Riddings Wood lodges

The staff member at reception was lovely and check-in went smoothly, but the stay went downhill from there. The cabin was very basic and a little worn, with mould marks and patch-up work in the bathroom. It was mostly clean apart from some dust, but the kitchen was poorly equipped: no oven or food prep tools such as a chopping board or knives, just cutlery and a tin opener. The bathroom only had towels, with no mat, shampoo, soap, or shower gel. For somewhere described as “luxury,” it lacked the little extras you’d expect. The outside area was filthy and noisy beside a busy road. Leaves and dirt were everywhere, including on the dog bed and in the hot tub. They had left a net for the tub and a brush for the AstroTurf, but I expected this to have been cleaned before we arrived. There was no privacy either, since guests on the path could see you as soon as you got out of the tub, and there was nowhere to put towels or phones. We didn’t realize how dirty the hot tub was until we turned on the jets. Grime collected around the edges, and there was an obvious brown waterline. My husband went to reception, but no one was there. We had an emergency number, but we didn’t consider it an emergency and didn’t want to disturb anyone at night. I filmed it to show them in the morning, tried cleaning the grime and running the jets again, and kept checking, but the water still wasn’t clear. We gave up and didn’t get back in. When I put the cover on, I saw a piece floating in the bottom that looked like the filter cover, though it was a hollow tube and may have been missing a part. At checkout, the older woman at reception, who was apparently the manager, was abrupt and dismissive. I showed her the videos and she said she couldn’t do anything because we hadn’t reported it at the time. My husband explained that nobody was at reception when he went there. She said we should have called the emergency number because she lived on site, but we hadn’t been told that and didn’t want to bother anyone over something we didn’t think counted as an emergency. It felt like we were being penalized for trying to be considerate. She didn’t seem to care, so I said I’d let people know what the place was really like. As we left, she replied, “ok, we've had threats like that before”. I asked what she meant, and she said I was threatening her business. I told her I planned to share the video I’d shown her, to let potential customers see what to expect. It was probably the worst customer service we’ve had at a campsite, which is saying something since we live full-time in our camper. We later contacted the parent company, but they forwarded my email to Riddings Wood's manager. The response was similarly dismissive and rather pompous. She basically said I was lying, that nobody could see grime in the hot tub, and that someone had apparently heard me being rude and shouting at her. I assume that was to cover herself with the parent company. Awful place, avoid.

The hot tub stayed clean and at just the right temperature. The facilities were great, and the staff were lovely when we arrived. It was very quiet overnight, apart from the owls, which we were hoping to hear 🦉.

Set near the woods, the lodge had a cozy, inviting feel and made for a really peaceful break. The layout was nice, with a porch and a hot tub tucked away for complete privacy. Loved the atmosphere. 10/10, I’d stay again. Thanks 😊

Beech Lodge was spotless and cozy, with a hot tub, private BBQ, and decking area. It’s in a lovely spot at the edge of the woods, and there were plenty of cooking utensils. Staff were happy to help with questions. I’ll definitely stay here again.