Reviewing the Freshwater Lodge at Parkdean Resorts Nodes Point Holiday park on the Isle of Wight. We stayed on a Monday-Friday break in July 2021.
The Isle of Wight is a holiday happy place for me and we have just returned from a four night break on the island. We purposely booked early check in so we could make the most of our time and get into our lodge straight away. We decided to book a lodge with a hot tub because we wanted something a little bit fancy and, in my experience, it was worth the money. We did, however, book this break last summer and it cost us just under £600 in the Freshwater Lodge situated in Culver View. Splitting the cost over the year made it an affordable family break.
Freshwater Lodge at Nodes Point
Staying in the Freshwater Lodge as a family of 5 we had plenty of space. It was the four of us and Adam’s mum in a 3 bed, two bathroom lodge with an open plan living space which included a fully stocked kitchen and dining area. There was outside seating for six people as well as a large private hot tub on the decking. Inside there was a dining table for six as well as two bar stools. The open plan living space in the freshwater lodge makes it really easy to socialise. There are two bathrooms – one with a full bath and overhead shower, another; an ensuite to the master bedroom – which includes a shower cubicle. Having two spaces to wash really suited our situation.
Our Lodge Tour Video of Culver View 5 is on YouTube
What does the Freshwater Lodge include
- One Double bedroom with ensuite, wardrobe, dressing table, TV with freeview and USB charging point
- Two twin rooms with dressing table, wardrobe and TV with freeview
- Bathroom with bath, shower, toilet and large cabinet for toiletries
- Open plan living space with sofa and two arm chairs, TV with freeview and sliding doors opening up to the veranda and Hot Tub with outside seating
- To the right of the entrance is a large cupboard with boiler, water heater, radiator control (including heated towel rail control) and a washing machine, air drier and ironing board.
- The dining space has a large table and cabinet with plenty of storage
- The kitchen has fridge, freezer, kettle, microwave, gas oven, dishwasher and toaster. There was an issue with our fridge (Culver View 5) which lead to a leak one morning and our food not staying particularly cold. A temporary fridge was put in the corner of the dining area in the interim and a new fridge has apparently been ordered. There is a large pantry space as well as plenty of cupboards. We did find cutlery to be a little sparse but there were plenty of wine glasses (for us none drinkers). There are no plastic or small bowls, plates or cutlery for children so its worth taking your own if you have very young children.
- The seating area was comfortable for us. The TV seems a little tempremental and slow but worked fine for the times we used it.
Review of Freshwater Lodge at Nodes Point, Isle of Wight
I’ll start with the frustrations first because out stay was mostly positive. There was a smell of sewage for a lot of our stay which was really offputting. We found we could minimise it by keeping the entrance door closed and the sliding doors opened but it was frequent in the large bathroom. It was a bit off putting really but we only cooked twice. The other frustrating thing was the issue with the fridge which is hopefully being replaced. It is quite clearly lacking some sort of seal to keep the water in and the ice forming at the back of the fridge suggests its trying to over compensate to keep cool but with no seal around the door. We were told it didn’t need a seal so I do worry they are just avoiding fixing a problem. The solution was to put a temporary mini fridge in the corner which was acceptable but didn’t store a lot of food. We did have to throw a few things out like yoghurts because they just felt like they’d been left out at room temperature and I didn’t feel good about eating them. Some plastic or smaller, less fragile dishes and beakers for kids would have been fantastic too but this was lacking so we bought our own.
The rest of the lodge, though, was really nice. Having a washing machine was really handy especially after a day at the beach. Having two bathrooms between the five of us meant we getting washed and ready was really easy. Having TV’s in each room meant when the kids needed some much needed downtime we weren’t stuck watching an endless loop of cbeebies. I loved the size of the pantry in the kitchen and having the open plan living space was really great for preparing meals and continuing to socialise. The dining table was comfortable and the bench was an ideal place for my son to sit at – the first year we didn’t request a high chair for him! It absolutely felt like a premium holiday accomodation at a holiday park because we had so much space.
We have been to many caravan parks in the past and I think if I saw a lodge coming up for a similar price I wouldn’t hesitate to book again. I believe you can get some of the lodges included in the Sun holiday and I think they are absolutely worth it if you’re going in a larger group with friends or family – even better if you can split some of the cost down. I know a hot tub lodge won’t suit every budget and I’m not saying we will now only ever go for a lodge – because I’m not really prepared to pay more than £800 for a four night break and they do whack the price up – but if you can afford it, and you can comfortably fit the payment into your monthly budget (if booking in advance) then I would recommend it for the extra space. As a family of larger adults, myself on the chunky side and Adam being 6’5 having a bigger shower and shower over bath honestly made this experience so much more comfortable. I really struggle with the normal caravan showers so this was a huge plus for us.
Using the Hot Tub in your hot tub lodge at Nodes Point
The hot tub is in it’s own little gated off area and was much bigger than I thought it would be. It was a lovely addition and we used it every day – sometimes out of obligation really but it was a novelty that didn’t wear off on our break. It was a great way to warm up after the very cold swimming pool. You can use the hot tub after 7pm on your day of arrival, I think this is to give the cleaning chemicals a chance to get working, and between 10am-10pm every other day. Maintenance come around every morning to check the chemical levels and adjust as needed and on changeover days they refill the water and do a clean. The hot tub is kept lidded and locked whilst not in use. The tub was regularly between 37-39 degrees but we couldn’t seem to adjust the temperature. It was hotter during the day when the sun was out and cooler in the evening during the night so I expect this had something to do with it. The jets would go on for 15 minutes at a time which is an indication for how long one should be in a hot tub but I don’t think anyone ever pays attention to that.
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