Dream Lodge Holidays 

We have just returned from a long weekend stay at The Sanctuary in Newbury, Berkshire. It was a very impressive lodge, lovely and clean, great bathrooms and a very peaceful site with a fabulous hot tub.
However there are certainly a few things that could be improved.
A mirror in the bedroom is essential and drawers for your bits and bobs in the bedrooms is a must as we had to live out of our bags all weekend. There are lovely big wardrobes with no hangers so no use at all.
Kitchen is sparsely equipped with minimal cutlery and utensils.
We were told there were things missing in the lodge because previous occupants had stolen things, which is very sad.
We would love to return next year and would be delighted to see some improvements, which I think could be easily rectified.

I paid a deposit and they cancelled a planned investment but no refund. After weeks of chasing and excuses they finally told me that the company is in trouble and that they cannot make any refunds until a solution is found (i loose my my money if the company winds up).

Please don't risk your hard earned money with firms whose management cares about only themselves

I booked 2 lodges for 5 couples at Thorpe Le Soken 5 months in advance only to be told a few days before we were going to attend that one of the lodges would not be available and that we were going to be moved to a 2 bed lodge which had 2 bunk beds in one bedroom. Considering we were 5 couples who had booked this months in advance and had paid for luxury lodges, it was appalling that we weren't given any concessions. The manager didn't even bother to call me back after repeated messages. The staff although apologetic just kept saying there was nothing they could do. After a lot of phone calls, all that was authorised was a refund of the difference i had paid between a 3 bed and a 2 bed lodge. The customer service provided was awful bordering on the insulting. After 5 times of staying at the Dream Lodge parks, i will never book again.

I wanted to take my boyfriend away for his birthday and was looking for a lodge with a hot tub. I'd never heard of the Dream Lodge Group but a Google search revealed them so I made enquiries and ended up booking a Lodge for 2 nights at The Sanctuary in Berkshire. I managed to get a deal with early and late check out and prosecco and chocolates included. With it being my boyfriends birthday I wanted to surprise him with balloons and banners in the lodge prior to our arrival and following a few telephone conversations this was arranged.

A few days before I was due to arrive I read a few reviews on this site that got me worried about what the hell I had booked and where I was going to end up... Please take no notice of any negative reviews this place is a hidden gem in my eyes!

Yes you have to drive through an industrial state and off the beaten track a little to find it but as soon as you arrive at the main gates you will not be disappointed. The place itself is still being constructed in areas (reception building) but this did not effect us at all as is away from the lodges. We did see staff members around the site doing various jobs but nothing that impacted on us and our stay.

Upon arrival after a quick phone call we were greeted by staff who assisted us with luggage and showed us to the lodge. I had booked a signature lodge. My boyfriend walked into the lodge to find it beautifully decorated and I couldn't of been happier to see where we were staying for 2 nights. It was amazing. It had everything you needed for a 2 night self catering break. The facilities were top notch and the lodge itself was extremely cosy. So much so we had to turn down the heating at one point as we felt like were in the tropics. We utilised the hot tub and couldn't fault any of it.

Overall both me and boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the lodge and it far exceeded my expectations. I look forward to one day returning to this site but also now trying some of the other sites they have across the UK.

Went to Fornham Dream Lodge for my 40th birthday celebrations for the weekend, with 5 girlfriends. We arrived after 7pm when it was pitch black, luckily we only drove passed the entrance once! 3 of my friends were there before me and had decorated the lodge with birthday decorations. When I stepped into the lodge or felt like a home away from home!

The facilities were perfect, the hot tub was amazing (can't go wrong with a hot tub in November)! The whole weekend was perfect!

The only negatives I had were as follows:

•Sinage and lighting to the main entrance of the park especially for evening arrivals
•Having a bin shed closer to the lodge (we were lodge 24 and bins located near lodge 1. Ended up putting the weekend trash bags in the car to dispose of them.
•Issues with flies

I would most definetly recommended!

