We had the pleasure of staying in the newest hotel at Butlin's Bognor Regis, The Wave. We stayed in a Reef Apartment, which had three bedrooms, a lounge and a kitchen, combining the luxury of a hotel with the freedom and convenience of a self-catering apartment. With daily housekeeping included, it really did tick all the boxes of what we were looking for in holiday accommodation.
The hotel itself is clean and well designed. It is clearly signposted with its own entrance from the road. On arrival we were informed that the car park was full but were told to park outside the main doors in order to book in and unload our luggage. We were then directed to an overflow car park where we were to be picked up by a driver and driven back to the hotel doors. However, we spotted a space in another car park from our hotel room and went there instead. Problem solved!
Checking in was easy although the foyer was very busy and the queue for the lifts were huge with everyone arriving at the same time. We picked up our key cards and our Premium Dining card and made our way to the room.
The lifts were great! Each one was decorated with a different underwater theme and played music. We found our hotel room and from the moment we opened the door we were absolutely delighted. The spacious hallway had a space for shoes, coats, luggage and would easily fit a pushchair (or two!) The rooms all came off this large area.
We loved the attention to detail that has gone into designing the rooms. A blue and yellow colour theme ran throughout the apartment, giving it a sunny feel. The underwater mural in the living area was a lot of fun and the yellow starfish cushion was a huge hit with the kids. The corner sofa was a great spot to watch the wall mounted TV. The kitchen area came complete with a microwave, a dishwasher, cooker and fridge. It was equipped with cutlery, crockery and cookware, so would be perfect for self-catering. There are also table and chairs. A fish shaped chalk board added some fun and the kids enjoyed scribbling up messages. The main bedroom has a king size bed, a light up unit above the bed, built in cupboard space, a vanity unit, a flat screen TV and its own en-suite bathroom. The en-suite bathroom was lovely with a massive walk-in shower with a light-up, colour changing shower head.
There was a bunk room with fabulous built-in TVs and DVD players at the end of the beds. The kids thought this was amazing.
The twin room had its own vanity unit and hairdryer and storage space. A family bathroom was equipped with a big bath and overhead shower. Through the patio doors in the lounge, we could access a wrap around balcony with outdoor furniture.
The housekeeping kept us in fluffy, white towels and ran our washing-up through the dishwasher. The beds were made each day and we were left a towel at the end of the bed which had been shaped as an animal such as a crab and a dog. It was a lovely touch!
I couldn't have been more impressed with our accommodation. It was perfect for us! None of us could fault it. Even down to the complimentary toiletries, dishwasher tablets and the tea and coffee sachets in the kitchen, everything was thoughtfully considered.
Also in the hotel is the Soho bar area and a fantastic games room, the Games Port. The Games Port is a spacious, light and airy area with all kinds of video games for the kids to enjoy. With 3DS, Mac, Wii, PS3 and Batak, the children (and their dad!) were in their element playing the latest interactive games.
At reception you can hire Kindles, iPods and borrow DVDs and DS games. There is also free Wi-Fi throughout the building.
This is a great hotel for families. It was great to have all the amenities of a hotel but still have a kitchen and living areas. We spent some time in the apartment relaxing before going out in the evening. This was really good for Freddy who gets over tired, allowing him to chill out. The kitchen meant we could make him warm milk for his supper or knock up a snack if necessary and make ourselves cups of coffee without having to leave the room.
Our rooms were clean, well maintained, well equipped, very spacious and extremely well designed.
Here is my guided tour video of our accommodation (filmed on day 2 so not as pristine as it had been on our arrival!!)
We were given a 4 night midweek stay at Butlin's Bognor Regis as part of the Butlin's Ambassador Program 2012/2013.