I’ll start this post by saying that it is not sponsored in any way and the folks at Croyde Bay resort are not aware of me writing it. We just loved our holiday so much we wanted to tell others about it.

We recently enjoyed a MUCH needed break away. We chose Unison Croyde Bay in Braunton, North Devon as our destination. Swayed by the gorgeous coastal surroundings, proximity to the beach and the VERY attractive looking new lodges, we booked on a self catering basis for 5 nights Mon – Fri and we couldn’t wait to get going. Owned and operated by UNISON , for over 80 years, Croyde Bay Holiday Resort also offers a 15% or more discount for UNISON members.

A 2 1/2 hour M4/M5 drive for us from South Wales we left at around lunchtime as the check in time for the lodges is 4pm. We wanted to be early but not so early we weren’t sure where to go and didn’t really want to pay for parking elsewhere.

On arrival at Unison Croyde Bay we found there is ample parking in the carpark at the top of the resort, there is also disabled parking provided should you require it. There are plenty of luggage trolleys provided for you to push your luggage down to your accommodation, which is very handy if, like us, you have a fair few bags.

The Lodge

We were really pleased to see the gorgeous sunflowers adorning the outside of the balcony at the front of the lodge. We let ourselves in and couldn’t believe how lovely it was, sparkling clean, bright sunny decor and lots of room. A bit like a caravan type accommodation but much bigger.

The TV comes with freeview and a gorgeous fireplace underneath. Although the weather was warm enough not to need the fire itself on we did however use the light feature as it was so lovely.

Dining table area with 6 chairs and table mats/coasters are provided to protect the surface.

Kichen comes with the following appliances:

• Kettle
• Oven/hob
• Toaster
• Fridge
• Freezer
• Microwave
• Washing Machine
• Dishwasher
• Iron

Also provided for your use are:

• Mugs
• Glasses
• Cutlery
• Crockery
• Saucepans
• Baking Trays
• Oven Gloves
• Kichen Bin
• Food Bin

The colour scheme from the living area is continued on into the bedrooms. We were in a 3 bedroom lodge which consisted of a double room and two twin rooms. In the double room there is another TV and an en suite bathroom (bliss!).

In the ‘boiler’ cupboard there is also:

• Clothes airer
• Vacuum cleaner
• Ironing board
• Sweeping brush
• Mop & bucket

Accommodation types available are 3/4 bedroom and disabled access lodges, hotel rooms, cottages and Waggytails cottages that you can bring your dogs along to, although it’s worth remembering that dogs are not allowed n Croyde Beach from May-September.

The Site

On the site there is a playground for the children which we were really happy to see was situated right outside our lodge!

Alongside the play area is a crazy golf course for which putters are provided but you do need to purchase golf balls for £1 in the shop near reception.

Other facilities available are (free of charge to guests):

• Swimming pool (25m pool plus children’s pool)
• Jacuzzi
• Steam Room
• Sauna
• Gym
• Football pitch
• Volleyball
• Table tennis

Eating & Drinking

On the site are 3 bars/restaurants:

The Bay which is the restaurant where breakfast and evening meals are served. Breakfast is an all you can eat set up with the usual full English options as well as pancakes/croissants/waffles/fruit/cereal etc and prices are £9.50 adults and £4.75 children. Evening meals are available as starters, mains and desserts – prices starting from £4 depending on what you fancy! We tried both the breakfast and evening meals and had no complaints at all! We particularly enjoyed the pizza and the chocolate brownie dessert is to die for!

The Dune, a lounge bar open from 5pm – 11pm.

The Plaza, a bar and coffee shop thats serves food and drink. There is also a small shop located within the Plaza with a small selection of items such as milk, bread, newspapers, chocolate etc. Also offered here are board games for you to play (must be kept within The Plaza area).

Every evening entertainment is provided in the The Bay Restaurant, during our stay this ranged from a quiz night to an Elvis impersonator but the best part is the Benny Bear club which is amazing fun for the little ones, it got them up dancing and singing and there were opportunities to have photos taken with Benny and Benita bears. As well as dance along with them to some favourite dances, we particularly loved Baby Shark along with The Benny Bear Club theme song.

The Beach

Croyde beach, which is a walk over the sand dunes has golden sand, rock pools and lots of waves which is a huge draw for surfers. At the far right end of the beach there is a cafe, surf school and shop.

We went rockpooling in the rocks and found little fish, crabs and anenome and the children were fascinated at the sealife.

There were lots of families building sandcastles and playing games and it was busy but not so much that you couldn’t play a game of frisbee!

I’m not going to fib and say the sand dunes weren’t hard going when you were hot and bothered but they are manageable and we all had a good giggle going up and down them.

The Verdict

All in all we had a wonderful holiday and a whale of a time was had by all, if you chose to take all your food with you this holiday is so much good value for money as everything is provided for you between the facilities and the beach. We didn’t feel the need to go looking for theme parks etc as we had enough to fill our 5 days for all the family. All staff were excellent and nothing was too much trouble, we particularly liked Jeff who was very welcoming and smiley.

We have already decided to start saving for next year!