There’s nothing quite as luxurious as having a bubbling hot tub at your disposal.
Combine that with a barbecue, some sun, great company and being surrounded by nature, then you are guaranteed relaxation.
And at Shorefield Country Park in the New Forest, the hot tub lodges offer a perfect way to kick back and unwind. Not only are the lodges exceptionally clean, spacious and equipped with all the personal touches to make it feel like a home from home – they also have a bubbling hot tub on the deck.
As soon as we peeled off the hot tub cover, the kids stripped down to their swimsuits and leapt in.
My partner brought me a drink while I also dived into the bubbles and ‘supervised’ the children. With mum and children suitably occupied, he fired up the barbecue. Slapping on meats bought from an independent butchers Butchers on the Green just a couple of miles down the road, this truly was British summer at its absolute best.
We had struck lucky with our UK mini staycation, and the sun was out. Not that it would have mattered even if it were snowing, the kids would have still jumped into the hot tub.
We checked into the park, situated in Milford-on-Sea, for a weekend break. Our family of four needed a bit of time out, which Shorefield provided and more.
The holiday park is packed with things to do, and it’s a 20-minute walk away from a magnificent beach and coastline. One day we took a stroll down to the beach, where we enjoyed paddling in the sea and taking in some fresh air, before walking up to nearby picturesque town Milford-on-Sea, enjoying a drink on the village green, before catching the bus back to the park.
In between the vast amounts of time we spent in our hot tub, we also managed to dry off for a few minutes before diving into the park’s large indoor pool (which also has a jacuzzi in case you need more bubbles!).
It’s worth noting for the hotter days, the park also has an outdoor pool, which is open during the summer.
But the indoor pool has a great family set up, with a sloping entry for the kids to splash about in, leading down to a deeper good swimmer’s only end. The pool was wonderful, and a top tip was to go later in the day, after the morning rush had died down. The indoor pool was also handily next to the bar and entertainment area.
There was a play park outside, a brightly-lit arcade, a restaurant and also the traditional holiday park show bar, where excellent nightly entertainment was put on – including the holiday park staple of bingo - each evening.
The kids absolutely loved the children's disco and the park’s mascots, giant squirrels named Cyril, Cybil and Pat were also well received. Copious amounts of brightly-coloured slush was consumed, before dancing with flashing glowsticks bought from the bar’s pop-up shop, before heading back to our luxurious comfy cabin and crashing out in front of the telly.
One other great point about the park is that there’s free Wi-Fi, so all the kids electronics' worked perfectly – an important part for any family holiday.
The park also puts on a range of kids' entertainment and activities throughout the day in Woof’s Workshop, some free and some paid-for. We went along to the build a bear workshop (£15 per child) and the cheerful reps helped my two little ones to pick out a bear and to stuff it, before choosing an outfits for it to wear.
There are also other classes such as the slime workshop, pottery painting and sand art – they really do have kids entertainment taken care of.
And the entertainers were lovely and so friendly with the kids. In fact all the staff at the park were lovely and friendly, it must be part of the recruitment process.
Even the park shop was well stocked, clean and staffed with smiling people. Nothing was too much trouble.
The relaxation is not just for kids, there’s also fitness facilities such as the gym and sports centre, and a spa, for the adults.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a traditional UK break without at least some rain, but even when the heavens opened while we were out on a beach walk at Barton-on-Sea, another cracking beach just two miles from the park, we found comfort in a local café called the Beachcomber Cafe, which let us dry off and served us the biggest roast dinners while a guy on a guitar sang and played.
One thing is for sure, there’s plenty to see and do around Shorefield Country Park. Whether you fancy just kicking back and relaxing in some bubbles, or if you feel like doing something more active, this park caters for the whole family.
It’s within easy reach of some wonderful beaches, as well as being in the heart of some beautiful tranquil countryside with spectacular ancient woodlands and wild open moors.
And that’s if you even want to venture off the holiday park itself – or in fact venture away from your cabin, terrace and barbecue. Pass me another drink please, there’s some more supervision required in the hot tub...
For more go to shorefield.co.uk
• Accommodation (four nights) based on August summer school holidays for a superior two bedroom lodge with hot tub - £1,985
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