Bluestone Wales Lodges, Narberth

Unfortunately my family and I must have visited somewhere completely different from the one detailed on the website. We arrived to find that the kitchen of the Skomer lodge we had been booked to stay in was dirty, crumbs on the kitchen surfaces, dirty marks on cupboards etc, and a dreadful smell. We didn't want it to put a dampener on things so we just requested that it be cleaned again -- this didn't happen in the 7 days we were there. To add to this, we also found a couple of used tissues under the sofa from previous residents, and to be completely honest there was nothing for our two young children to do. The playground doesn't really consist of much that a three year old and 18 month old could play with - there weren't even child swings, and the swimming pool was a joke for them. There was a baby pool, which was colder than the main pool, and a tiny slide -- everything else was inaccessible for there age/height. My 3 year old son was hurt on our last day and needed hospital treatment, unfortunately Bluestones level of customer care and treatment is atrocious. With the cost you would also expect some privacy, but the lodges are on top of one another, believe me you have no peace when other peoples children are running around in your 'private' back garden. I would never recommend or stay there again. One plus point to the stay was the food in the on-site pub was lovely and so were the staff, but I would whole heartedly never recommend or stay there again.

Stayed at Bluestone in a Skomer Lodge in October 2008 with my wife and two children (8 and 6). Accomodation was excellent quality, way superior to similar places we have stayed at. Despite being out of season there was plenty to do both for parents and kids, from archery to pony trekking and even whale watching. Be warned though, the outdoor excursions can be very expensive particulary for a family. Offsite, Oakwood Theme park is right next door, which compared to most theme parks in the UK was pretty good value for money - well worth a visit. Pembrokeshire itself is rich in local historic sites and castles aplenty. Speak to the owner of the wine bar (where you can also relax with a coffee in the day). Fascinating character with several books and maps of the local area, really brings it's history to life. As with other staff on the complex, genuinely warm and friendly. Kids clubs with sensible times helped us 'escape' for our own fun. Game of badminton at the gym, followed by an hour at the spa pool, sauna and relaxation rooms. Getting around, we hired bikes onsite. Bluestone is built on a fairly steep valley and the road from the bottom (restaurants and shops) to the top (leisure centre and lagoon pool) is fairly steep and windy in places. Plenty of good exercise if you're fit, otherwise walking the grass bank off road directly up and back down is just as quick. You can also hire golf buggies (seating 4 or 6) for around the same as bikes cost for a family of four. Aside from the minibus which runs to and from the kids clubs, the roads are car free which is great for the kids safety, particularly on bikes. All in all we felt that a lot of thought has been put into the design of the site and facilities at Bluestone to cater well for families with young children. Take for example the toy tractors in the square at the heart of the village. Just pick one up and ride around (and when you're done, let the kids a go:-)). Simple idea, but a complete novelty to the kids and all within sight and earshot of the restaurants and wine bar - just sit back and let them do what they do. The kids had a great time. And so did we.