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Sian Victoria © - Landal Sandybrook Lodges, Derbyshire Peak District

Luxury UK staycation with outdoor hot tub

Going on holiday doesn’t have to involve heading to the airport when there are so many lovely places to experience here in the United Kingdom. In a conversation last year my partner and I realised that we had visited more places abroad than we have in our home country, which come to think of it is a little sad especially when I think it’s important to support British businesses and to explore where you live.

The UK is a relatively small island, but there are plenty of beautiful sights to uncover that are perfect for all the family and best of all your four-legged companions don’t have to be left behind.

When I’m searching for UK staycation destinations, I look for somewhere that I can relax and unwind but also a place that has plenty of things to do nearby, as there’s only so much sitting around relaxing that I can handle. When I’m away all I want to do is explore, be active, experience the local area, find unique independent places to eat and spend some quality time with my partner.

A UK staycation that ticks all these boxes is Landal GreenParks, who kindly invited us to experience their Landal Sandybrook lodges in Derbyshire for 4 nights in mid-August. I had been to Derby town centre before, but I had never visited the Derbyshire Peak District - considered one of the best national parks in the UK.

So, since my partner and I love to hike we couldn’t wait to pack up the car and get our UK staycation holiday started in just over an hour’s drive from home.

The kitchen & livingroom

Sian Victoria © - Kedleston Elite Vogue 1 Spa cabin, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Sian Victoria © - Self-catering kitchen, Kedleston Elite Vogue 1 Spa cabin, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Sian Victoria © - Living room, Kedleston Elite Vogue 1 Spa cabin, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

We arrived at Landal Sandybrook in Ashbourne at 4 pm to pick up the lodge keys from reception. Where we discovered our home for the next 4 nights was in lodge number 37 called the Kedleston Elite Vogue 1 Spa.

The stylish cosy lodge accommodates 2 people and has all the facilities you need for a self-catering holiday with a fully equipped kitchen that features an oven, hob, microwave, fridge with freezer, kettle and dishwasher plus all the essentials such as cutlery, plates, utensils, oven dishes, pans, towels and washing up liquid tucked away neatly in the cupboards.

The kitchen, dining and living room is open plan and has plenty of windows to bring in natural light as well as to make you feel closer to nature when your indoors with there being a lot of trees surrounding the cosy lodge.

The living area comes with Freeview TV, an L shaped sofa, dining table and a log fire that would be lovely to use during a winter staycation. There was also a CD player and a few board games.

After spending the day outdoors, we loved coming back to the lodge in the evenings, using the spa facilities and making dinner to watch in front of the TV. The oven cooked food superfast so we never had to wait long before we could settle down for the night.

The en-suite bedroom with sauna

Sian Victoria © - Bedroom, Kedleston Elite Vogue 1 Spa cabin, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Sian Victoria © - Bathroom with sauna, Kedleston Elite Vogue 1 Spa cabin, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

The Kedleston Elite Vogue 1 Spa comes with an en-suite bedroom and features a king-size bed with crisp white sheets, TV, plenty of drawer and wardrobe space and essentials such as an iron with ironing board, full-length mirrors and a hairdryer.

At night we never heard a sound with the lodge being detached, so it really did feel like we were in the middle of nowhere at night tucked away in the peaceful countryside but with the reassurance of others being nearby.

Apparently, I spend far too much time pampering in the bathroom, but at Landal Sandybrook I sure did since the en-suite comes with a jacuzzi bath and sauna. My partner isn’t usually a fan of baths but as soon as he saw the whirlpool with its several hydrotherapy massaging jets making insane bubbles, he soon jumped in to have one on our first evening in the lodge. After bath time we went in the sauna to sweat it out followed by a shower.

The spa facilities were great for our muscles especially as we both have a lot of shoulder and back pain, so it really did help us relax and fall to sleep quickly.

The bathroom comes with Rituals Toiletries, although they are luxurious, I do get annoyed whenever I see mini single-use plastic toiletries being used in hotels. So, after using them for the bubble bath we took them home to re-use as the containers are easy to re-fill making them perfect to put skin, hair and body products in that you won't find in a hotel so that you can keep up with your beauty regime during your travels without weighing down luggage.

