If you were to ask me my favourite place to stay in Wales I would say without a shadow of a doubt Bluestone Wales. I have been lucky enough to visit this luxury resort situated 10 miles from Tenby in West Wales a number of times and I have always had a great time.
The luxury holiday park and resort is set in over 500 acres of beautiful countryside. With the emphasis on activities as well as relaxation, there are many things to do here for young and old alike.
I am also proud to be a Bluestone Blogger and get invited back to review on a regular basis. I could never be complimentary about a venue though if I didn't like it, but that has never been the case with Bluestone. I mean look at the standard of accommodation at the Ramsey Lodge below on our recent stay, amazing isn't it!?
Accommodation
The Ramsey Lodge is designed for 'upside down living', with the living space upstairs and the bedrooms and bathrooms downstairs. This is a genius idea as you get a terrific view of the beautiful scenery around the park.
Everything in the lodge was perfect. The two bedroom lodge had a double bedroom and a twin bedroom, one with ensuite bath and toilet and the other with an ensuite shower and toilet room. Upstairs is the lounge and kitchen/diner. The lounge contained a table and chairs big enough for four, two sofas, a flat screen TV and DVD player. The kitchen had a small fridge/freezer, cooker, microwave, dishwasher, toaster and kettle, and all the dishes, pans and utensils you would need to cook and serve a meal.
The condition of everything was spot on. The bathrooms were incredibly clean, the sofas and tables were in excellent condition, and there were no scuff marks on the walls. The carpet also looked new and was different to when we visited the park last year. You can see Bluestone Wales refurbish and replace on a regular basis.
Activities
The park has amazing activities for kids and I can confirm that the Blue Lagoon all weather water park, looks amazing and has a fantastic looking slide.
The family adventure centre will also keep the kids happy with mini golf, a climbing wall and soft play as well as a circus zone, messy play area and a sensory zone for babies, all under cover.
You can hire bikes and buggies to get around the park, a good idea if you have little ones or mobility problems as the park can be steep in places.
There is even the Well Spa where adults can have a massage, pedicure or other treatments as well as using the small pool and the different therapeutic rooms.
The outdoor play area always looks like great fun too!
If you love nature, check out the bug lodge and the beautiful lake with the little ducklings, whilst history lovers will enjoy the history walk with the local historian Terry John which is free.
Also watch out for the bunnies!
This visit we decided to try one of the activities for adults. Now, should we go for the archery, high rope zip line, laser clay pigeon shooting, or indoor rock climbing? As I am not a fan or heights we decided to try one of the shooting activities so after visiting the booking centre we trotted off to the laser pigeon shooting the next day.
Now I am a bit of a crack shot. This is not due to a misspent youth, more to do with a natural ability. I think I was Annie Oakley in a former life. Actually, I don't know how I do it but I'm pretty nifty with a gun, and found this out at a shooting range in Las Vegas, so the pressure was on.
Mr W is a competitive sort, and in everything we do he always has to be the best, and can slyly put me under pressure if I am winning. It was going to be interesting to see who was the Bluestone clay pigeon champion January 2017!
After a quick explanation of how the guns worked, it was on to the practice round. The guns have a little infra-red light that is fired at the clay targets, this then reflects back to the scoreboard. I did well in the practice round, and Mr W was already complaining that his gun wasn't working properly... Forty-five minutes later, we were all finished, and I won against three other people and I don't think I will ever hear the end of it! So if you want to upset everyone in your family I would highly recommend trying one of the competitive sports when you visit.
Food
Bluestone Wales has a small grocery shop as well as a number of cafes and restaurants on site mostly all in the village area. The shop has a captive audience so prices are on the high side so we would recommend taking most of the food you will think you will need with you. You can get most things you need in the shop though so don't worry if you forget anything or just want to buy food when you are there.
Camp Smokey looked good fun but was not open when we were there. The Farmhouse Grill is a restaurant tailored to families and Ty Coffi is a super little cafe.
We had a really good meal at The Knight's Tafarn, the pub in the village area. The chicken madras, poppadoms, and nan bread we ordered were really tasty and the chips that came as a side dish were very good too.
We were surprised that the more upmarket Oak Tree restaurant had changed the type of food they served since last time we went. Instead of a refined upmarket bistro, the restaurant now serves more hearty pizza and pasta dishes.
We ate there one night and the food was good, not perfect but still good, and the prices were excellent, with main courses being about £10. I had a pulled beef ragu and Mr W had penne arrabbiata, which we both enjoyed. There were no starters other than garlic bread, and it would have been nice to have more choice here. Dessert options were limited to chocolate brownies and ice cream, and again more choice would have been brilliant but the brownie was outstanding and the ice cream great quality.
