Do you ever fancy just getting away from it all for a few days? The last couple of years has been stressful for everyone. Holidays abroad being cancelled, lockdowns and self-isolation have all been difficult. So when we got the opportunity to spend four nights in a Kielder lodge with hot tub last November we jumped at the chance. Read on to find out what is was like and whether we’d go back.
Why Did We Choose a Kielder Lodge with Hot Tub?
It was my sister-in-law who found this short break in Northumberland. She spotted it on a Facebook page she follows and thought it would be a lovely idea to spend a few days there. At a price of £545 for four of us for four nights (Monday to Friday) we thought that was a real bargain. And for another £70 she decided to take her two dogs with her … and her husband of course. We loved the fact that they were dog friendly lodges with hot tubs. The hot tub was definitely the factor that pushed us to book.
Click here for more dog friendly lodges with hot tubs in the Lake District and Cumbria
Landal Kielder Waterside Park is owned and operated by Northumbria Water and is situated at Kielder Water and Forest Park in Northumberland near to the Scottish Border. We only live an hour and a half drive from Kielder but have never stayed there before. Shocking isn’t it that we tend to go abroad on holiday rather than stay at some outstandingly beautiful places close to us. But the fact that it wasn’t too far to drive to was also a plus factor for our November break.
Where are the Kielder Lodges with Hot Tubs?
We couldn’t check-in to the lodge until 4pm but we thought we’d stop off for lunch on the way. We live in Gateshead so Warren (my hubby) took the A69 to Hexham, which led on to Bellingham and then onto Kielder Water. I have to say that the roads going into Bellingham are like riding a roller-coaster! You can’t see the road going down until you’re right at the top of the hill … pretty scary. Anita (my sister-in-law), her husband Paddy and their two dogs (Lola and Molly) were driving from Blyth so we decided to meet for lunch at The Cheviot Hotel in Bellingham (a dog friendly pub). Bellingham is a small village just 30 minutes outside Kielder and the pub was very welcoming, with a lovely log fire burning and a good selection of lunches on offer. There’s not much else to do in Bellingham, a few pubs and a handful of local village shops. So as it was quite cold outside and drizzling with rain we spent a relaxing couple of hours in the pub before setting off again for our cheap hot tub break!
Arriving at our Kielder Lodge with Hot Tub
Even though we hadn’t driven far (and taken a break for lunch), it was good to arrive at our destination. The drive into Landal Kielder Waterside Park is a long twisty road with forest all around but it’s quite well sign-posted to lead you to the Reception area. As there were still some restrictions in place (due to the pandemic), we were to drive straight to our lodge where we’d find the keys in a coded security box outside the front door. We had been told there was only one car allowed to park outside the lodge but on speaking to the staff they said as it wasn’t very busy at that time it would be okay for both our cars to park there. Alternatively there was a car park at the bottom of the hill. If you aren’t very fit then it is a bit of a hike back up the hill but I’m sure we would have coped.
The lodge sleeps four people in two bedrooms. One room with a double bed and the other with two single beds. The front door opened straight into the living area with the bedrooms just off from there and a small dining room inbetween them. A leather corner suite dominated the open-plan living room/kitchen area. The living room also had a nice-sized television along with a DVD player. And the kitchen was very well fitted out with oven/hob, fridge, freezer, microwave, dishwasher and a washer/dryer. The floors of the lodge were wooden, plus there was cupboard space for coats and boots. A small bathroom completed the layout and included a bath with a shower over it.
Outside our Kielder lodge with hot tub was a wooden dining table with benches on a grassy area. This would have been lovely in warmer weather but unfortunately we didn’t use it as it was quite drizzly out. There were also some big wooden armchairs just outside the front door on the covered porch area, and following the porch around to the side of the lodge we came to the piece-de-resistance … the hot tub! The hot tub decking area was quite spacious with another couple of wooden armchairs available . The hot tub itself was big enough for four adults and looked onto the surrounding forest. Although there was a fence up one side of the hot tub, it did look straight onto a wooded area which made you really feel like you were in the wilderness.
If you’re visiting Cumbria this summer then check out my post on Quirky Places to Stay in the Lake District
After unpacking our cases and food and drink we decided to go and have a look around … and the dogs definitely needed to stretch their legs too. There were plenty other lodges with hot tubs around but it was pretty quiet and not many people about. Just down the hill from our lodge was the Reception area with a small shop selling basic food items and gifts. You’ll also find the pool and spa area just off the reception. Around the corner from this building was a stunning view of Kielder Water and surrounding forest. I could imagine this being a hive of outdoor activity during the warmer months but in November it was very peaceful. On the side of the lake you’ll find the pub (which also had a soft play area), cafe and restaurant (just in case you don’t fancy sitting in your lodge all week). There were plenty signposts for different walks and Lola and Molly were eager to explore but we decided to leave the walking for the following days.
