Away Resorts Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park, Isle of Wight | Review

A few weeks ago I told you about Away Resorts and their Little Campers breaks. Little Campers holidays are toddler-friendly breaks packed with lots of fun and activities tailored for families with tots under the age of five, and these four night, mid-week breaks are running throughout June. You can learn more about Little Campers, and get an exclusive discount code, in this post. Last week Ian, the boys and I went to stay at the Whitecliff Bay holiday park on the Isle of Wight to experience a Great British Holiday for ourselves.

The boys and I traveled down to Portsmouth to get our ferry over to the Isle of Wight on the Monday, and Ian joined us on the Wednesday. The ferry journey took about 45 minutes, and the drive from the ferry terminal to the holiday park was another 45 minutes, as my sat nav packed up halfway there resulting in me getting a little bit lost! We finally arrived safely, and were quickly checked in by the friendly staff at guest services who gave us our lodge key and some information about the holiday park. 

Our Accommodation

We stayed in one of Away Resort's luxury lodges, and it was enormous! It was big enough to sleep eight people. There was a double bedroom which had an en-suite shower room and a study area, two twin bedrooms, and a sofa bed in the living room. The bedrooms all had wardrobes, bedside tables and lamps, and the main bedroom had a small flat screen TV. We were also provided with a travel cot and lots of lovely baby bedding, but J is happy enough to sleep in a bed now so we didn't use it. There was also plenty of towels, toiletries and additional bedding provided in each room. 

The living room, dining room and kitchen were all open plan, and well equipped with lots of creature comforts. As well as the sofa bed, there was another sofa, a dining table which seats four, a large flat screen TV and a fireplace. The kitchen had everything you could think of: a hob, oven, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine, fridge-freezer, kettle, toaster - there was even a fondue set! There was plenty of cutlery, crockery, glassware and kitchenware, too. Our lodge had some decking running along the side which had a wicker table and two chairs, perfect for sitting to admire the view. 

The lodge was immaculately clean upon our arrival, so clean that everything seemed brand new. A Scrabble board was set out on the dining table spelling out "welcome" and it was lovely to open the fridge and see it stocked with some welcome drinks for us all, plus milk and a basket of tea, coffee and treats. Some soft toys, of the Away Resorts characters, were sitting on the sofa waiting for the boys, and they now get taken to bed with them each night. There was also a small pack containing a tiny bottle of washing up liquid, a sponge and a couple of bin bags, although we brought some dishwasher tablets with us to make life simpler. Who wants to be washing up when you're on holiday!

The only way to eat breakfast as a child when you're on holiday!

The Private Beach

Throughout our journey to Whitecliff Bay holiday park, Little N had been desperately asking to see the sand. He has never been to the seaside before, so the first thing we did when we arrived was head straight to the holiday park's private beach. It was easy to find our way around the site once we got our bearings, and we were given a handy map which showed us where everything was. Getting down to the beach involved walking down a very steep path, and I needed to take off my shoes to stop myself from slipping! 

The beach is absolutely stunning. It's a sandy beach with lots of pebbly areas too, surrounded by cliffs which seem to break any winds. Each time we went down it was really quiet, and we were often the only people there. It was so beautiful and peaceful, and the boys delighted in building sandcastles, throwing pebbles and paddling in the shore, so we made sure we went down there each day of our holiday. Neither of the boys have ever been on a beach before, and it melted my heart to see how content they were. I think they would have been happy to have spent the entire week on the beach!

Little Campers Activities

As well as spending lots of time playing in the sea and on the sand, we also made time to check out some of the Little Campers activities. Each week Away Resorts have a timetable full of activities for all the children to take part in, but their Little Campers schedule is especially for tots aged 5 and under. We really loved the Parent & Toddler Swimtime, which is dedicated parent and toddler swimming sessions first thing in the morning at the indoor pool. During the toddler swim session  the pool was filled with lots of toys and the boys had lots of fun splashing, swimming and playing with Craig, one of the Holiday Heroes. 

Craig became a firm favourite with the boys during our holiday, especially Little N who sought him out whenever we went to the Lollipops toddler disco or to the Play Live evening entertainment. J became quite attached to a Holiday Hero called Kyle, and kept wanting to sit on his lap and give him cuddles. The entertainment staff were absolutely brilliant with the children. They were lots of fun and really patient, even when the kids were running riot on the stage they just went with it and joined in with them! Ian and I tried the pub quiz one night; sadly we didn't win, but we came a close second and had a lot of fun trying.

Facilities On Site

Whitecliff Bay holiday park is perfectly located for exploring the rest of what the Isle of Wight has to offer, but it does have plenty of great facilities on site, too. As well as the indoor swimming pool there is also an outdoor pool. It was a lot more popular than the indoor pool, probably because the sun was blazing hot all week. The indoor pool was a little tired looking compared to the rest of the holiday park, but still lovely. There are two outdoor play areas for children too, as well as crazy golf and an indoor soft play area. Everything is really clean, modern, vibrant and well-maintained.

For eating and drinking there is The Nab Bar & Eatery and a Beach Cafe, and for more fun there is The Culver Club & Arcade, which is where the Little Campers activities and evening entertainment was held. The boys loved the arcade too, especially the 2p machine. That was quite possible the best quid I've ever spent, it kept them amused for nearly an hour! And for more practical needs there is a launderette, a hair salon and a shop on site. Guest Services are really helpful and were happy to direct me to a nearby supermarket and the welcome pack also lists lots of useful local postcodes and suggestions of places to visit.

I loved the giant deckchairs.

We had the most wonderful time in the Isle of Wight and the holiday park was just perfect for our family. We were sad to leave, and have already starting thinking about our return next summer. We're planning to stay at Away Resorts Whitecliff Bay holiday park as it was brilliant for families and is the ideal base for exploring the island further. I'll be posting more about our trip to the Isle of Wight in the next few days, but in the meantime head over to Away Resorts to book your own Great British Holiday!

Where are you going on holiday this year?

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With thanks to Away Resorts for our complimentary stay 

at Whitecliff Bay holiday park.