We take our children to stay at the Radisson Blu hotel on the River Wear in a great location in Durham
Name
Radisson Blu Hotel
Where is it
It is overlooking the River Wear in Durham city centre, in the northeast of England, a mile from the cathedral and the castle.
Durham is a really beautiful city, full of culture and charm and there’s also loads to see and do.
What is it
This is a four-star hotel with 207 bedrooms.
Radisson Blu hotels are part of the Radisson Hotel Group. (Other brands in the group are Radisson Collection, Raddison, Radisson Red, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and prizeotel).
The company describes the Radisson Blu hotels as ‘memorable, stylish and purposeful’.
Is it family friendly?
Yes, our room was perfect for a family and the swimming pool is the icing on the cake.
The rooms
Our family room was a good size, split into two areas – a spacious bedroom for us and around the corner, an area for the children with a sofa bed. Both areas have a tv and a desk.
There’s also an en-suite bathroom with an array of toiletries. The room was equipped with tea and coffee facilities, dressing gowns, iron and ironing board, safe, hair dryer and ice bucket (ice is available along the corridor).
Food and drink
The hotel’s Collage restaurant serves breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner.
Breakfast is a buffet with a range of good quality hot and continental items including pastries, croissants, cereals, bacon, egg, mushrooms, toast, cheeses, fruit and yoghurt.
We stayed over a weekend and it seemed particularly busy on the Sunday morning.
There is a separate big bar area too, serving drinks and bar snacks.
Our highlights
*Our room was a fabulous size and a perfect layout for us with the two sections.
*The location is brilliant – we could walk everywhere we wanted to visit in the city centre.
At night, it’s a short stroll along the river to bars and restaurants and an Odeon cinema at The Riverside.
We particularly like the relaxed nature of the Food Pit – a street food hall. Set up like a restaurant but with seven independent food vendors offering different menus, so everyone can choose from a different section but all sit together. Food included Greek, Thai, Mexican, plus there’s a bar and an ice cream/waffle dessert option. There’s even pizza and chicken nuggets and chips if you look hard enough.
*The swimming pool – we LOVE a pool and this one, at 15 metres is a great size. There were even a couple of lanes sectioned off for lane swimming.
*There is also a good-sized gym/fitness suite, but we didn’t have the tine to try it out, we were too busy swimming!
Our video tour
Nearby
*Durham Cathedral
This UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the best examples of Norman architecture in England and has been in use for almost 1,000 years.
Of more interest to us though, is the fact that it has been used in the Harry Potter films.
The Cloisters served as Hogwarts’ quadrangle and outdoor corridors including the scene where Ron has a spell backfire and pukes up slugs.
And the Chapter House was used as McGonagall’s Transfiguration class.
This part is usually closed but we managed to see a bit of it by peering through the keyhole!
Browns Boats
Hire a traditional rowing boat and make your way along the River Wear.
Seaham
Collect sea glass along the shore at Seaham, it’s surprisingly addictive.
Locomotion
This railway museum is a free attraction. It has trains of all shapes and sizes and is in Britain’s first railway town, Shildon.
Beamish
Beamish – the living museum of the north, is a great day out for all the family. Near the town of Stanley, it tells the story of the people of North East England in the 1820s, 1900s and 1940s.
We discover if Cofton Holidays is as good as it sounds for a break with children
Name
Cofton Holiday Park/Cofton Holidays
Where is it?
Cofton is at Starcross near Dawlish in south east Devon, 20 minutes from the M5 and Exeter.
What is it?
It’s a five-star holiday park. The 80-acre site is family-run and has won multiple awards and we are very impressed, it’s one of the nicest holiday parks we’ve stayed at.
Is it family friendly?
Yes, very much so, there are lots of facilities for children – indoor and outdoor pools, an arcade and a woodland adventure area.
There are indoor and outdoor play areas for younger children and bookable activities.
It’s a great holiday park for children – our two love it as do we.
Accommodation
There are various options – from camping through to more luxurious options.
Luxury lodges at Coftons
You can take your own tent, caravan or motorhome.
There are static caravans, luxury holiday lodges with hot tubs and holiday cottages and apartments to choose from.
We stay in a static caravan in a great location, next to the centre where reception, the pools and restaurants are based.
Our static caravan
It is warm and cosy with two bedrooms and very comfy beds. The main bedroom has an en-suite, and there’s a separate bathroom with shower.
The double bedroom
The kitchen/diner/lounge is open plan.
The lounge area
It feels modern and clean, very comfortable with everything we need, except maybe a dishwasher!
The kitchen area
Food and drink
Two of the restaurants on site serve from the same good menu.
The Swan pub is on the ground floor and includes an outside patio.
Swan Inn
Amelia’s upstairs is bigger and also includes outdoor seating overlooking the pool. There is a soft play area off this restaurant for under-eights.
Evening meals and Sunday carveries are also served in the Warren Retreat – an area which hosts children’s discos, live cabaret and other entertainment. This area is closed when we visit due to Covid restrictions.
Warren Retreat
There’s also a fish and chip takeaway and a small shop selling essentials including bread and milk.
Facilities
*Swimming pools
There’s a lovely heated indoor swimming pool, which we use nearly every day. It is perfectly warm and a real hit with us all.
It is all one depth, there are splash taps and large, clean changing rooms.
Indoor pool
There’s also a heated outdoor pool, open over the summer, great for warmer days.
