Candyfloss & Dreams

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Gilsland Hall Hotel Family Room Review
Ad – Press Trip. We were very kindly offered a complimentary stay for two nights including dinner, bed and breakfast at Gilsland Hall Hotel in exchange for this feature.

Gilsland Hall Hotel is just outside of Brampton in the North of England

If you’re looking for a summer staycation in North England then I have a reccomendation for you. Despite having our summer holiday already I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a little mini break during the summer of staycation to Gilsland Hall Hotel, just outside Brampton, right on the border of Cumbria and Northumberland. The Summer Holidays can be a stressful time for parents but this hotel has made it easy for families to have a two night stay with dinner included on both nights and breakfast included on both mornings. Gilsland Hall Hotel is perfectly situated in the very north for walking, cycling and breathing in the fresh country air. The current 3* hotel which has recently been taken over by new management, is currently taking bookings up until October when it will close for refurbishment. Families with dogs can bring them along too as Gilsland Hall Hotel is a pet friendly place. I’ve put together a little video tour of the hotel below and our stay in a Family room which you can see below.

About Gilsland Hall Hotel, Near Brampton

Gilsland Hall Hotel is now open and has recently is being managed by Monday Hospitality Group and will be part of their new country homes brand, Black Book Hotels. The current offer of dinner, bed and breakfast is priced from £80pp (based on two sharing) and this makes it a perfect British staycation spot for guests wanting to adventure around Cumbria and Northumberland. It will, however, be closing for the season in October to continue with renovation works. Currently, the hotel in its existing incarnation is available for affordable staycations for couples, friends, families and single travellers (and their dogs), this summer, looking for a base from which to explore the region. If you’re looking for family hotels in Cumbria then Gilsland Hall Hotel offers a great option for you. Alternatively, Gilsland Hall hotel is an ideal location for walking holidays for solo travellers. Renovations are ongoing at the hotel but this ndoes not take away from the friendly, welcoming staff, excellent food and rolling landscape views. The beds provide a comfortable sleep after a full day exploring, the showers are hot and powerful and there is plenty of tea and coffee facilities available too.

Gilsland Hall Hotel has 60 ensuite bedrooms and is due for a complate renovation with some really exciting things planned to fully upgrate this to a luxury hotel. The building has so much potential and a beautiful setting.

Where is Gilsland Hall Hotel?

Close to Brampton, Cumbria the hotel is situated amongst 140 acres of countryside. The postcode for Gilsland Hall Hotel is CA8 7AR. It was a long round trip for us but considering we want to relocate North I figure it’s a good idea to investigate as many areas as we can to see what exactly there is for us and hopefully find somewhere we absolutely love. As you can see the hotel is in gorgeous grounds. I’m really excited to see what the refurbishment does to transform this beautiful location from a 3* to a 5*, planned for reopening in Spring 2022. Having visited the hotel I will say that the grounds and scenery give the hotel so much potential to be the place to travel to for couples, families and groups of friends alike. The backdrop of rolling hills, farmland and the walking trails into gorge’s, valleys and ancient ruins make this a truly special place.

Staying in a Family Room at Gilsland Hall Hotel

There is currently an offer on site for dinner, bed and breakfast which is what we were offered during our stay at the hotel. The family room included all expected amenties including tea and coffee, an ensuite bathrooom with toiletries included and all bed linen and towels. Some rooms have deep soak bath tubs and garden views are available on request. Our room also included a dressing table, hairdryer, plenty of space for putting away clothes and a big sleigh bed which I found very comfortable. Rooms are still being opened up throughout the hotel as they’re in the process of renovating so the hotel is becoming more equipped for more guests. Our room was very spacious for a family of three or four. I loved having the bath and shower to use and the bathroom was plenty big enough for all the extra’s we need to bring when travelling with a toddler. Gilsland Hall Hotel is happy to welcome families and we found our stay to be really accomodating.

There is currently no set reception space however you can walk around to the patio area or through to the lounge to check in. We were greeted by Lyndsey who checked us in via an iPad and then kindly gave us directions to our room. We were on the first floor in room 116 which is an excellent family room close with the dining room just below.

