First Camp Röstånga-Söderåsen

Our pitch wasn't even big enough for the camper, and when we were moved, a staff member asked us to tell the neighboring campers to stay on their side. Sorting that out shouldn't have been our job. A few pitches hadn't been mowed, either, and loud music carried on well after 11 p.m. The one real plus was how dog-friendly the place is. There are nice walks for dogs. Service elsewhere was poor: five staff, all around 18, took ages to take our order in the bistro when we were the only guests. One of them even played with a football from the kiosk while we ate. Maybe the staff were too young, but it made for a frustrating visit.

The pool was clean and less crowded than I expected. There was plenty of playground space for the kids, though the Wi-Fi only worked at reception.

The cabin itself, number 13, was clean and pleasant, with a big enough bed, lots of windows and useful storage. The bistro food and ice cream were very good, there are several playgrounds, and sometimes they put on music for children and adults. The bus stop is nearby, and ICA is 1.4 km away. But the stay felt like a constant effort to charge for things, with little care when anything went wrong. We arrived at 2:10 p.m. and were told check-in was at 3. To get the cabin earlier meant paying extra. We had come by bus with a small baby and couldn't make it back exactly at 3, so the extra charge felt like money was the priority. The website hadn't made it clear that nearly every activity cost extra, especially after we'd paid a high daily rate for a small cabin. Only mini golf was mentioned as an extra. At reception we found out all the small activities were expensive. They also said there was a problem with the sheets and towels and promised to bring them as soon as possible. Four hours after check-in, close to 8 p.m., we still had nothing, and our baby needed to sleep. We had to go back and demand a solution. The receptionist first said she didn't know what to do because it had never happened before, then a few minutes later found a bag with everything we needed. She seemed careless each time we asked, and we got no solution or discount for the delay, despite having paid for the linen. The pool water was extremely cold, about as cold as the sea, so we wondered why we'd come all that way to swim when the sea was free. It also closed at 5:45 p.m., far too early for a vacation resort. The rental boats looked old and dirty. When we asked about anything besides canoes, the receptionist said the other boats were broken. Later we saw people using pedal boats, which clearly weren't broken. She didn't seem to know what she was talking about. We rented a large bike that was very hard to pedal; if she'd mentioned how heavy it was, we wouldn't have spent 120 kr on it. The cabin had no proper soap, just wall-mounted foam soap that didn't feel like it cleaned my hands. The shower looked old and unpleasant, so we used the outdoor showers instead. The toilet seat was old and uncomfortable. We got only two small trash bags for three days, and they split whenever we used them, even with nothing heavy or sharp inside. There was no salt or other seasoning, and the few power sockets were in awkward, hard-to-reach spots. A kitchen curtain was missing, leaving the window facing the cabin behind us uncovered. Our bedroom window looked onto the outdoor toilets just 2-3 metres away, with constant movement and noise. The water supply was right outside the cabin, too, so there was no privacy or quiet. It got very warm inside during the day and cold at night, so we had to turn on the heaters. Many other guests were mean or loud, with some playing music after midnight. The TV had just three channels, which made advertising it seem pointless. We also heard other customers complain about mistakes, and staff responded in a cold, careless way. The extra costs were a huge downside, and the whole place left us feeling that making money mattered at every turn while customer care didn't.

The help from the staff made it easy to find a spot. They let us walk around the site and pick the place we liked best. We chose a lakeside pitch, and for us numbers 152-161 are the best locations. There’s a shared kitchen and a usable fridge, though no freezer. We'd read that the tent sites could be windy and that you had to take whatever spot you got, but decided to try it anyway. It was quite windy, though manageable. If you don't want to pay more for electricity, you have to use the tent area; for a few extra crowns, you can choose your location. We had a beautiful time.