We stayed at the Whinstone Lodges in Jul 2008, shortly after they had opened and it was a truly wonderful experience, with some teething trouble, which we suggested a list of potential improvements and gave back to the owners.

We decided to pay a visit again this year, it is a very relaxing break, nicely located out of the way and very quiet. The lodges are well appointed, this time with a smaller jacuzzi attached to them, but none the less relaxing or enjoyable. The surrounding grounds could do with attention since on arrival it looks like you are driving onto a building site.

The level of service is very nice, with polite and courteous staff (with the exception of one of the waitresses in the restaurant who really had no interest in being there, try getting her to bring you a desert menu or a round of drinks and the request seems to be forgotten within seconds). The food is average British fare, not outstanding, but we have also had worse in the UK. The breakfast is a little disappointing, the chef definitely needs to learn how to make scrambled eggs.

The rooms have been modified a little and some of the improvements we had suggested have been implemented (moving the PC for the sound system to a more convenient location, a luggage stand and mini fridges is all quite nice). Some niggles are still there, such as the light sensor in the shower room, which is poorly located and consequently the lights and extractor turn off at the most inconvenient times (waving your arms around does not reactivate it), one of the blinds was broken and the table in the room has been damaged and left with parcel tape on the edge.

The Jacuzzi is smaller and more convenient for 2 two people now, however we had to get someone back to clean it on arrival due to clumps of ginger hair and other debris surfacing once the jets had been started up. To be fair once we had reported it, this was quickly addressed, however even after cleaning more debris started to appear, suggesting that a more comprehensive cleaning regime is required.

Overall would still highly recommend since the thought and design for Whinstone is exceptionally good, if a little on the expensive side especially in the current economic climate.