Service was very good at the Oak Tree restaurant, and this has much improved since the first time we visited Bluestone Wales. As this is the main restaurant for adults, (although children are welcome too) perhaps the lighting could have been adjusted to give a more ambient atmosphere. I do think however Bluestone Wales have made the right decision to change the restaurant to pizza and pasta, just a few more starters and desserts would have made it better.
Bluestone Wales is well situated in West Wales, being a short drive from Tenby and Saundersfoot, and if you love history Carew Castle is only 7 miles away.
Bluestone Wales has something for everyone. We saw a real mix of people during this stay, from families with babies to retired couples. The luxury holiday park suits those looking for a family-friendly activity break to those looking for a quiet stay in a beautiful holiday park close to nature. There is also lots to do for free - check out this post on 5 free things to do in Bluestone with a toddler, for example.
I haven't touched on all the activities and events available, but these change seasonally. The park is always changing, updating and improving and Bluestone should be commended for this. With a 4 night midweek break from £149 per lodge in the low season then I think it can be tremendous value for money too.
Check out this video for an insight into our Bluestone stay.
Tell me would you visit? Have you been to Bluestone Wales?
Bluestone Resorts Ltd
Canaston Wood
Narberth,
Pembrokeshire,
SA67 8DE
I've always wanted to go to Bluestone and the Knights Tafarn sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteThe food is great for pub food, it had been improved a lot over the years.
DeleteWow, so much to do there, I haven't been to Wales properly in ages x
ReplyDeleteWe absolutely love Bluestone. It's a real home-away-from-home. So much to do there and in the surrounding area. Plus I'm definitely visiting that castle next time we're visiting Bluestone!
ReplyDeleteYes, Carew Castle is worth a visit, also Manobier castle isn't too far either. I love relaxing at Bluestone and doing simple things like walking around the grounds and watching the birds, rabbits and ducks in the pond.
DeleteWe visited a couple of years ago and loved it. It does have something for everyone
ReplyDeleteI was supposed to organise a mini-break in Wales during Feb but simply haven't got around to booking anything. This place looks lovely and I might just go ahead and see if anything is available last minute.
ReplyDeleteIf you go out of high season you can grab a real bargain too.
DeleteI think Bluestone is so well priced for everything that it is. We love it!
ReplyDeleteI think it is too.
DeleteSounds like you had an amazing time and such a lovely get away too x
ReplyDeleteIt looks like an amazing place to stay and visit. I've never been to Wales.
ReplyDeleteThere are some beautiful areas of Wales, I love living here.
DeleteThe lodges look absolutely perfect for a short break, with everything you might need. I've heard a lot about Bluestone.
ReplyDeleteI adore the upside down living. The views can be superb over the park.
DeleteThe place looks so serene and nice for family bonding moments. It's big and i love to see the Carew castle! It looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteWow what a fabulous place to stay. This would be great for me and my hubby as we love going on walks and exploring new places. I like that theres a kitchen so you dont have to cook if you dont want to xxx
ReplyDeleteYes, you can self cater if you don't wish to eat out.
DeleteLooks like you had an awesome getaway! I love your room looks so comfy and nice.
ReplyDeleteSuch a gorgeous place, we would love to visit Bluestone Wales. I am sure the whole family would love it! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a super place if you go with kids.
DeleteWhat a cool destination. I have to admit that Wales has never really been on my travel radar, but it looks like a great place to explore.
ReplyDeleteWales is amazing. It's a very under-rated country. We have so much natural beauty and history too, with many amazing castles. You really must visit one day!
DeleteIt's great that not a lot of planning needs to be involved, since there are numerous activities in which to participate. Clay shooting sounds super fun!
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful space. It's interesting it is classified as a luxury resort...the definition of luxury in Europe greatly differs from that in the Middle East..I'm used to a very different over the top luxury I think!
ReplyDeleteI've been to Dubai and I think no one does luxury like Dubai and the UAE.
DeleteIt looks so good and I love it is near Tenby as I love it there! The lodge looked very comfy and I think the amenities looked good on the site X
ReplyDeleteTenby is amazing!
DeleteSuch a cute relaxing place to visit. I love the idea of upside down accommodations so you have great views. It looks very peaceful and serene.
ReplyDeleteIt is very peaceful, that is why we love it.
DeleteAbsolutely a nice place to visit and got some relax. I would love to go there
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of upside down living, with the living areas at the ground floor. The place looks really beautiful and cosy and I like that there are so many activities to choose from nearby. Looks like a great place if you are looking for a relaxation break.
ReplyDeleteThe upside down living is great as you have fab views over the park.
DeleteNever been, but do hear really good things about Bluestone and the surroundings look lovely.
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