A Night in The Hot Tub
It was dark when we finished having a look around so as we’d booked a Kielder lodge with hot tub, the only thing left to do was … get in the hot tub! Armed with some plastic champagne glasses filled with Prosecco we immersed ourselves in the divinely warm water and switched on the bubbles. I have to say there’s nothing nicer than sitting in a hot tub in the dark on a cold November evening, sipping Prosecco. It’s probably the most relaxing thing I’ve ever done. I did expect to be able to see the stars in the sky whilst lying in the hot tub, as Kielder is known to be a ‘dark-sky- area but unfortunately we didn’t see any! After spending a few hours in the hot tub we retired to the living room (after getting dried off and changing into comfy pj’s of course) to watch a bit of TV and have a couple more drinks. Then it was off to bed. Warren and I took the double bed (as Anita said the singles were easier with the dogs) and I was pleasantly surprised to find the bed quite comfortable.
What Else Is There To Do at a Kielder Lodge with Hot Tub?
Eating
As we knew there was a good kitchen in the lodge we took some food with us to cook. It’s always nice to have a full English breakfast when you’re on holiday and Anita was very happy to cook. But there was the option of having breakfast in The Hide cafe onsite if you didn’t fancy that. We didn’t take advantage of this but we did visit their Forest Bar & Kitchen for lunch and dinner on a couple of occasions. I’m Pescatarian so I don’t eat meat, which didn’t leave me a huge choice but I did try the fish & chips which were quite nice although they were £12.95 which I thought was quite pricey. If you didn’t want to spend money in their restaurant and you didn’t want to cook elaborate meals then you could actually take some home-cooked frozen meals with you … which is what we did for one of the nights we were there. We also took a good selection of alcohol with us for cocktails in the lodge so we didn’t spent any time drinking in the onsite pub … definitely a good money-saving tip if you’re looking for cheap hot tub breaks.
Activities
There are many outdoor activities you can try at Kielder Water, including fishing, canoeing, archery, biking and axe throwing. There are also some children’s adventure play areas, mini golf and a bird of prey centre. There is also a heated indoor pool, sauna, steam room, gym and spa treatments available. At the time of our visit not all activities were available due to restrictions. Although we didn’t want to take advantage of any of these activities (available at an extra cost), we did think we’d be taking advantage of the walks that were available in the Kielder Water area. Unfortunately Warren hurt his knee the day before we arrived so he wasn’t able to walk very far. We did manage a very short walk along the lakeside which had beautiful views and he was very disappointed we couldn’t do some longer walks. As we did the short walk we noticed a family on a guided walking tour, where the guide was pointing out wildlife and various points of interest and we thought our grandchildren would have loved that.
As we visited in November the walking areas were quite wet and muddy so I’d definitely recommend you take appropriate footwear and clothing … warm, waterproof coats, hats, scarves, gloves and some good walking boots! Actually the walking boots would be a must-take at any time of the year.
You could also visit Kielder Observatory which is billed as “one of the most remarkable places to visit in the whole of the UK. A public astronomical observatory which is second to none, under some of the darkest skies in the world where you’ll find “infinite inspiration” and wonders you could never have imagined!
We didn’t visit the Observatory on this occasion (we really were having a very relaxing break!), but I’d love to visit some time in the future.
What did we think of our Kielder Lodge with Hot Tub?
Overall we had a really nice relaxing short break in Northumberland. The beds were comfortable, the corner settee was quite comfortable (although it was a little small for four slightly overweight adults) and the lodge was warm. The lodge was featured as a ‘luxury lodge’ but I feel it did need a little bit of TLC in places. There was slight damp in the bedroom wardrobe, the lampshade was broken and the toilet leaked. There was also no blind at the bathroom window and as this looked onto the forest with a public walkway … the window was frosted obviously … but I feel a blind would have added a bit more privacy.
Due to the restrictions in place because of Covid, there were no cushions on the settee and no DVDs were supplied. I wish I’d remembered to take some films with us as the TV only had a limited number of channels. However if you’re looking to really get away from it all then this wouldn’t be a problem.
We did use the hot tub every day we were there and it was definitely the plus point of the lodge. I actually missed it when we got home! The maintenance man came and cleaned it each morning too which was nice.
I would definitely recommend the Landal Kielder Lodge with Hot Tub and I would love to go back during the warmer months to take advantage of more of the outdoor facilities and activities … I wouldn’t mind trying archery actually 🙂
For £545 for four people for four nights I think it was really good value for money and an excellent cheap hot tub break.