When we first booked our break at Parkdean Vauxhall Holiday Park, one of Erin’s biggest worries was that we wouldn’t be staying in a caravan at what she calls a ‘caravan park’. As we were new to Parkdean as a whole, we thought it would be a good idea to try something different so we booked to stay in a Sandpiper Apartment.
Checking-in
During the booking process online we chose to pay a bit extra (£59) for the earlier check-in time of 1pm, so that we could make the most of our day. As we arrived on the park, our check-in details were checked at the security gate then we were given directions to reception.
The process was really smooth and after only a couple of minutes and a few details being checked, we were on our way with a welcome pack and a map. The route to our accommodation had been marked on the map so finding our way around was really easy.
Location – Sandpiper Apartment 45
Sandpiper Apartments are located at the bottom left of the park map and relatively near the entrance. We were allocated apartment 45, which was the furthest away. This isn’t as bad as it sounds though as it only took a couple of minutes in the car, or it’s a 5 minute walk from Reception. There’s a gate pretty much opposite this apartment which turns into a short cut to the security gate, if you don’t fancy walking through the park.
Parking
There are parking spaces right near the apartments however, not all are right outside. We had a short walk from the parking spaces but it really wasn’t far and not much of a big deal. However, our booking said we had a dedicated parking space which wasn’t really the case.
We had someone drop us off at Vauxhall as I don’t drive. When we arrived plenty of parking spaces were available and I think this was because we paid for early check-in. Later when we walked back to the apartment after going out, there were no free spaces and we weren’t actually using ours.
The apartment
Being so used to staying in caravans, I was really looking forward to staying in something different. As soon as we got to the apartments we were a bit worried about there being both lower and upper levels, and we had not been able to pick. We lucked out though with a ground floor apartment but the surprise of not knowing would make me rethink booking this again.
Open plan living area
Inside, the apartment was much bigger than I thought it was going to be. As you open the door there is an open plan living/ dining/ kitchen area. There’s plenty of seating with a sofa and 2 armchairs, as well as a large dining table with 4 chairs. We loved the electric fire and TV as it had a really cosy feel.
The kitchen is just big enough but there is so much storage. We had more than enough space for all of our food between the kitchen cupboards and the fridge/ freezer. In fact, there was so many cupboards that we kept forgetting where we had put some things.
Bedrooms
We had a 2 bedroom apartment which had a main bedroom with double bed and the second bedroom had 2 single beds. Both rooms were really spacious and much bigger than what you would get in a caravan. Mum and Erin always share the second bedroom and they were so happy to see how much space they had.
Both rooms have a wardrobe and they come with so many hangers. You won’t have to worry about space for your clothes here, which was a nice change. Each room had storage in a slightly different way e.g. 1 room had a wardrobe with drawers as well as hanging space.
Something that is lacking though is somewhere to get ready. There are no mirrors in the bedrooms and the second bedroom doesn’t have sockets next to the beds that you can access easily. I missed being able to get ready/ do my hair etc. in a bedroom so this was quite awkward for the week.
Bathroom
When I opened the door to the bathroom I couldn’t believe how big it was. We’re used to tiny bathrooms at Haven in the caravans but that’s definitely not what you get here. Instead of just a tiny shower there is a bath with overhead shower, as well as sink area and toilet with lots of floor space too.
While the idea of the bath/ shower combo was great, in reality it wasn’t. The bath is really thin and very slippery, and it’s quite tricky to even get the water right, especially the temperature. My Mum didn’t feel particularly safe, which wasn’t ideal. Me and Erin ended up showering at swimming for most of the week so it wasn’t a big deal for us.
There’s a large shelf area so lots of place to put your things, and a heated towel rail. This is ideal for drying your towels after swimming and we really made use of this over the course of our holiday. There’s a mirror in the bathroom too but we found getting ready in there a bit awkward, just in case any one else needed to be in there at the same time.
Pros and Cons
Cons
The apartment wasn’t the cleanest. Now, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t dirty as such but there were areas that had been missed. Tops of things were dusty, the mirrors were streaky… that kind of thing.
The heater in my bedroom didn’t work and I had a really rubbish small plug in heater to use if I wanted to. I chose not to. The apartment was quite chilly in early April so I was glad that I’d packed a couple of jumpers, otherwise I would have struggled.
The hot water wasn’t fantastic. It took close to 5 minutes of running the hot water from the taps for it to be warm, and that isn’t it being hot. This took a bit longer.
You might not be lucky with your neighbours. Being in a ground floor apartment meant that we did have some noise from upstairs. Luckily, it wasn’t too bad and it was mostly when they were coming or going.
Pros
Compared to a caravan, the rooms were a lot more spacious, especially the second bedroom. Mum and Erin really enjoyed the beds not being nearly on top of one another, and having loads of storage space for both of their clothes.
We loved that there was space for a decent sized dining table and 4 chairs. Haven caravans tend to have tiny dining tables and not even nearly enough space for the chairs to go around. We love to do crafts or play games on holiday, as well as needing somewhere for lunches so this was perfect for us.
The beds are really comfortable. I had such a good night sleep, and the option of extra pillows (they were inside the wardrobes) was great. I like quite a few pillows so this was ideal for me.
Would we book an apartment again?
I really liked the apartment in comparison to a caravan. The extra space was great and things like having a bath compared to just a shower made a big difference for us. However, the biggest issue is not being able to pick where you are located and the chance of not getting a ground floor apartment. This alone would put me off and I’m not sure if I would book again because of this.
