TRIED & TESTED - BLUESTONE WALES

Last month we made lengthy journey south west and headed to the wonderful Bluestone Wales. It was quite a slog getting there I wont lie, taking us in all around 7 hours when we factored in some stops, but on that wet Monday evening we finally pulled up to our lodge and none of us had killed each other on the drive. An achievement in itself. We had a mid-week break up until Friday which meant we had a good few days to discover what Bluestone had in store.

 If you're not familiar with Bluestone Wales it's a little resort in Pembrokeshire with lots to see and do. We were extremely excited to go having read many reviews from other bloggers so when we were kindly offered a trip as part of their 'Bluestone Bloggers' programme, I of course snapped up the opportunity. We set off pretty early on the Monday morning, didn't really hit any traffic and only stopped once along with a supermarket dash yet it still took is seven hours, for two smalls this is awfully long and in hindsight I probably should have thought about that a little more. I have seen some families drove half way to find a hotel and stop over and then carry on next day which is probably a bit more sensible. However, when we arrived we were greeted by a little booth that handed us our key cards and checked us in seamlessly - a huge bonus when you've been in the car already for so long. As it was dark finding our lodge proved to be pretty tricky as the signs aren't lit up at all but we got there in the end, we stayed in number 11 Castle Close. It was a grassholme lodge which I truly cannot fault - absolutely beautiful, spacious and modern. It was perfect and really created such a relaxing and tranquil environment in the evenings.

Our first night was spent unpacking and getting the boys to bed as it was way past their bedtime once we had arrived. I did feel a little gutted that a day had already passed us but I was very excited for the morning. Tuesday morning saw us heading to the 'Adventure Centre', having seen photos online I knew there was something for everyone so that we'd probably spend most of the day there. We wasn't too far from the Adventure Centre and after being in a car all the previous day, the little walk was welcomed to stretch our legs. The views were magnificent and something that really does make Bluestone that bit more special. In the centre you have the main room which compromises of some soft play, high ropes, climbing walls, indoor play centre equipment, arcade machines and a cafe upstairs. I can't lie in saying I was so disappointed with the limited seating, there were a few sofas to perch on which in total would have sat around 10/15 people. A little frustrating when we had intended to spend our whole afternoon there. We headed over to a digger area which Noah absolutely loved, they were fantastic and I dare not think how many pennies he conned out of us to keep playing, but he was having fun and they were very novel. The adventure centre could really be a fantastic place to be if they invested in some more seating, I couldn't sit with Patrick in the under 3's soft play area as it appeared parents were leaving older children to roam free in favour of sitting upstairs in the bar. This meant the areas designed for younger children were full of older ones generally larking around being a little silly. That's not Bluestones fault, but it did taint our experience.

A huge redeeming part of the Adventure Centre was the Circus Room, we loved it. It did get busier at certain points of the day but if you timed it right you could get a good play. There were things for both Noah and Patrick and it did seem as though parents watched their little ones a bit more carefully in there. I wish we'd managed to book a workshop that was held inside as we caught a sneak peak and it looked fantastic. It's a shame there isn't more for younger children, the whole resort seems perfect if your little ones are 6+ as they can partake in the archery, zip wire, steep ravine, wall climbing, high ropes etc. Whereas for my boys the things we could do were seriously limited, in Summer however, I think it would be a complete different scenario.

My favourite part of Bluestone was the Blue Lagoon, I was too caught up having fun that I forgot to take any snaps but it was magnificent. It really made our stay. There was so much to do for all ages; wave machines, lazy rivers, slides, children's pool, restaurants, Jacuzzi's, you really couldn't complain. We spent three hours in there one morning and only for Patrick being absolutely exhausted would we have been there all day. The water was warm and the whole facilities were the cleanest I've ever seen at a Swimming Pool, as for the changing rooms, Bluestone have really got it right. Family changing rooms allow you to all get changed together which made our life so much easier, it just eliminated any extra stress - just what you want on a trip away.

On the Tuesday night we attended the 'Alice in Wonderland teaparty' we waited downstairs in the lobby where some characters met us and guided us upstairs. It all felt very magical and Noah was so excited, in the room the table was laid out beautifully with juice in teapots and popcorn for the little ones. We quickly noticed that even though there was just 9 tables of people, we couldn't see a thing as we were sat behind a huge decorative tree. A beautiful one, but still a complete obstruction which really let us down. The meal itself was lovely, an afternoon tea of sandwiches, cakes, scones etc as well as a separate meal for the children. There was so much there that they had to give you takeaway boxes for you to take some home with you, though I'm sure John would have given a good go at eating them all that night. For £45 though not including drinks, I felt a little stung, perhaps if we had of been able to see the show behind the tree - it may have made a huge difference.

All in all our trip had lots of highs, but some lows too. If I was to recommend Bluestone to a friend I'd tell them to go in Summer time, as there seemed to be a lot locally to do also, including visiting Tenby Beach and Folly Farm. We also noticed a theme park next door which is open during summer months. Lastly, I'll share some of my top tips for Bluestone that I think would help any visitors.

• Hire a buggy if you travel in Winter. We realised on the third day we were getting soaked as the rain didn't let up. By that point I wasn't spending £80 for one days worth. But in hindsight I'd have definitely paid for one from the beginning.
• Get to the Adventure Centre early. It gets busy quick and if you want any hope of having a seat for an hour, you need to be speedy.
• Take your own towels as you'll need them for the Blue Lagoon.
• Buy food and cook in your lodge, we enjoyed doing this much more that eating out as we found the boys were exhausted by the end of the day so sitting in a restaurant wasn't a great idea for them.
• Upgrade your internet. Particularly if you're a blogger, it's worth paying for the premium as the standard internet is a little pants - though you can access it everywhere which is fab.

*We were given a stay at Bluestone free of charge in exchange for a review