The veranda with outdoor hot tub

Sian Victoria © - Couple in hot tub, Kedleston Elite Vogue 1 Spa cabin, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Sian Victoria © - Breakfast on veranda, Kedleston Elite Vogue 1 Spa cabin, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

In the morning it was lovely to make coffee and sit on the veranda overlooking the site with the Woodland Walk behind us. We would listen to the birds sing and see how many rabbits and squirrels we could spot running around the place. As a treat, we made a full vegan breakfast to start the day, ahead of exploring the local area on foot.

On the veranda, there is garden furniture for two and a hot tub, yes, a hot tub! Obviously, this is where we spent our evenings with wine while admiring the sun that would set in front of our lodge between two trees. We would get out looking like prunes, but two relaxed sleepy prunes after an active day outdoors in the countryside.

There is wifi available in the lodge, although it does say in the welcome booklet that its relatively slow, which it was but we did our best to stay off our phones during the 4 nights so that we could spend quality time together and enjoy the experience in the moment and not be distracted by our social media feeds. By the end of the trip, I was reluctant to get back on my mobile as I had enjoyed the digital detox.

Fun activities to do on-site

Sian Victoria © - Archery, Onsite outdoor activities, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Sian Victoria © - Woodland Walk, Onsite outdoor activities, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Sian Victoria © - Crazy golf, Onsite outdoor activities, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Sian Victoria © - Table tennis, Onsite outdoor activities, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

At Landal Sandybrook there are activities to book for all the family such as Fencing (£8), WaterWalkerz (£5), Body Zorbs (£8), Crossbow (£10), Football (£5), Snorkelling and sea scooters (£10) that are taught by fully qualified instructors.

We chose to do Archery (£12) for the first time and absolutely loved it, I unleashed my inner wannabe Lara Croft and hit gold twice and a few balloons. My partner is competitive, so he was in his element and have both agreed we are going to do archery again as we enjoyed it so much!

We also played table tennis (£5) and mini golf (£2 each) you don’t have to book these activities, simply pick up the equipment at Reception. At Landal Sandybrook there is also an outdoor playground and an indoor heated pool with sauna, plunge pool and jacuzzi that can be used whenever there aren’t classes between 8:45 pm and 8 pm.

Behind our lodge at number 37 is the Woodland Walk which is the perfect place to walk your dog if you’re staying in a pet-friendly lodge. During Spring the woodland is covered in beautiful bluebells, there was a photo of it on the wall in our lodge so it would be lovely to visit at springtime to see them. The woodland walk guides you through a path of pine trees and you may spot a few unusual specimen trees and creatures along the way.

The Coach House Bar and Restaurant

Sian Victoria © - The Coach House Bar & Restaurant, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Sian Victoria © - Couple eating, The Coach House Bar & Restaurant, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Sian Victoria © - Garlic mushrooms on toast, The Coach House Bar & Restaurant, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Sian Victoria © - Vegan sausage casserole, The Coach House Bar & Restaurant, Landal Sandybrook Lodges

Our final evening at Landal Sandybrook was spent at The Coach House Bar & Restaurant located near the entrance, in a historic building with plenty of al fresco seating outside perfect for sunny days in the countryside. We had requested a vegan menu ahead of our visit which they were happy to cater for.

For starters, we had chargrilled asparagus salad and Garlic mushrooms on toasted bread served with salad. They tasted gorgeous I especially loved the bread soaking up the flavoursome succulent mushrooms. For mains, I had the Sausage casserole while my partner had the Vegetarian Chilli and rice. We loved how homely and comforting the meals were which went perfectly with the cosy countryside feel of the restaurant.

Overall, we had four soft drinks, two starters, two mains and two desserts for just under £50, the food and service were faultless, so The Coach House is definitely worth a visit at least once during your stay. They also deliver if your feeling far too relaxed to leave the cosy lodge.

Our time at Landal Sandybrook was just what we needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, to simply relax and indulge in the luxury spa day facilities while also having the benefit of the great outdoors within reach so that we could admire the beautiful scenic green forests and peaks that Great Britain has to offer.

As well as experience new places and activities that we had never experienced before, such as Archery which is going to be our new couple’s thing to do together.

To conclude

So, if you are looking for a staycation in the UK where you can unleash your inner child by doing fun activities on-site, have plenty of places to visit near Sandybrook in Ashbourne during the day and a stylish yet cosy place to return to for relaxing on the evenings than Landal Greenparks is a great place to visit for couples, families and friends with your dogs in tow.

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