As you might be aware with the current economical state many families in the UK have opted to spend their holidays in Blighty this year. In a way the credit crunch has been helping to promote a more traditional family holiday here in Britain, with the typical seaside experiences, holiday camps and pier shows get many families looking forward to summer time.

So, when Fuel My Blog informed me that I was one of the winners fortunate enough to stay at Butlins Skegness for 4 nights I was ecstatic. Having had no holiday plans for this year the thought of having a FREE holiday would give something the kids to look forward to. My sister and brother in-law also decided to join us and immediately booked themselves a Standard Half Board Apartment.

ARRIVAL:

June 29th, everyone was excited, the weather was in our favour and the 2 and a half hour trip doesnt seem so bad, we finally reached Butlins at about 1.30pm, we were directed to the Gold Reception, I must admit that the reception was impressive, our guide was very helpful and he informed us about the attractions, facilities and other services available to us as a Premium Guest. We were told that we can check in at 2.30pm on our Neptune Apartment allocated just a few yards from the reception. So far, so good. Friendly service, the apartment exterior looked great; we couldn’t wait to start our holiday.

WHATS THAT SMELL?

2.30pm, we finally get to go in our apartment and unpack. I was a little disappointed that we were in the upper floor which is not toddler and pram friendly.

First impression was good, but there was a distinctive smell that lingered and it was of the unpleasant kind of what I can only describe as cheesy feet. To be honest, I was a little put off knowing that we will have to stay there and get used to the smell for 4 days.

Gold Apartments in Butlins Skegness are very roomy, definitely great for a family of 5 or more. The apartment consisted of 1 double bedroom with a portable TV, and 2 twin bedrooms, enough to sleep 6 people. The living area had a reasonable size TV and DVD player. There is also a fair sized dining room which had a table and 4 chairs and the kitchenette area was sufficient with all the necessary appliances and accessories.

I’m sure the housekeepers do their outmost to keep the apartments in good working order, but there are a few faults that I have noticed.

- Cigarette burns on the floor and settees.

- Microwave was smoking at the back when used.

- Stains on one of the twin beds.

- Kitchen floor was sticky.

- The back of the TV remote was missing.

- The seat on the dressing chair was loose.

- Shower trimming was rusty and the bathroom floor was stained.

I also noticed that the balcony area is not child friendly as there were gaps where toddlers legs can easily slip through.  So even though the weather was glorious outside, we were unable to open the double doors.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOLD AND STANDARD:

At about 3.45 the BIL decided to make his way down to the check in while we stayed in our apartment and pondered about our agenda for that night. We couldn’t wait to try out the Yatch Club so at about 4.30 we headed out to have our dinner. On our way there we noticed a long standing queue just outside the supermarket and surprised to see that BIL was standing there, understandably not looking very happy. He told us that he’s been queuing for 40 mins for check in. What check in? All I can see was a make shift stand with a rather jolly Red Coat handing out information and meal cards. Oh yeah… meal cards, that’s standard for you.

YATCH CLUB RESTAURANT VS OCEAN DRIVE

Feeling rather guilty, we told them that we’re going to have our dinner and then probably meet up and have a drink after. So off we went to the Yatch Club Restaurant, we were greeted by pleasant members of staff, checking out our name and showing us our table.

The restaurant had a relaxed atmosphere with subtle brown and cream decor. The buffet was pretty impressive and the choice of food were varied and catered for all tastes. Not only that, I found the staff very helpful and friendly which made meal times a more pleasant experience, compared to Ocean Drive which I thought treated their customers as second class citizens by giving them meal cards that had to be stamped at each visit.

Surprisingly food that’s served in the Yatch Club is also served in Ocean Drive, but I guess they have the cheaper option by holding back the black puddings which my BIL was not too pleased about.

The Ocean Drive surroundings can only be compared to a ‘greasy cafe’, and if you’re lucky you might see a live fight (according to my SIL).

STANDARD ACCOMODATION

After our meal we managed to meet up with BIL again, only to find them lugging suitcases and finding their new accommodation. They have decided to upgrade to a Silver Apartment, as the Standard Accommodation did not meet their expectations. They complained of unstable ceilings, faeces stains on the bathroom walls and the room had an unpleasant smell to it. To be honest for a price of over £300, you could have stayed in a more hygienic and accommodating B&B. Considering this is their first time in Butlins, things were not looking good and I felt more and more guilty as they continuously find faults as the days go by.

PLAYTIME FOR THE KIDS

My 21 month old particularly enjoyed the rides in Bob’s Yard. The rides seemed to be well kept and brand new from the last time I went about 10 years ago.  We also found the play area pretty good and the kids spend many hours tiring themselves out which was a bonus when it came to bed time.

FUN WITH BILLY BEAR

My 21 month old particularly liked this, he got to join in and dance with the Red Coats and Billy Bear. Great fun for the kids but I will advice that you turn up early to get a good view as it gets pretty packed!

