We've just enjoyed a four day holiday at Hoburn Naish, using an 8 bed Solent Lodge. Four day breaks…read morerequire booking in at reception from 4pm on the Monday. If you require an extra key, there is a £5 deposit.
The Solent lodge has a sun deck with two large green plastic tables and accompanying chair. The gate to the sundeck has a lock on it, high enough to deter small fingers. As you step into the lodge, the dining area is directly to your left (It is a tight squeeze if you are at full capacity, you'll need to keep your elbows in and you will need to pull the table out slightly before dining). The kitchen is next and the cupboards were well stocked with plates, cups, glasses and bowls. There was a full selecting of cutlery, but we found the knives we were provided with were blunt. Reception sent us a new set straight away. The lounge area had two sofas and an armchair, a fireplace, a coffee table, a colour flatscreen and DVD player. As we had a curious one year old with us, we used the coffee table to block the fireplace. There is a storage cupboard in the lounge area
Through a multi panelled glass door, you will find the side door to the property and the first of the two bathrooms. This first bathroom had a toilet, sink, cabinet, mirror, sink shelf and shower. Our lodge had four bedrooms. Reception were able to provide a cot for the one year old upon request. There were two double bedrooms consisting of full wall wardrobes, two bedside cabinets, wall mounted heater, dressing table, trunk and chest of drawers. Very tight squeeze. We had a bedroom with two single beds in and the bedroom we used for the baby where there were an additional 4 mattresses piled up. The second bathroom had a toilet, sink and bath with shower screen.
In the park club, you will find reception, a wall full of attraction tourist leaflets, a mini arcade, ball pit for the kids, a number of toilets dotted around, indoor bar with sports (mainly footie) on a very small tv in the corner of the ceiling, a large hall where the evening's events happen, and another pub that has a garden, dart board, pool table and 2 lane bowling alley.
The arcade has ticket machines that can be cashed in for toys from the in-arcade shop, there are 2p machines everywhere, various big machines like Time Crisis 3, motorbike, car games, pool and snooker tables. There is a snack machine in the foyer next to reception.
Darts has a £5 deposit normally but we had the fee waivered when the barlady couldn't find three matching darts. The bowling alley is £1.50 payable through a slot in the machine. The garden/smoking area is not sheltered.
The evening entertainment at the club consists of early things for kids, kids disco, bingo, quizzes and caberet. I went to the bingo one night which was fun, £1 per book with three games in. I went at the beginning of the season so it was fairly quiet and prizes were between £10 an £30 a game.
The park also has a fully stocked gym, kids pool and adult pool. You need to take your shoes off before entering the changing area. There are four family changing cubicles and umpteen individual cubicles that are too small to get in! I'm a size 12-14, so I'm not too fat to get in them! There are mens, ladies and disabled toilets. The only drawback is there are only two unisex showers that are in full view of the adult pool. I assume they think you'll go back to your lodge and use the shower there. There is a separate hot and cold shower at the end of the adult pool which you use before using the steam room and sauna.
There is also a kids adventure playground on the site, a laundrette and a Nisa shop. The tourist stuff was pricey, but regular stuff was a normal price, chocolate being cheaper than back home!
There is a lovely beach behind the lodge park with sand and shingle, very clear water. The route down to the beach is not buggy/pram proof and I advise you carry your little ones down there. You won't be able to drag the buggy of the shingle/rocks with ease anyway. On the way back from the beach, having taken a damned buggy, we decided to try and find a smoother route back to the lodge park. We discovered Chewton Bunny Reserve which runs alongside the lodge park. Beautiful scenery and ends by a couple steps up to the main road where you can peer down into the weir.
Booking out was 10AM on the Friday morning.
