Overview

The biggest issue for me was possibly that I was booking through Hoseasons, who couldn't tell me the information I needed. Book direct, but you probably still won't ask the question I missed: is the accessible bathroom ensuite to the twin room, because the answer is yes! Access overall much better tab most similar parks, but there are issues to overcome. Never take it at face value when they say an activity is fully accessible...there were actual flights of steps

Transport & Parking

Parking is right by the lodge, but isn't flat so we kept having to use the flat parking areas to do wheelchair transfers and hoisting. Doesn't leave a lot of space by the car to get onto the ramp

Access

We had been allocated an adapted Virginia lodge, number 1. Sadly, this disabled lodge is the very furthest possible from the facilities,right by the entrance. Every time you want to go to the bar, pool, restaurant, it’s over 800m. It also meant we had no view (other lodges get a spectacular landscape). The parking is on a heavy incline where most others are flat, so it’s very difficult to get out of the car into a wheelchair, we kept having to drive to flat ground to use the car, which undermines checking that parking is next to the lodge. It’s also noisy, with vehicles coming and going constantly, and they often came through so fast that I was terribly worried about my daughter playing near the lodge. Being the first ones on the road, we got the fastest traffic. We also checked about the decking area and type of furniture, to make sure we could use it. The furniture is indeed loose (not picnic table, though there is one of those also) but if you need a turning space for a weelchair then you cannot use the proper decking area, as the only bit which fits the table is by the door. We could have the furniture OR go in and out, so ended up with our chairs all in a line along the walkway with the table in the middle. We couldn’t eat on the decking like everyone else, though this might be possible if the wheelchair user isn’t involved in the food prep and can be trapped at the far side of the table through the whole meal. I did speak to reception at one point to say the hedge was over growing the ramp area, and could they try to get it clipped back for comfort, and they acted immediately. Within the hour, the whole hedge had been clipped and tidied, so that was excellent. We knew it was not an accessible kitchen, which was fine for us as we usually use only the oven, and my husband does all the dishes. And here is where the biggest problem comes in - accessibility is built into the *TWIN* bedroom, they have even taken space from the double to give more wheelchair space in the twin. The doorway to the twin is widened and the bathroom pretty good, with high loo (for me, 5’5” this was a disconcertingly high loo!), toilet rails (fold up) on both sides.Only a bath with over bath shower, which is what we asked for as I take showers at the swimming pool, and a bath chair fits the bath which is ensuite to the twin. If, however, you are the disabled half of a couple with kids, there is nowhere to move around even on foot in the double, never mind with a wheelchair. The wheelchair will not go within 8m of the bedroom as it doesn’t fit through the access corridor to the double and the double (not adapted) bathroom. You end up waking the kids every time you go to the loo in their accessible bathroom. I don’t want to have a separate room from my husband on holiday and my daughter sure doesn’t want to be in a double with her dad, so we have to try to take turns moving about. The actual floor of the loge slopes considerably, and if you are on wheels or wobbly on your feet, you will spend a lot of time falling down, being unable to adjust to the slope. Access exists in the main building, you just often find yourself having to take different routes, and I did laugh when they said it was totally accessible, you go round the back via the gravel path - GRAVEL for wheelchair access! The pool does have a hoist poolside and there is a track hoist in the changing area, but no bench. They also seem to have built a wall part way up the track, I can’t really fathom it, but I managed without so it was OK. The disabled change was in use by other people around 80% of the times we wanted it though, which was annoying. Avoid the times when there are swimming lessons, as you get a family in there using the larger space to change several children, in no hurry because the lesson hasn’t started yet. Meanwhile I’m cold and dripping wet. Oh, and if you do get in it’s one of those with a lock at each end, so close both and make sure to unlock both when you leave. Although there’s hoist access into the pool, it’s fixed not to give access to the jacuzzi. I managed to get in the jacuzzi by transfer, but the start button is on the wall 5m away and you have to press it every 5 minutes to put it back on. The play area is pretty definitively inaccessible, I have an Alber Adventure full suspension off road chair, and it couldn't do this at all. We took part in the Family Fun Quest for which we paid, and were told fully accessible, but it was about 40% accessible

Toilets

Fold up grab rails each side, sturdy seat and lid, but VERY high for me at 5 feet 5 tall

Staff

Most staff first class, but activity and leisure staff were lacklustre

Photos