I have just returned from a one night stay in one of your lodges with my work colleagues to celebrate a 40th Birthday. The lodge was beautiful and everything we needed was provided and more, including a complimentary bottle of Prosecco.
We made full use of the jacuzzi, and never having very impressed before I am a complete convert to relaxing in hot bubbles whilst the temperature outside was below freezing!
The staff were knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. Providing information on how to get the best from the facilities and the local area.
Looking forward to another visit soon!😘

We stayed in the bella vita lodge and it was absolutely stunning. We would def go back again.

We stayed at the sanctuary in Berkshire. On arrival I noticed the hot tub was located in quite an open area of the deck, this initially upset me as I am not keen on being overlooked and got very upset. The young lady Courtney who showed us to our lodge was very sweet and understanding regarding this issue. She called head office straight away and asked the grounds man Jaeson (who was also fantastic) to go to B&Q to get some bamboo screening. I must say that the service they provided for me within an hour of arrival was first class. When they put the screening it resolved all of the problems and Courtney brought a box of chocolates and a bottle of Prosecco for me. They couldn’t do enough for me. I also received a call from a lovely lady Nicola at head office who also couldn’t do enough to make my stay what I expected and as a good will gesture because I got so upset have given me a gift of a one night stay at any of Dream Lodge locations. I have never received such good customer care, thank you Courtney, Jaeson and Nicola for being so understanding. From Emma and Jae x

Absolutely fantastic experience staying at The Sanctuary in Berkshire. Upon arrival we were shown to our lodge which was absolutely stunning - far nicer than we had imagined! The hot tub was fantastic and bedrooms/bathrooms were lovely. It was absolutely spotless inside and out. Staff on site were incredibly helpful throughout including useful instructions sent via email prior to checking in.
I would highly recommend The Sanctuary - our group of 6 had a brilliant time and we can’t wait to go back!

We had an amazing stay at Norfolk Park, the lodge was beautiful, we didn't want to leave! Thankyou Dreamlodge for making our stay special! We will be back.

I recently spent a 2 day complimentary stay at Norfolk Park. The stay in the lodge was satisfactory enough my only dissapointment with them at the moment is i am having a great deal of trouble getting back my refundable deposit of £100 waiver damage deposit. The lodge was left in a good condition as agreed by them and i was assured the refund would be credited to my account. I keep getting fobbed of when i try phoning and never get a call back. Im sure i would soon get a call if i wanted to purchase one, I DONT THINK THAT WILL HAPPEN.

Wow - what can I say. Brilliant from beginning to end. Organised a girls weekend for my sister, couldn’t have gone better, from booking the lodge and asking numerous questions to Courtney to being there - perfect!
I will definitely be booking again for other girly trips, trip with the boyfriend and family gathering. We booked an executive lodge and it surpassed our expectations. Huge thanks to Courtney and co for making our weekend so special!
Laura-Jo

This is the 2nd year my son and I have stayed here during the summer holidays, and we had a great time. We stayed in a deluxe lodge as we wanted the hot tub, which is worth the upgrade. Check in is fast and the ladies on reception were nice and helpful. They have improved their welcome pack as this time there was handy guide of local beaches, places of interest, days out, local supermarkets, all with postcodes and distances so easy to find. Our deluxe lodge was lovely and clean with a nice welcome hamper. Plenty of towels and toiletries. Beds were super comfortable. We had friends come and stay for a night, and they thought it was amazing. The resort itself is lovely, a nice park with a great swimming pool and loungers. There’s also a little gym and a lovely spa. I’ve not eaten at the Olive Restaurant which is on site, but it looked nice and I noticed lots of guests eating there. There was an issue this year by the pool with wasps, but staff came out to the pool and explained that they had called in an expert who was already there dealing with the issue, not the resorts fault, but good to see they were taking it seriously and keeping us informed. We would definitely return as the lodge was fantastic, my son loved the pool and made friends quickly, and there are beautiful beaches less than 10mins drive away, but if you want more, then Cromer is only a 15 minute drive and enough things to do to entertain the whole family.

