn’t work however this was quickly resolved so not a problem during our stay.

Loved the actual pod

Lack of washing up facilities. Sent to the launderette which was quite a walk (not ideal with family washing up from dinner) Launderette was dirty. Sinks were disgusting, no hot water. Took stuff back to pod and used water from our kettle to wash up.
Shower/toilet block a bit shabby. Shower base didn't drain well and was still full after drying and dressing. No paper towels to dry hands.
Dog bins full for the whole 2 day duration.
Hand sanitiser on toilet block empty for the whole 2 day duration.

pods , pool, food,

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The quietness

No local things to do apart from driving to the beach, If you stay in the pods or camping there are no washing up sinks!
Toilets not cleaned regularly either

Clean toilets/showers
Nice welcoming freindly staff
Location by some lovely beaches
Pods are by the nature reserve
USB plugs
Pool was nicer than the pictures

Pods are quite far from the main activities/pool
No washing up facilities
No fridge in the pod
No kettle in the pod

The Pod accommodation was great, A little extra touch would be to add some simple hooks to hand things in there.

No nearby washing up facilities. Had to walk to the launderette which leaves a little to be desired and no hot water there.

After much hunting for something priced and in the hasting area, my partner, daughter and I booked a 2 night stay in one of the camping pods. Marlie cost us £70 others were charging £140 plus, for the same accommodation. We looked through the pictures, the reviews and joined their facebook page, all was great. We were really excited for a break away from the stresses of everyday life.
On arrival , I stopped off at the reception, I was warmly greeted by a woman. (sorry I didnt get your name.) The lady gave me our welcome pack, informed me what to do if there was an emergency etc. We had a short drive up to the pods, We were in pod 10. Our 1st impression, "exactly what we were after". The door was sealed with a sticker saying it had all been disinfected. However, there were bits all over the top bunk and the bin was filthy. Possibly being that way for a few stays. I cleaned everything myself.

We unpacked, set up our stove for a well deserved coffee, given the 5 hour drive. We then went to clean the cups. There are no wash stations or even a warm water tap to fill a bowl. One thing that would benefit them to have.

As a family we decided to eat dinner at the stable barn that evening. Given that we were near the coast, I opted for the fish, chips and peas which was edible but definitely not worth the £8.50. My partner chose the BBQ bacon burger with chips and coleslaw. The burger and chips were nice and the coleslaw was delicious, again not worth the £8.50. My daughter had sausages with mash and peas, a fruit shoot and icecream However we were informed there were no mash. My daughter promptly chose to have chips with her dinner, also saying she really enjoyed the meal. All of the food came out together within 25 minutes, at a busy time in the evening. Much to our disappointment the waiter/waitress did not adhere to social distancing/use a face shield. We won't comment on the entertainment as we didnt take part.

We walked back to our pod, on our way we noticed the cleanliness and up keep of the holiday homes were immaculate. We changed for the night and used the toilets. There are 3 toilets and 3 showers. The toilets were clean, although the middle toilet needs some adjustments to the float height or refill tube needs to be replace as water is constantly pouring in the toilet and splashing up. The showers are lovely and hot, comfortable heat for an 8 year old too. Just push the button once before you get in. Walking back over too the pods there are stones not tarmac. Hidden amongst this, there is broken glass, crockery and rusty nails, none of which are newly broken due to the dirt built up on them. A rusty nail made it's way through the sole of my shoe missing my foot by a few millimetres.

The following morning we had breakfast sat out side, to find that there isnt just broken glass and crockery at the toilets/car park but just before the step of the pods, and along the wood chip paths. We found around a dozen large lumps. There isn't a single sign to advise people to wear shoes. As a child, my daughter loves walking and running around with barefeet. We had to ensure she wore shoes at all times.

Marlie have recently spent two million pounds on a new swimming pool, and a new area for the holiday lodges. Marlie need to prioritize safety for its guests. And treat the caravan and pod section as they do the holiday homes. The stones need removing and tarmac needs to be layed. That way it removes the current safety hazard and makes future breakages easier to see and clear. Rules also need to be put into place for people using glass and crockery. Either to not use them or to call the help desk if there is a breakage and section the area off until all is cleared.

The remainder of the 2nd day we spend at battle of hastings, battlefield and abbey 1066 and dymchurch beach. Both of which were really enjoyable.

We checked out of the pod for 9:55. There were 3 families inside the stable barn and 2 out side, so it was really quiet, We decided to have breakfast before our journey home. We ordered american pancakes, sausage and bacon cob and a full monty breakfast with hash browns at 10:04

We enjoyed out coffee, coke and apple juice while we waited for food. More families came into the stable barn. It got to 10:30 we still hadn't received our food. People who had ordered after us. Most also ordering full montys and burgers etc. A member of staff who was serving, did not ensure things were running smoothly before going into the kitchen to get her own full monty

The waiter brought my full Monty breakfast at 10:40 after serving more breakfasts that entered after us and leaving before we got ours , along with knives, forks, and sauces. The waiter then took nearly 5 minutes to came back with my partners sausage and bacon cob, no pancakes. I asked for some salt and pepper to be told that he doesnt think there is any, but he will ask. He went back to the kitchen. Not returning for another 5 minutes with my daughters pancakes. He said he will return with the salt and pepper in a second. He failed to return with any salt and pepper. Bringing out more breakfasts.

If marlie chefs are incompetent of ordering salt and pepper sachets, they really should question if he/she is the correct person for the job, especially as there was a woman who was there, who recieved bacon that was only cooked on one side, how is that possible? The waiter seems uninterested and confused. All of the staff had no face masks nor shields, and while having no protection did not adhere to any social distancing while around each other and customers.

The full monty was luke warm by the time I began to eat due to waiting. The sausage and bacon cob was rather pathetic. It was one slice of bacon and a sausage thrown on a cob. The sausage wasnt even sliced in half. Again my daughters meal was really nice.

As Marlie do not offer a wash station. I believe this a ploy to get more people to take advantage of their flexible eating. As on the advert it states "leave the cooking and washing up to us". Some families can not afford to pay £110 for a family of 4 over a 2 night stay or £354 for a 7 night stay and that is just breakfast, main and a dessert. The UK's monthly average shop is £450.

I could have brought all of this to marlie"s attention, for it to fall on deaf ears. I chose to assess and report our experience. So that future potential budget glampers or caravaners, will read this truthful transparent review. That way they dont read just the reviews for the holiday lodge because marlie ensure the up keep much more, as they recieve commission from finance companies for getting new sales. It is in marlie's best interest to keep that part of the site clean and safe.

Would we return to marlie? No
Would I refer a friend? No, definitely the opposite.

I hope this review is seen by representatives of park holidays, in hope the health and safety aspects are accessed and action is taken before any actual harm comes to holiday makers, especially the little children that run around and could potentially trip into the glass.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.