Craig and I don’t often get any time to ourselves. Since Heidi arrived we’ve managed the odd date night but they’re usually cut short (their Nana once called A&E within an hour of us leaving the house!). Now she has a set routine and sleeps at roughly the same times as her big brother, we figured we could spend a little mummy & daddy time.

So when Bluestone Park tweeted about an adult-only break they were keen to hear people’s thoughts on, we immediately got in touch. They’ve just released a cunningly named FourPlay package that allows couples to mix and match activities across the site encompassing 4 main themes; Taste, Excite, Relax and Amuse. We were then invited along to sample some of these activities across the course of a long weekend.

Here’s how we got on!

Accommodation

W stayed in a quirky upside / down lodge that sleeps up to 6 (one master bedroom, a twin room and a double sofa bed). Instantly we were struck with how spotlessly clean everything was. The oven had been scrubbed within an inch of its life and looked brand new. The furniture was a mix of dark wood, leather and crisp white linen. The effect was really homely, warm and modern.

Although we were child-less, it did strike me that the lodge was perfectly equipped for children with stair-gates, highchairs and a cot in the twin room. The only thing that would give you a headache if you’re holidaying with toddlers was the lack of high cupboards for glassware in the kitchen.

Free WiFi was a welcome feature with routers in every cottage, lodge and studio. The one thing I did notice was that the TVs were a little small for the size of the room. I’m useless at guessing inches (lucky Craig) but the TVs could definitely have done with an extra couple! DVD players in all lounges are also a plus for unwinding of an evening.

As the park boasts hundreds of luxury lodges tucked in cute tree-lined roads, it’s no surprise that you are a little overlooked. Soundproofing was also a little sketchy and I could hear other families have fun well into the night. This doesn’t bother me at all but might bother some.

We made friends with another couple who were kind enough to show us their cottage in the Village which was equally well equipped, spacious and attractive. This was a one bedroom affair that would more than suit a couple after a romantic getaway. Downstairs was just a little smaller than our own, and the bedroom was charming with a luxurious en suite. Impressive stuff.

I did spot solar panels on some of the lodges too if you were after an eco-friendly option.

Our only other observations were that the master bedroom (in our lodge) had patio doors rather than windows. In the height of summer it could get a bit stuffy in there if you weren’t comfortable leaving the doors ajar. In the master ensuite, the couple-friendly (taps in the middle) bath was welcome but a power shower would have been the icing on the cake - particularly given there’s plenty of opportunity to get muddy and messy on site!

Activities & Facilities

Bluestone are famed for excellent facilities and every review on TripAdvisor will wax lyrical about how much there is to do.

I’ll open by saying that you needn’t leave the site. Of course the lure of beautiful Tenby is worth a visit, but if you fancy ditching the car in the long stay car park and spending some time away from the wheel, you absolutely can. There’s a cash machine on site (and even an option to go cashless if you scan your bank card upon check-in), and all the amenities you’d expect from a tiny little village (bakery, a well-stocked convenience store (with baby essentials), off license, pubs and restaurants). There was also a neat little internet zone in the Wildcafe (located in the Adventure Centre) which was good to see.

The only minor irritation for me was that there was nowhere to buy cigarettes past 7pm on a Saturday night! How I coped, I’ll never know. With everything else so well catered for (there’s even a milk vending machine in the village), a machine in the Knights Tavern wouldn’t have gone amiss!

Before I tell you all about the Fourplay package, Bluestone deserves a quick thumbs up from us about how child-friendly the place is. The indoor Adventure Centre was absolutely AMAZING with indoor mini golf, a child-safe zip wire adventure spanning the perimeter of the roof and so much more to engage little ones. The indoor swimming pool inside the Blue Lagoon Water Park is also supposed to be outstanding but we were way too busy to check it out. Given both of these were indoors, it’s all weather year-round fun for the kids. There’s even bike and trailer hire - it’s just so well thought out.

I’m not sure if it was because of the time of year but there were hundreds of little ones running around enjoying themselves. The staff and instructors all seemed very knowledgeable and well informed on health and safety too. I also spotted a number of mums nursing their babies too which was fabulous.

Getting back to adult facilities…

TASTE:

We had been invited to sample their 2 course dining experience at their award-winning restaurant The Carreg Las but unofrtunately we arrived too late. We got a thumbs up from other journos and bloggers though so apparently this is well worth the money. Instead we were treated to a takeaway on arrival which was pretty woeful. I had a curry dish that boasted just two lumps of lamb.

Drinks onsite are expensive but I expected that. The off license is therefore a good option for some pre-evening drinks in your lodge. We did also feel that the restaurants and bars closed a little early but are thinking this is because we visited the resort off peak.

The best meal we had was actually in the Adventure Centre where we grabbed a hot sandwich after the high ropes action - this was lovely and a real indication of what you could expect from the village eateries.