I cannot issue a 0 rating .
I really do not understand customer service anymore - this was my families expereince of what was going to be a lovely relaxing mini break before the kids return to school - and what a shambles it was at Nolfolk park .
Even when when u send complaints you wait 3 weeks for a response - which was actually insulting .
I am so upset and digusted with the level of customer service during my stay and now its every worst .
Dreamlodge sort it out .

I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed my family and i are with our recent holiday to Norfolk park .
This is our fifth stay at your parks and we have always had a very enjoyable stay until this one , the level of customer care was very lack lustre and at some points actually rude .
Please see below the story of our stay -

We arrived at the lodges at 2.10 pm and went into the office to check in and complete the paperwork - the staff was ok and asked me if i had a early check in , i explained that i did not know if i had an early check in - no one had asked me or told me when i did the booking - this was a shame as i would of arranged a 2 pm check in if i had been asked - anyway we made our way to the pool and the lady told me she will call me when our lodge is ready - it got to 4.20 pm and no one had called so i went to check - keys and map were given and off we went to find our lodge - not great customer service i am sure you will agree .

We found our lodge and it was very nice - but we were short of towels and no pillow cases on any beds - again i popped back to the office to ask and was told they will be drop off soon -
We then enjoyed a dip in our hot tub -
At 6 pm one of maintenance men came up to the lodge and handed me a letter and said that due to some health and safety reasons that we could no longer use the hot tub - i was very concerned as my children had been in it for a while - i questioned a bit more but he did not know any more than that and said it was due to some chemicals - i quickly made my kids shower and wash there hair etc - this was very worryingly and one if my boys has a skin condition anyway .
I cannot believe the manner in which this situation was dealt with - this was very serious , the man was actually very defensive when handing out the letter and could not wait to get get away from me . I would suggest that maintenance men are not really given this task to do in future -
Bedtime came and still no towels or pillowcases
Also they was no welcome pack in the room at all - i asked at the office for one and they just said oh no we don't have anything printed - sorry - i have stayed before but was keen to book dinner and a spa treatment and of course received the key code number to access the gym - again this was something i had to ask for . I felt like i was a pain to your staff for asking for so many things - not a nice feeling i am sure you will agree .

Tuesday Up again to the office at 10 am to ask about towels and pillow cases - and was told again someone would drop them off, they was an issue with your laundry company is what we were then told .
And was now told that the swimming pool would not be open today either and they would not know when it would be .
To say that i was upset is an understatement - i have booked a precious 4 day break with my family because we wanted the pool and the hot tubs - this i found to be totally unacceptable during peak holidays times the dream lodge group are using different chemicals as a test ...???
The staff were not giving this news in a
good calm way either and lots of guest were very very angry , not a good start to the day or our holiday -
We had booked Norfolk park as i needed to be around the pool area so my husband could work for 2 of the days in the Olive tree with the use of the very limited WIFI , this of course meant that we needed to go out each day to keep my 3 boys entertained - again this was not what we had planned.

Pillow cases were left on the door handle of the lodge that afternoon - i guess it was to much effort for anyone to actually come in and put them on the beds ???

And at 17.36 the towels finally arrived -

Wednesday 10am up again to the office - a specialist is coming today to access the situation is what i was told - when i pressed to ask if they could advise what times - she said this afternoon in a very rude way - i really felt that no sympathy was shown at all to this situation .
I informed them if some other issues we-were having with the lodge - sink leaking and shower door broken - the lady said someone would be round to have a look .Again no one said sorry for anything .

At 5.15 pm my husband went back to the office to ask about our hot tub and the pool - and once again - no news “ a letter is on his way round “ is all the lady said to him as she was packing up to go home , again without any care at all .
My boys were so upset as this is all they wanted to do is to play in the pool .

Our last day arrived and at 11 am - a man handed me a letter to say that the pool and hot tub are out of action until the 27 th August -

We packed up and left ,
I cannot believe this has happened - and the level of customer care and service is the worst i have experienced.
This was not the holiday that i had booked and planned for.