THE REDS

Even though the husband wasn’t too keen on the idea, we managed to drag him to watch the REDS. The acts were good and the kids loved them, probably one of the best shows in Butlins. We only went twice as we found that the acts and music can get a little repetitive, but then the kids didn’t mind that. But having a 21 month old can prove a little difficult as he was not too used to the loud noise and music, but all in all it was a great experience.

They also have a photographer that takes photos on the dance floor; he would give you a ticket to collect your photo later on, which I thought was a great idea as you don’t have to worry about getting your camera out while enjoying yourself.

THE SUN AND MOON PUB

On our first night we decided to chill out in the Sun and Moon, the weather was glorious and there’s nothing better than sitting down sipping a glass of wine while watching the kids play. It has a traditional pub look and there are sufficient seating’s in and outside.

On one of the days we decided to have dinner there, but found the food pretty poor. As I wasn’t that hungry my daughter and I decided to order a combo to share, whilst my husband ordered the chilli con carne and my son had the lasagne. My combo was very greasy and it was obvious that everything on that plate was frozen and fried. Hubbys chilly was mediocre and my sons’ lasagne was pretty gooey and burnt. We weren’t impressed.

OUTDOOR POOL &  SPLASH WATER WORLD

The outdoor pool consisted of a large pool and a children’s pool with fountains and shallow water. Having been lucky enough to have the beautiful weather at the start of July, the outdoor pool was a great hang out for us. My toddler loved splashing in the kiddie pool, and even though the weather was hot, the pool was still quite cold, but he didn’t mind at all.  I think this is one of the best features of Butlins Skegness (if the weather is blistering hot!). It almost makes you forget that you’re in Skegness when you’re on the lounger soaking up the sun and enjoying a glass of wine while watching the kids splash around. Thumbs up from us!

RELAXING @ THE SPA

Along with the FREE holiday I was also given a 3 hour complimentary spa session in Butlins. But instead of taking the other half, I decided that my sister in law would appreciate it a lot more, so we went together early in the morning. We were greeted by pleasant staff and relaxed surroundings. We were given our locker keys which contained our robes, towels and slippers. The changing room was impressive and just by being there we realised that after looking after the husbands and children, we were ready to relax and forget and responsibilities for 3 hours.

The only thing that we noticed were that our robes seemed to have unknown fake tan stains on the collars, but apart from that everything was good. We were treated to free complimentary, coffee, tea and juice, but sister in law and I opted for the more appropriate and needed glass of wine each… actually two, if you want me to be honest.

At first we were quite unsure what were going to do for 3 hours, the place wasn’t big, there was a pool, 2 saunas, a small gym, and a Jacuzzi. We forgot to bring our gym gear so working out was out of the question. So we just decided to try everything. We found the saunas particularly relaxing and spent at least over an hour in them. It wasn’t full of people so it was great having the steam room all to ourselves. As the 3 hours passed by very quickly we were relaxed as anything and to be honest, I think we could have done another hour in there. But to our disappointment, the kids and husbands were already outside awaiting our return. So much for relaxing. But it was great while it lasted; I think my sister in law would agree with me, when I say that was probably the best part of our holiday!

BEACH HOLIDAY WITHOUT THE BEACH?

One thing we were excited about was how close the beach is from our accommodation. There is a gated access where holiday makers can access the beach from 10am to 4.30pm. But upon close inspection we found that the nearby beach was littered with rubbish and to be honest it was not clean at all.

The facilities on the beach was practically nonexistent, it’s surprising that Butlins has not taken advantage of this beautiful location by building seaside cafes, play areas and other things that beach holidays should have. Instead we drove to the main beach in Skegness to enjoy the sea side, which was far better than what Butlins had to offer.

LIFE BEYOND BUTLINS

After 3 days exploring and doing mostly everything that Butlins has to offer, I must admit that the bigger kids started to get bored; they’ve been on everything and explored everywhere. So what is there left to do? I started to get a little worried when they’ve turned their attention to the enticing lights of the arcades. While most family would probably savour the idea of spending their holiday money on slots machine, I’m afraid it’s not an ideal pass time that I’d like my children to get used to.

So we decided to venture beyond Butlins, and have found many attractions that involved family time. We found Hardys Animal Farm in Ingoldmells, a great place to visit, a genuine working farm where you can walk around and see the animals in their natural surroundings. There is a large adventure park where the kids can burn their energy, a tea room where they offer a large selection of food and drinks and you can even ride a horse and cart which I think is a great experience especially for city kids like mine.

WOULD WE GO AGAIN?

To summarise I think the children had a great time, however we felt that the central pavillion is aimed to be the main attraction where parents and children are encouraged to spend money on overly expensive food, while children get high on litres of fizzy drinks endlessly feeding the hungry slot machines.

Our spa experience was the main highlight, the kids said that they loved the rides and Splash Water World. But would we go again? Probably not. It would be nice to see Butlins to take full advantage of the beach side location instead of having limited daily access. It didn’t exceed expectations, in fact, we were dissapointed that the Gold Acommodation was nothing great and the Standard Acommodation was in a desperate state.

It was a shame, as we all looked forward to it, but in the end even the kids couldn’t wait to get back home.

*BIL (Brother-In-Law)