Last weekend we packed up our car and headed west to Somerset for our first mini-break as a family of five. After a long six and a half hour drive we were all feeling tired and a little emotional but thankfully it was worth the journey. I must admit I wasn’t sure what to expect from a weekend in Butlin’s, my expectations weren’t high but I’m happy to say that I was proved very wrong!
It was almost dark when we arrived, we picked up our welcome pack and keys from guest services and drove round to our chalet in the West Lakes Village. This section of the resort is obviously newly renovated, each chalet is simply yet stylishly decorated and has either a lake or park view. Our large chalet had four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a family room with a kitchen, dinning area, sofas and a large TV. It also had a lovely balcony overlooking the lake. To say I was impressed with our little (or not so little) home from home would be an understatement, it really was lovely.
We were at Butlin’s to review the entertainment they had on offer, which included shows by Dick and Dom, Angelina Ballerina, Mike the Knight and many more. On the first morning Lili was booked onto Dick and Dom’s Practical Joke Academy, this involved her learning to do some funny practical jokes and then going on stage to act them out in front of an audience. Thankfully she’s not too shy for a five year old and was more than happy to take part. She even won a signed book and got a certificate for taking part. They also gave Poppy a certificate, although she was too young to take part – which I thought was a sweet gesture and made her very happy!
The entertainment on offer really was vast! Over our two day stay we watched five different shows, all aimed at kids – but we could have watched so many more. Lili and Poppy really enjoyed the Dick vs Dom show and Mike the Knight – I’d say they were their favourite ones.
Of course, there’s so much more things to do at Butlin’s from the swimming pool, to the fairground, amusements, cinema, crazy golf, go-karts to name just a few. There is literally something for all ages. We were on the go from the moment we got up, till our heads hit the pillow at night. And what makes it all even better is that most things are included in your accommodation fee. So you can go on as many rides as you like without spending a penny. Although, speaking of pennies the girls did get a little addicted to the 2p machines.
We also had a premium food package, which included an ‘eat as much as you like’ buffet breakfast and dinner at two different restaurants. The choice is massive and there’s even a few stations where the food is cooked fresh in front of you – omelets and pancakes at breakfast and grilled meat at supper time.
The only thing I was shocked by was that supper is served from 4.30pm to 7.30pm, so when we got to the restaurant at 7pm on the first night, the place was pretty empty. Luckily there was still plenty of food left, and the girls were over the moon with the ice cream machine.
We were so lucky with the weather, it was sunny and warm the whole weekend. So it would have been a shame not to have a wonder onto Minehead’s beautiful sandy beach, which is literally across the road from the retort.
As you can see from this little video, we had a really fun weekend at Butlin’s. The girls are already asking when are we going again.
One last thing I must add is that the staff at Butlin’s (not just the Red Coats) are all amazingly friendly and happy, which I think is a massive credit to the brand and the resort. They all made our stay a truly happy one.
Disclaimer: Thank you to Butlin’s for organising this trip for us. All images and opinions are my own.
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WOW!! That is certainly not what I remember from Butlins in Minehead when I went there — gosh — what a difference! And lovely to see that it’s keeping up with the times and competing with other holiday venues like Bluestone and Center Parcs! Fantastic. Great pics too lovely — I love the ones of the girls at the fair!! 🙂
So glad you had a lovely time, and kids must have a radar, you can be on an island of free activities and yet they find the one thing thats costs money, ours are exactly the same xx
I have never been to Butlins before, I will be honest and say it is not somewhere I have ever thought of visiting. Your chalet looks lovely & much nicer then I expected. It sounds like there is so much for children to do, your girls look like they are having a great time xx
I always thought Butlins would be my idea of hell. But after being impressed with the chalets (Skegness) at a dance weekender we went on a few years ago, I think I’d definitely take N. So much to do, and a good base to explore too (although I’m not a fan of Minehead itself).
We went in July with 2&7 year old midweek and were pleasantly surprised too! We were apprehensive as our 7 year old has ADHD and sensory issues so any changes can be challenging! However we shouldn’t have worried. The fairground kept a hyper 7 year old entertained all day, and the under 5s area was great for our youngest! We have to applaud them for not having any hand driers in the toilets within the main entertainment area, which is a worry for us as our 7 year old won’t use public toilets if there is one in it, causing lots of embarrassment! We all enjoyed it so much we have booked again for next year!