Awaiting your comments

Dina Moon

Sent from my iPad

Brilliant week with family & friends. Amazing amount of room & every home comfort & so much more. Outstanding amount of detail put into these lodges but also pet friendly, added bonus with a 12wk old pup. The pool on site is extremely well kept & many hours of fun had before a dip in the nice well needed hottub. A great base for exploring surrounding areas, but great to return to with the quiete tranquil atmosphere. Can’t rate it highly enough best home from home have tried in many years of taking grandchildren on a summer holiday

We had the best holiday in Hilton Woods Cornwall in Aug 1018. The Lodge was absolutely beautiful, a real home from home. The site was immaculate and incredibly peaceful. The staff were really great and nothing was too much trouble. Our hot tub had a fault which we reported, the engineer was called and within a brief time it was fixed with absolutely no inconvenience. Thank you. I would highly recommend both Dream Lodges and Hilton Woods to all my family and friends.

Firstly, i would like to start saying a big thank you to Charmaine Singh who booked the lodge for us. She was very helpful and made the whole booking process very easy and straight forward.

We Stayed at Fornham Park and had a lovey time.

Our platinum lodge was definitely 5 star, the furnishings were of a very high quality. The hot tub was lovely and clean. Fornham Park is lovely and quiet and there is a great woodland area. Supermarkets are a five minute drive away.

There were a slight few issues, such as the flies. You cannot keep the patio doors open for long due to the flies. There was also no shower gel or hand-wash in any of the toilets, so please make sure you take your own. We were told on arrival that the lodge I had booked was being used for sales meeting, however the other lodge that was allocated to us was as equally lovely.

i would definitely be returning for another relaxing break

I have waited since 28th August for an official response from Dream Lodge holidays to my formal complaint regarding the Norfolk Park holiday w/c 24th August 2018. Following my initial rating of 2 stars, the customer relations team contacted me this afternoon and were sincerely unprofessional and rude, thus i have now reduced the rating of 2 to 1 stars. What an incredibly sad state of affairs. What happened to customer care? This was a family holiday we were so looking forward to and I feel incredibly upset from the whole experience and hope that by others reading this they won't make the same mistake we made in booking with this company.

Please see my complaint sent on 28th August 2018 below:
"We are currently on holiday for 1 week in your Norfolk park, having been advised that this park was family friendly and more suitable for children than our initial enquiries for Devon/Cornwall. Unfortunately, since we arrived last Friday, we have been very disappointed.

This is the first time that I have had to write a complaint about a family holiday and as such I am really upset. I have a lovely 8 year old boy who I was really excited to be bringing to Dream Lodges in Norfolk, with the hope of meeting others and enjoying a lovely, relaxing family holiday but the park has been a really poor experience.

The swimming pool has been out of action until late this afternoon and communication on this matter has been very poor, since the initial email received on 23rd Aug stating there was an issue with this facility and the lodge hot tubs. The hot tubs are still not available to use and there has been no coherent information on this from reception or other staff members on site.

No information packs have been made available to guests since arriving, due to a problem with printing. From the little information I did get from reception, I have had instead to rely on the website to find suitable local activities/ attractions.

The park itself does not have any dedicated child play areas, and yet this could have easily been included for the sacrifice of one or two static homes. Instead there are plenty of signs throughout the site stating that children are not allowed to play (eg. "no balls allowed", etc). The nearest play area is across a busy main road and through a housing estate.

Staff have always been polite but the handover from reception/management to evening security/warden staff is appalling. Essentially there appears to be no communication between staff to help support guests stay.

Lodges don't come with "the highest quality furnishings, fixtures and fittings" as the patio doors onto our decking area have not been fitted properly and as such mean us having to 'shove, push and pull' to close/lock the doors.