EXCITE:

We kicked off with a high top ropes adventure in the Steep Ravine. We received half hour of very detailed and thorough instruction from a rather cute looking instructor, then took off on our own to tackle various obstacles in the trees (with the zip wire at different stages topping at around 50 feet high). This is more exciting than the gateway offering at Center Parcs as you are literally responsible for clipping yourself to each of the obstacles.

We also tried a spot of rock climbing in the Adventure Centre - or rather Craig did. Turns out that I’m not so good at climbing…

We asked another couple what they had paid for the experience and they quoted £40 per head. This seems slightly excessive for me and £40 should be access to the Sky Wire (a series of scary looking zip wires) too which looked ridiculously exciting.

AMUSE:

We them sampled some serious ho-down action at Camp Smokey’s - a bar in the middle of the forest. This is an atmospheric bar with marshmallow pit, campfire and rustic wooden seating that looks straight out of an American adventure camp.

At £25 per head this is more than reasonable. You get a camouflage cap and a smear of face paint on arrival (to bring out the GI Joe in us all), then a compere does a fabulous job of getting you drunk and helping you making a fool out of yourself. A dance-off saw people summoning their inner David Brent and Tink Jane even treated us to the Moonwalk! The live band were brilliant and played a mix of folk songs and pop as we ate, drank and danced.

You are provided with a 2 course BBQ meal, and there are lots of hidden extras such as a jar of warmed cider on arrival and chances to win teapots full of beer. The food was fine but they could have taken it one step further. For big parties, a hog roast would have really lent itself to the vibe and army-style tuck tins would have been cool. Craig also mentioned a BBQ glaze or smokey flavour would have been more fitting.

I don’t want to detract from just how awesome this night was though. I made plenty of friends and it was a great opportunity to let our hair down without the children. Our night seemed to end too early (11pm) but I suspect there’s a late license for peak times.

RELAX - SPA

We were then offered a spot of pampering at the Well Spa Retreat. I later discovered sample session is offered as an add-on for all the guests (at £40pp extra). I’m guessing this is the same all year round. My problem with this is that we were all invited to arrive at 9am which perhaps would have been better staggered given there were so many of us using the facilities.

We were given breakfast within the spa which was a little disappointing. We were expecting some healthy options (real juices, fruit teas and fresh fruit) but this seemed to be a repeat of the day before with all-butter croissants and instant coffee - not really befitting to the environment we were in > I should point out this might have been an alternative brekkie for us journos as we didn’t check out the actual menu within the Spa.

The facilities were pretty impressive when we found our way around (a guided tour would have been useful!). All towels and dressing gowns were provided, as well as flip flops for hygiene purposes. The staff were welcoming and well presented - gorgeous in fact, so bonus for the boys.

The hydro pool was lovely and relaxing and the perfect temperature for an outside dip. There was also an impressive array of generously proportioned sauna rooms which were well explained with info notices. A little music might have improved the ambiance and encouraged people not to chat amongst themselves - I was totally guilty of this.

I’m not sure the spa was big enough to justify an entire weekend of pampering but I could see there were plenty of additional treatments available. I didn’t have time to check out the prices on this but am kicking myself for not getting a nice massage and my nails done. A treatment menu on reception might have swung it for me!

The Park Itself / Extras

It’s a beautiful picturesque setting and very well laid out. Everywhere you look the views are breath-taking. There was the option of buggy hire that goes about 5mph and seats up to 4. Personally I think these aren’t worth the money and you’re better off on foot. I appreciate these are pretty much essential for families though.

On the subject of buggies, we had to endure a pretty eventful late night check-in. The site is car-free meaning you’re instructed to offload then park up in a long stay car park. In the light of day this would have been fine but I suggest when night falls that extra staff on reception might have offered you a buggy lift from the carpark to your lodge. I got hopelessly lost on this trip and ended up having to be rescued by Craigy. Funnily enough, the checkout was as simple as ever. You literally just place your lodge keys in a box as you drive out.

Part of the problem was that lighting around the park was low and poor. I appreciate why this is the case but it can be hazardous and confusing if there’s a little mist. This was also the case at the top of the path leading to Camp Smokey - you go from bright neon to pitch darkness - this is quite disorientating when you’ve had a few. A neat little idea might be to hand out cheap torches when you enter the site. Oh and definitely don’t bother packing heels!

All in all, you might think this is comparable to Center Parcs. I’d be inclined to say this isn’t the case and Bluestone offers a break that’s just that little bit more unique. We had the best time we’ve ever had in the UK and are full of praise for such a fabulous and pretty place. Our package probably equated to £500ish which isn’t cheap, but if you enjoy holidaying closer to home, this is a must-see and you won’t feel short-changed.

Bluestone is also social! You can check them out on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest deals - and head to BluestoneWales.com to book for yourself