Outdoor pool
*Arcade
There is an arcade with lots of games. It also has American pool tables and a mini tenpin bowling alley with four lanes.
*Gym
*Woodland adventure area
At the top of the site and at the base of a forest Is a wooden adventure area complete with zip wire, assault course and climbing nets.
Woodland adventure play area
*Playground
There is an outdoor play area with swings and climbing frames.
*Soft play
There’s a soft play area for younger children (closed when we were there due to Covid restrictions).
*Coarse fishing
Anglers are well catered for here – there are well-stocked fishing lakes and fishing competitons. Assisted fishing is available for adults and children. All fish caught are put back into the water.
Entertainment
There are activities for children in the day – when we stay, youngsters can learn to fish or try pond dipping. At other times there are children’s discos in the evening and other entertainment.
Learning to fish
Nearby
*Beaches
The nearest beach is the Blue Flag beach at Dawlish Warren. It’s a 35-minute walk or a seven-minute drive. There’s a big car park next to it which can get busy and a fun fair. Life guards are on duty during the summer months.
Dawlish Warren
*Dawlish
The town has a river, sea walk, crazy golf and places to eat plus Dawlish Town Beach.
Dawlish
*Haldon Forest Park
This is 3,500 acres of woodland with three walking trails and four cycling rails (bikes can be hired).
We also see a few groups on Segway tours.
*Exeter
Exeter is twenty minutes away, read our review and guide for visiting Exeter with children.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome at Cofton – and are even allowed in the Swan Inn. Plus there are loads of dog walks in the area.
Covid restrictions at Cofton 2020
Coronavirus restrictions were in place for our visit – we find the site to be very clean and the staff are fantastic.
Precautions have been taken – activities and entertainment adapted, pool sessions are an hour and need to be booked and there is an app you can use to order food in the restaurants.
Masks have to be worn by adults in the shop, reception and arcade.
There is hand sanitizer in key places such as at the playgrounds.
All in all, we feel very happy with the arrangements.
Try to book pool sessions, activities and restaurants before you go if possible as they are popular.
We take our children to review the all-inclusive Clubhotel Riu Oliva Beach in Corralejo, Fuerteventura
“Everybody is naked,” said my brother in a mock whisper.
The glorious beach at our hotel in Fuerteventura is full of surprises.
Not only is Corralejo bigger and sandier than any beach I can remember. With gently crashing turquoise waves, perfect for the children to try out their new bodyboards. And camel rides along sands which stretch for miles from the front of our hotel, the Clubhotel Riu Oliva Beach Resort.
Bodyboarding in the sea on Corralejo beach
But one day as we turn right out of the hotel and venture further along in search of rock pools, we unwittingly gatecrash a naturist section.
This eye-opening experience was not part of the plan for a family trip away to celebrate my mum’s 70th.
My embarrassed mum picked up her pace, I tried not to snigger like a child while the actual children with us didn’t bat an eyelid, except my eight-year-old nephew who asked if it was legal.
While I had carefully dressed my son and daughter in their UV swimsuits, the youngsters in this area were in their birthday suits, while relaxed adults strolled in and out of the sea.
And the giggle we had about it later (apologies to naturist readers) confirmed this as a holiday to remember.
Hotel
The Riu Oliva Beach is a huge, all-inclusive resort set back from the sands.
We are Riu regulars and love the good food, child-friendly pools and fun feel of their hotels.
We knew this one was soon to be refurbished but the location more than made up for the slightly tired surroundings.
One of the pools at the Riu Oliva Beach hotel, next to the beach
The hotel is divided into a main tower and a lower rise annexe area better suited to families, where we stayed.
Our family room had a lovely large balcony, double bedroom and two single sofa beds for our children.
Swimming pools
There are two swimming pools – the fish-shaped one was where we spent most of our time. It is well designed for children with varying depths and an island to swim around.
The fish-shaped swimming pool at Clubhotel Riu Oliva Beach Resort
On one side is a handy shop, filled with temping inflatables for the children and buckets and spades.
Restaurants
On the other side of the pool is the smaller of the two main buffet restaurants.
There is also a restaurant specialising in Asian cuisine and another boasting Canarian favourites.
Our party of 11 – aged from three to 70 – all found something to their taste.
Entertainment
There is children’s entertainment daily with a party at 5pm, plus an adults’ show every night at 9.30pm.
A children’s disco would also have been welcome in the early evening which we have had at other Riu hotels.
All-inclusive
All-inclusive here means just that, all we paid for all week was a camel ride along the beach. And our inflatable dolphin for the pool!
Having all your food and drink included certainly makes it easier when you are in a big group as we were.
Surroundings
The nearby town of Corralejo has a pretty square, markets, a water park plus a ferry to nearby Lanzarote.
But we found plenty to entertain us at the hotel.
A camel ride along Corralejo beach
In conclusion
Mornings in the pool, afternoons at the beach and evenings enjoying the food, drink and entertainment.
One magic show for children was especially good.
You might find plusher venues in the Canaries but I doubt you will find one in a better spot to enjoy the landscape.
Just remember to watch where you walk if you want to explore the sands.
Or pack extra sun cream.
*For a more detailed review of the hotel, see here.
Accommodation: We stayed as guests at Clubhotel Riu Oliva Beach Resort, an all-inclusive hotel in Corralejo, Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, Spain, for the purposes of this review. All opinions are our own.
