Press trip
I have always loved the Isle of Wight as a nice little break away so, when the opportunity came up to head over for a couple of days at the end of the half term break last week, I was more than happy to oblige. We are only a 45 minute car journey from Lymington, where the Wightlink ferry terminal is, so we left on one of the early crossings to ensure we made the most of our first day on the island.
February half term is actually a really quiet time to visit the Isle of Wight as it is out of season, with many of the attractions not yet open for the year. Most disappointingly Blackgang Chine wasn’t open, which I love and had hoped to take the kids to (the last time we went was when Carly was only a year old and Benjamin wasn’t yet born). We will just have to go back once it opens again in the spring.
Fortunately the themed crazy golf along the front in Shanklin is open, so after we drove off the ferry, we headed there and the kids had a wonderful time playing on the pirate themed course whilst my dad warmed up with a coffee and bacon roll.
We decided to go to Sandown next, which is where our guest house was based, so that we could leave the car in the car park and explore more at our own leisure. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, we felt very lucky for a visit during mid February. The sun was shining so we got ice creams for the kids and then headed to the pier before stopping at a bar and drinking Mermaid Pink Gin out on the terrace.
After checking in at The Wight, a lovely guest house just a few minutes walk from the seafront at Sandown, we headed straight for the pool area which the children were really excited for. As it was the low season, the pool was pretty much empty when we first arrived and before long we had it so ourselves, which was really nice. My dad used the sauna and steam room and I chilled in the jacuzzi and swam a few lengths whist the kids jumped in and had a great time together. There was a games room in the leisure centre area too, but we didn’t get round to playing.
Our room had two single beds and a double and comfortably slept the five of us, although it would have been a push had my youngest been any bigger. The room was very warm (a little uncomfortably so at one point), but there were fans in the room and the windows were able to be opened, so it wasn’t an issue.
The restaurant isn’t open out of season for dinner, but we were aware of this beforehand. There are plenty of local restaurants and takeaways to choose from just a short walk from the hotel, and the bar is open with a happy hour offering 25% off drinks which is good.
The next morning, before we checked out, it was time for breakfast. We were all really impressed with the menu, which included a Full Monty and a Jurassic (double the size), as well as various other options and a continental selection too. The only thing I would say is it is strictly table service only, not a buffet for the continental and juice, which did mean the kids were left wanting more juice during the meal. I thought it was really good that the breakfasts were all included in the price, apart from if you wanted to upgrade to the Bucks Fizz breakfast with smoked salmon, which carried a supplement.
The breakfast itself was tasty enough and hot, which is always good. The older two kids had a Full Monty breakfast and my youngest opted for just sausage and beans. I liked that they could swap out whatever they wanted to make it suit their needs, which isn’t always the case at hotels.
Checkout was at 10am, but we had only sat down for breakfast after nine so were a few minutes late. The staff were really friendly and we left happy with our stay I would recommend if you are looking for somewhere to stay in Sandown. It wasn’t too far from the ferry terminal and there was lots to do within a short distance, including the beachfront bars and the pier, under five minutes away on foot.
Overall we really enjoyed our short but sweet visit to the Isle of Wight. It did end up raining on the Saturday and was very grey and windy so we ended up getting an earlier ferry back home (very simple to do, we turned up at the terminal and asked if we could get an earlier crossing and were booked onto the next one without hassle.
I will definitely be heading back when Blackgang Chine is open again. Although it was nice to be able to explore the island without the crowds, it is frustrating how much is closed out of season and I would love to head back when I can sunbathe on the beach.
We were gifted our ferry crossing and overnight stay, however all words and images are my own.