Our room had a sleigh style double and two single beds

As you can see there was plenty of floor space in the ensuite family room at Gilsland Hall Hotel

The dressing table had a hairdryer in the drawer

What You Need to Know

Food – There are several options for food at Gilsland Hall hotel. Breakfast is served from 7.30am each morning and there is a continental, cooked and a la carte option. Toddlers may be happy with a range of fruit, cereal and toast however cooked options are also available to them. We tried the Eggs Benedict on the first morning which was delicious and rich with plenty of hollandaise sauce and tried to Full English Breakfast before our departure. Both were incredibly satisfying portions and really set us up for the day. Afternoon Tea is available for those that wish to sample it and the evening menu is available from 6pm. Booking a table is preferred and we decided to go down for 6pm each evening where we met Jermaine who gave us lots of information about the hotel and surrounding areas. I have to say the staff at Gilsland Hall Hotel were all very helpful, friendly and accomodating which really makes for such a pleasent stay.

Back to the evening meals and the food at Gilsland Hall is spectacular. I was told that the chef is local as are all the ingredients. The menu offered veggie, vegan and gluten free options and is available in two or three course’s each evening. Below are some images of the meals we had during our stay. Meals were made fresh to order and whilst there is no set child’s menu, the portions can be altered to child sizes – although they are still incredibly generous. There is also a pie of the week option which we didn’t sample.
- Steak and French Fries
- Gnocci with Greens and Parmesan
- Lemon Posset and Shortbread
- Smoked Salmon Roulade
- Eggs Benedict – Breakfast
Parking – Private parking is available at the hotel to the side of the entrace and there is additional parking to the back of the hotel.

Room types available – The hotel has a selection of rooms available including Pet Friendly, Single, Double and Family bedrooms.

How Family Friendly is Gilsland Hall Hotel

We found the hotel to be really family friendly with spacious bedrooms, bathrooms and smaller portions being altered and accomodated for smaller mouths. For example, the prawn cocktail was changed into a sandwich for Felix which was incredibly kind of the chef. There is an anteroom off to the side of the conservatory which has a selection of toys plus the grounds are stunning and a great way for children to run about getting some fresh air. We did see other, older children, staying at the hotel too. All the staff at the hotel were kind and always happy with a hello for Felix and had little chats with him which was really lovely. Everyone had a smile for him.
- The Dining Room at Gilsland Hall Hotel
- There is a portable outside bar on the patio
- The Conservatory
- Path to the Patio along the side of Gilsland Hall Hotel
- Surrounding countryside of the hotel
Gilsland Hall Hotel Final Thoughts

The hotel provides an excellent summer staycation base particularly for outdoorsy families and currently offers a comfortable, welcoming stay for families, couples and friends alike. However, the place is absolutely oozing with potential and I can not wait to see the transformation to 5 star luxury hotel in the future. If you’re looking to book then do so soon as the hotel will be closing in October to continue with renovation works. If you want a last minute break close to the Scottish borders, with a beautiful backdrop and comfortable accomodation then I really recommend Gilsland Hall Hotel as a place to consider staying. We were close to Hadrian’s Wall, Gretna in Scotland and in between Carlise on the West and Newcastle to the East. There are plenty of smaller towns and villages inbetween with pubs and tea rooms. There are many walking trails and routes offering gentler paths for families with spectacular views as well as more advanced trails. The food is absolutely spectacular, tasty, filling and exactly the sort of fare you need after a long day exploring. The plans for renovation are incredibly exciting becoming a potential wedding venue, spa and having luxury suites for guests.
August 4, 2021
Isle of Wight Holiday & Vlog July 2021

We recently visited the Isle of Wight for our summer holiday. It was a trip for three adults and two children, one almost 11 and one almost 3. We stayed in July 2021 at Nodes Point Holiday Park and this is what we got up to. If you’d rather watch than read you can take a look at my vlog below.

What We Did on Isle of Wight Summer 2021

As you can see from the video we had a fun filled and busy week with lovely sunny, warm weather. Well apart from our first day where there were flash floods all around. The trip was a great way to get out of the home and honestly I have come home feeling inspired and ready to properly get back into writing again. I’ve really missed blogging but it’s been so hard to keep up with it recently. I have a lot of content ideas and I really want to get back to filming regularly for YouTube and tip my toe in the water when it comes to Reels and making better photos. Anyway, back to our trip! We really did have a fantastic time. Our base was a Freshwater Lodge situated at Nodes Point Holiday Park. Our holiday was for three adults and two children; Evangeline is (almost) 11 and Felix will be 3 in October.