Holiday parks are about meeting people, making friends and getting quality time together. As such, we would have expected the poolside bar and bbq area to be available during the peak August season to help create social situations and allow families to come together in the main complex, however it has been closed all week. In conclusion, this site is not, as advertised "if you are looking for a home away from home, Norfolk Park is a great choice for you. Family friendly, with everything you need on-site..."

Overall our main impression of this park is not good. This is not a holiday park (ie 'children should be seen and not heard') but rather a base to explore Norfolk from.

The park does not meet any of the expectations set by the company website or sales team who we made the initial booking with. This has not been an experience where we have felt looked after or cared for but instead let down by poor service, non-functioning facilities and a lack of customer care. It is with regret that we want to register this as a formal complaint"

Hilton Woods – August 2018

If you want the hustle and bustle of a packed self-catering site, the rabble of drunk revellers rolling out of the club at 1am, the noise of traffic, the 430 am wake up call of Seagulls on the roof, fighting to get into the swimming pool, and exposure to either unhelpful or annoyingly over-enthusiastic ‘entertainment staff’ – then don’t go to Hilton Woods as you will be disappointed.

After many years of going to the ‘Big’ names for the (and I use the term loosely) entertainment for my children and experiencing a decline in quality and value for money to the point my worked-hard-for-break was a disappointment, I looked elsewhere.

Being still restricted by having to take a family holiday during the school holidays I do expect to pay a ‘premium’ price and wasn’t quite sure how good a deal The Dream Lodge approach of ‘price per person, per night’ would be. It turned out to be a better way of booking – you go for the days you want not what you have to have, ie 7, 4 or 3 nights. I initially booked for 7 nights (Friday to Friday) but was able to add another two nights at a later time, allowing return to work on Monday but taking advantage of the beauties of Cornwall for a couple more beautiful days.

This park is down a country lane, in a little valley, surrounded by woods, there is little/no phone signal – bliss! Don’t’ panic though, you do get used to it quite quickly, but if you really need to have contact with the outside world there is Wifi.

We stayed in a ‘Signature’ lodge which is listed as top but one of the four grades of lodge on this park and it was new this year (2018). ‘WOW’ was the reaction all four of us had when we walked in, and repeated as we did the initial recky of our ‘home’ for the next 9 nights. My boys (14 and 8) were a little ‘miffed’ as they hadn’t bought their x-box games to play on the console – I hadn’t realised we were going to have one – I’m happy to say evey they survived without Minecraft! Very tastefully decorated through out in calming, pale colours. Quality furniture in every room and, my personal favourite, super king sized bed in the master, ensuite, bedroom.

Fully equipped kitchen, including dishwasher and washer/drier. Yes, I’m holiday, but the second worst thing about coming home (the first obviously, especially this year, actually coming home) is washing and drying for 3 days solid. No problem, at the end of the day exploring the beautiful beaches and local towns, machine goes on, you get a glass of something fizzy and get into the hot tub while dinner is cooking. No lugging it to the on site, expensive laundrette. I even ‘tolerated’ and early evening ironing with the French doors of the bedroom opening onto the decking facing the trees, birds still singing and the DAB radio on in the background.

Our contact with the lovely staff on the park was minimal – beginning and end basically – Helen and Peter Scott are lovely….informative, very helpful and I don’t think anything would be too much trouble, but as there was no problems whatsoever with anything we didn’t have to visit the park office at all. That fact alone makes this a definite plus point in my book.

Due to a temporary medical issue I wasn’t able to venture to far from our base this year, frankly I would have been happy to stay in all day, surrounded by the woodland, so I can’t give an informed view of the places to see and visit other than Bude. You can park in several places, for a fairly reasonable fee, walk into to the town or to the Beach (with its Sea Pool) or both. Lots of varied places to eat at reasonable prices.

We have already decided to return to Hilton Woods again in 2019, I might even try to make it to a round 10 nights.
From my visit and experience this year it’s a 5 star for everything that the Dream Lodge Group and their staff have provided my family and I with at Hilton Woods.

We had a lovely short break in Norfolk with Dream Lodges and having access to the pool was a real treat.