Luxury Lodge Retreat

Andrea Hill on 05 December 2020
Wow! Where do I begin? As a family, we've stayed at numerous luxury lodges in the UK but this one really was something special. We only went for a short break, but would have happily stayed for much longer. The English Riviera (Brixham, Paignton & Torquay) is our favourite part of the country and somewhere we've visited extensively over the last 35 years! However, this was our first time at this particular lodge. The lodge was set in an exclusive development of 15 lodges in a private area of a country park. Countryside views surround it but you're only 3 miles from the beach too. The lodge we stayed in was clearly very new and the owners had put so much thought into extra special touches that made it a real 'home from home'. The photos really don't do it justice at all!

As soon as you walk into the lodge, you can tell it's good quality. A small utility room is the first room you come to, complete with sink, washing machine, cleaning equipment and a little goody bag for any dogs you may have in your party. This is a perfect area to dry dogs off after a muddy (or sandy) walk! The living/dining/kitchen area is open-plan and spacious with a 2 seater sofa, 3 seater sofa and armchair with footstool. The large Smart TV has Amazon Prime and Netflix accounts already on it to enjoy at your leisure plus a DVD player and Wii-U console. Next to the fireplace is a really snuggly dog bed (looked brand new) for your furry friend to enjoy and a chest containing books. The kitchen was well-stocked with two dinner services and two cutlery sets to choose from, numerous pots and pans should you wish to cook and a Nespresso machine for your morning cuppa. The usual suspects of cooker, microwave, hob and dishwasher make this a well kitted out kitchen. There were even additions of foil, cling-film etc. in the drawers. We've often found lodges lack enough cutlery and crockery but this one certainly didn't! The dining table was situated by the patio doors overlooking the expansive countryside views. Stepping out onto the large decking area, the views got even better and we were lucky enough to see an owl on one of our evenings. The hot tub was a lovely touch and used several times. A good patio table and chairs and an area to put disposable BBQ's made this a great family outdoor space.

The lodge has two bedrooms but can sleep 6 people as the 2 seater in the lounge is a sofa bed. The master bedroom has a king-size bed (very comfy!) and en-suite shower room with WC and a HUGE walk in wardrobe! Lots of room to hang your clothes plus masses of shelving too. On further inspection, we found binoculars, a good hairdryer, extra fleece blankets, extra cushions, a Dyson plus more crockery! They really have thought of everything! The second bedroom is a twin and has plenty of room (this is where the wi-fi hub was situated, so great for the kids!) with a wardrobe and drawers for storage. Then the main bathroom is just along the corridor.

As you can tell, we really liked this lodge and will definitely return soon. The owners have really gone out of their way to make it the perfect countryside retreat. All of the attractions of the English Riviera are on your doorstep too. We visited Brixham, Kingswear, Dartmouth, Torquay and Paignton during our stay. I could go on all day about what the area has to offer, but I'll save that for another blog in the future. If you'd like to stay at this lodge, please ask me for details.