Planning days out to keep everyone happy can be a challenge but I think we managed to accomplish it for everyone. Our first day was spent, mostly, travelling with a ferry trip from Southamptom over to East Cowes and then on to our holiday park. We booked early check in from 1pm so we could make the most of our break. I decided to book and take the kids swimming whilst Adam and his mum went to Tesco for a food shop. After a check of the lodge me and the kids got our swim stuff on and walked over to the pool. We managed to go three times in total for 45 minutes each session which was really good. Adam arrived with the shopping shortly after we got back so we had some much needed chill time before ordering a takeout from a local Mediterranean inspired restuarant. I always find on the first night I don’t want to cook so a click and collect option worked well for us. We got a few bits and all kind of dug in with a medley of Greek and Italian food. When Felix was fast asleep we had our first dip in the hot tub which was a really nice way to unwind.

Visiting the Isle of Wight steam train

On the Tuesday we headed over to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway and had a ride on the train before a look around the museum and a play in the park. It was a lovely sunny morning and as we were a little late arriving we ended up with a carriage upgrade and were placed in First Class which felt very fancy. We booked in for the pool again in the evening before coming back for some dinner. I think on the first night we had mushroom stroganoff which is a nice and easy meal to cook for the family. Then we went to grab a drink in the show lounge and catch some of the entertainment before an evening stroll down to the beach to look at the rock pools.

Midweek seems to be our busiest day, and it was also the hottest. We had tickets booked for the Zoo but little Felix I think was feeling a bit overwhelmed. After a year and a half of doing very little we were suddenly in a new place and very busy doing all kinds of things. I think he was tired, hot and really could have done with a chill day. I’ll take my lesson from that and remember when planning our next break. We had some down time playing in the park after looking at the animals with an ice cream before walking over the road to Sandown beach which is really nice. Then we went into Dinosaur Isle which is a museum back across the road. Both kids really liked the displays inside and as it was later in the afternoon it was really quiet. When we got back we were all pretty hungry so we went over to the onsite restaraunt. I wrote a review of our experience at Nodes Point holiday park if you want to hear more about the facilities there.

Evie and Felix at Isle of Wight Zoo enjoying an ice cream

On our last full day we had a late morning swim before heading into Shanklin which is a little seaside village around 40 minutes away from Nodes Point. It’s really beautiful. We’ve stayed in Shanklin a couple of times and had a really lovely holiday. Unfortunately I was struck down with a migraine so we only really made it to lunch as I wasn’t feeling up to a walk through Shanklin Chine. We did, however, visit the Old Thatch Teashop which is a beautiful pink cottage complete with fairy garden and a must visit. You can call up to book a table to avoid missing out. The food is delicious. A firm favourite is the afternoon teas and fresh crab sandwiches. Dogs are welcome too and the place is just beautifully quirky. I would absolutely love to own a pink cottage like that; it’s just a little bit of me.

A little snapshot of The Old Thatch Cottage in Shanklin – I love this shade of pink

With the end of our holiday in sight we came home and cooked a big pasta bake using up the last of the food in the lodge and our final evening hot tub dip. It was a really lovely break and I can not wait for our next trip!

July 20, 2021
First Family Holiday to Center Parcs Longleat

If you’re looking for holiday parks near longleat I’m sure you will have come across Center Parcs as an option and it is well worth considering for post-COVID staycations. Our first family holiday to Centre Parcs, Longleat Forest was an amazing holiday and probably my favourite of our UK staycation trips. Going with friends to Center Parcs really helped make it an even better break for us, so much so that we have booked again to return with the same friends at another of the locations. If you are thinking about booking a Center Parcs break, I really recommend it.

me and evie at the center parcs winter wonderland village square

Accomodation at Center Parcs Longleat

We stayed in a three bedroom executive lodge at Center Parcs so we each had our own ensuite bathroom. You can read my full write up of our accomodation and watch a lodge tour to see where we stayed. The longleat site is huge, there is actually a Landtrain to help make the place more accessible to everyone. There isn’t space for an upright pram so if you’re visiting Longleat you might want to consider a baby carrier or sling or even pay to be closer to the centre. Otherwise, prepare for a long walk! Our accomodation was based at the top of the cascades walkway and whilst beautiful and peaceful, it was a good 20 minute walk down to the sports centre and a further 40 or so minute walk to the plaza which hosts the swimming pool and restaurants. Longleat self catering accomodation is suitable for a variety of family sizes.

Food At Center Parcs

We ate out pretty much every day which was really nice but you do have a fully stocked kitchen if you want to go self catering. There are also takeaway options if you fancy a meal in and don’t want to cook. We tried Hucks American Grill, The Pancake House, Las Iguanas, Bella Italia, Dexters and had afternoon tea at Cafe Rouge. We also had a BBQ one evening at the lodge. The best meal was Las Iguanas. It is set in a beautiful part of the plaza with a little river full of fish running through it. It’s a gorgeous place for the cuisine. Bella Italia was a great place to eat too. We love that each food place has a kids play area so it’s really family friendly. On site there are parc markets and Starbucks coffee too. Because of social distancing many of the Center Parcs Longleat resturants offer delivery to your lodge service which is well worth considering.

Pin image for center parcs holiday

Tropical Paradise Swimming Pool

Without a doubt the best swimming pool I’ve been too. On the first night we went after eating for a couple of hours. It was cold outside and really dark but the pool is open until 9pm so you can do the outside rapids in the dark. It’s actually really fun. The slides shut off in the evening but the rapids and lazy river are open, as is the wave pool. I loved swimming at night. Next time we go we plan to spend a full day doing pool stuff as Felix will be bigger and able to enjoy it a little more. There is a hotdog cafe and plenty of seating around the pool area for those that aren’t swimming and for a little bit of resting space. The inside of the pool is heated all year around which is ideal. There are also plenty of hot tubs to warm up in. The rapids and slides also get the adrenaline going.

Winter Wonderland at Center Parcs Longleat

We loved going in November, it was such a lovely week and we had so much fun. Having all of the Christmas decorations available and the winter wonderland set up in the Village Square was such a nice touch and really got us all in the festive spirit. I would absolutely go during the winter wonderland celebrations again because it’s so magical for families although this did of course make things a little busier on site.

Overall our trip to Center Parcs was so much fun and I am converted to going back year on year. I can’t wait for our next trip! You can watch our family vlog including some pool time and water shots below.

July 6, 2020
We’ve Booked A Holiday

Yet again we are returning to the Isle of Wight for our summer holiday and our first as a family of four. I’m very excited. We’ve had great holidays at Park Dean Resorts Landguard Holiday Park on Eastern side of the Island but this time we are changing things up and staying North at Thorness Bay.

We’ve booked an extra wide caravan for this trip because we need the space with a pushchair, cot and highchair clogging up the space. As well as the need for more clothes, nappies and all the extra’s that an, at the time, eight month old baby will need. It was a great price thanks to the recent January sale and a low deposit so we were able to secure it nice and quickly. I’m really excited. Ideally I wanted one of the beautiful lodges with a hot tub however we’ve had to choose our dates carefully with Adam’s work so that he can take minimal time off. It’s also during term time because it was hundreds of £’s cheaper but still in July where kids are mostly doing things like sports day and it happens to fall on a week Evie has an inset day which helps avoid her missing too much actual learning.

We’ve not had a chance to visit the north side of the island before so I’m looking forward to going to the Alpaca farm and pizzeria. We will be closer to Newport which has a big soft play area and hopefully Adam will be driving so we can have access to a car rather than relying on the train, ferry and taxi’s for our trip. It also means we can do our self catering shop at Aldi rather than the on site shop which is usually quite expensive.

We are trying to keep it a secret from Evangeline so that we can surprise her as she will be getting a week from school. We are hoping to get there a little earlier even if our caravan isn’t ready so we can start using the facilities and entertainment earlier than we usually would. Hopefully we will be swimming every day, getting down to the little private bay area and making the most of the local attractions too. If we do have a car sorted by then and Adam has passed his driving test we’re hoping to drive down to the South of the island too as it will be much easier than doing the route by bus.

February 18, 2019
Golden Forest Club – Sequoia Lodge Hotel Review Disneyland Paris

If you are either shortly on holiday to Disneyland Paris or in the stages of planning then this is the place for you. Our stay at Disneyland Paris Sequioa Lodge Hotel was fantastic and I’d love to share more in this review. Staying in a Golden Forest Club Room really made a difference to our stay. It saves money and the room was gorgeous. It is a comfortable room and it perfect for a family of three.

Upgrading to a Club Room

Should you, if you can, upgrade to a club room in the Disneyland Paris hotels? My opinion, absolutely! Especially if it’s your first time and you’re not quite sure what to do or where to go. If you are trying to do Disney on a budget – the snacks and drinks can help save you a fortune. They are filling, and the drinks are available pretty much all day. We have just returned home from our four nights, five days stay in Disneyland Paris.

The upgraded hotel room, park tickets for both the Disneyland Park and Studios Park and breakfast each morning was £732 for two adults and one child aged five. For a holiday, I was happy to pay this price as we were able to book with a deposit through Thomas Cook and pay in our own time making it affordable over a few months. We didn’t ask to upgrade, that was the room available and we thought it was a great deal.

The Golden Forest Lounge in Sequioa Lodge Hotel

Benefits of Golden Forest Club Room

*Private Check In/Check Out – with chocolate coins
*Private Golden Forest Lounge
*Nespresso Machine in Room
*Complimentary hot and soft drinks from 12noon-10.30pm every night of your stay – however you can not make use on day of departure as check out is 11am
*Complimentary tea time treats from 4pm-5.30pm which includes savoury and sweet options. We enjoyed cakes, mini wraps, biscuits, sweets, canapes and fruit. We stocked up on this which saves money in the restaurants.
*Hot Food & Continental Buffet Breakfast
*Rooms are in the main building with fully working lifts
*Can get a Lake View room – we did, and we could see the fireworks every night from our room

The view from our lakeside room. You can just see the top of the Disneyland Paris castle in the distance and Hotel New York in the far right.

Checking In

I loved the cute toiletries we got from replenished in our room each day

You will find a clearly labeled Golden Forest Check In desk which saves you joining the main queue. Here you will get your park tickets and hotel fast passes. There was no programme or park guide/map which would be a really handy and helpful addition. At this point, we could hand in our bags of which we were asked, ‘Is this it?’ thanks to savvy packing and they were stored for us to save carrying them around. We went back around 3pm to collect our room keys and our luggage was brought to our room free of charge and no need to tip.

The Room

The room in itself was not much different from others except we had a mini fridge and Nespresso machine. Two double beds made it comfortable for the three of us and the rooms are a good size. Television has some English channels including Disney Channel which is handy in the morning or if you want an early night. There is always a film on at 7pm, which was great on our first night after all the travelling and a bad night sleep the day before. You will also find a shower over bath, iron and ironing board, safe, kettle and complimentary toiletries. Everything is cleaned and replenished daily. The room has plenty of storage in the sink area and the main room. Having a fridge is handy for keeping our drinks cool throughout the day.

These are the types of snacks available for free in the Golden Forest Lounge

The Lounge

The lounge is a lovely perk and nice to sit in when you want to relax. It gets busy when the snacks are available however you can go in and collect drinks throughout the day to take back to your room. You can then take these into the parks or have a drink in the lounge. Afternoon snacks include sweets, cakes, brownies, marshmallows, mini sandwiches, fish and cheese canapes and mini wraps. It’s replenished throughout the two hours and again is self-service. Having free drinks saved us so much money and we had a few left over in our fridge which was very handy to take back when travelling home on the last day.

Disneyland Sequioa Lodge hotel

Breakfast

The Breakfast in the Golden Forest Lounge is really tasty

Breakfast is delicious. The hot options include bacon, eggs, pancakes and veal sausages. There were plenty of hams, cheeses, cereals, toast, croissants… a huge selection constantly refilled and kept nice and hot. We also had fresh and dry fruit available as well as yoghurts. Drinks included coffee, chocolate milk, orange juice, apple juice, still and sparkling water. Breakfast in the Golden Forest lounge is 7am until 10.30am which is plenty of time before or after the extra magic hours and there’s no need to book a half hour slot, hardly any queues and very tasty.

Overall we had an amazing time and having a club room saved us so much money in drinks and snacks. We didn’t have to eat out as many times as we thought thanks to the snacks we just weren’t as hungry! It really made our hotel amazing and actually made our Disney holiday fairly relaxed!

The hot chocolate was absolutely delicious – a must have to try.

FAQ’s about Sequoia Lodge and The Golden Forest Upgrade

Should I upgrade to a Golden Forest Room?

Yes, it made our holiday so much more enjoyable. As long as it’s affordable for you it’s an excellent upgrade and can really make a huge change to the type of holiday you have. Especially when it’s colder outside.

When are snacks served for the Golden Forest rooms?

Snacks are like afternoon tea and served between four and six. They include mini cakes, sandwiches, sweets and savoury bites. Having access to these meant we didn’t feel the need to have a big meal every night.

When are drinks available in the Sequoia Lodge Golden Forest lounge?

Drinks are available from 12pm-11pm. Soft drinks are cans and can be taken away to the park or into your room. Tea, Coffee and Hot Chocolate can also be taken away. The tea is not very nice.

Does Sequoia Lodge have a swimming pool?

Yes it does, its a medium sized pool with water slide and jacuzzi. There is also a sauna. Only guests at the hotel are allowed to use the swimming pool.

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January 7, 2018