Woodlakes Park — Local services in King's Lynn and West Norfolk

I visited Woodlakes between 26th and 28th June 2024.

I booked Acorn 1, which was nothing like the website image. There was no daybed (I called reception and they said that it had been taken away for repair)- I asked if we could move as it was nothing like the pictures and they said that Acorn 3 was free and we could move there.

Acorn 3 was a physically smaller Pod, but had a 2-tier garden area, with a daybed and firepit, decking, the Acorn and the hot tub. The Acorn was small with a 2-seat sofa and a drop-leaf table with folding wooden chairs. The bathroom is a wet room style. The fire pit still had debris from previous guests, which we thought was because it wasn't originally booked out on our dates, and there was also a broken stool in one corner. One of the chairs for sitting on the deck was also damaged. There was no bin, and so we had to resort to attaching a bin bag to the broken stool in the corner.

Our main problem was that the bathroom/wetroom door did not shut- assuming because the wood had swollen due to the heat/dampness. The radiator in the bathroom was on full blast- if you touched it it was painful- and we could not turn it off. We visited during a mini-heatwave and it was 28 degrees outside, but it felt more like 38 inside with the radiator on and the bathroom door unable to be closed and keep the heat in.

We arrived for our 4 PM check-in, and the paperwork inside said that reception closed at 5 PM on weekdays. We had to do our best to air out the Acorn and prop the bathroom door shut on the first night, but it was very uncomfortable. I had brought a fan with me but it did not help much, as the Acorns do not have windows that can open, so they just retain heat.

I phoned reception the next morning and they sent someone to look at the door/radiator, however, they could not fix the door, they just added a lock so that you could shut the door if you were in the bathroom- but the door still couldn't be closed otherwise, and the door did not fit into the frame so there wasn't much privacy. There was no change to the radiator, so unsure if this could be turned off. It is a shame as it made it rather unpleasant to be in the pod, especially for sleeping (on a very thin mattress).

I also asked about the WiFi on site (as the site one did not work in our area, and we couldn't get signal either) and I was told that they do not advertise the sites as having WiFi and only the communal areas had it. I do think in this day, WiFi is assumed and you need to mention if it is not! I also asked for the opening times of the Fusion Cafe that was mentioned on the website, but I was told that it had 'been taken over' by someone else and it was not open. This was not mentioned on the website. This meant that there was nowhere on-site during the week to get breakfast- as Jack's does not open until 11.

On the whole, I was disappointed by my visit. I don't think that the Acorn pod images on the website accurately show what they look like in real life, and there was quite a variation between the sizes. The facilities/amenities offered also do not match what is shown on the website, which was misleading- as we had driven 2 hours to the site, we didn't want to be leaving it all the time to go get WiFi or breakfast etc. I do not think that the condition of the accommodation/facilities is fair based on what I paid for the trip (with a big discount for late booking- what I should have paid would have been more upsetting!)

I contacted Woodlakes directly to let them know about my experience, and I was made to feel like it was my fault for not constantly phoning them about the same issues. The repairman came out to look at the bathroom; I trusted that he had done all that he could and that there was nothing else he could do to repair the door while we were there.

I would not recommend Woodlakes/Acorn pods based on...

I want to express my complete displeasure with this place because they are many things that happened and if I had to list them I would have to write a whole novel!!! The first thing that happened was that when we made the reservation, we repeatedly asked for two adjacent Logs next to each other, this did not happen in the description that they gave us, as the Logs did not correspond at all with what we had afterwards!! When we asked the reception why this is so they said they can't do anything about it even they were rude to us and they said if we argue with them they will kick us out! That's not all the problem continues even when we come to move in they said the keys will be at the door We had to wait almost an hour until they brought us keys to unlock us and the weather was cold and dark and for an hour We waited to they unlock our place!! After they unlocked it for us the problems continued There is dog feces everywhere that we stepped in and the whole house became with dog feces as you can see from the attached photos we asked again we went back to reception to have them cleaned again we were criticized that this can happen Well, we can accept that it can happen, but we were criticized and reprimanded that we sought the right to be cleaned!!! After that the problems continue the connection to the internet was absolutely nothing the tv didn't work i have to turn on the internet from my phone to connect to the tv and this all happens on new year's eve!! After that, the problems continued after New Year's Eve and the power went out for almost an hour, we had no power and we were standing in the dark, I understand And this can happen, we accepted it, however, we stood for an hour in the cold, we also accept this situation even though it is not acceptable and we must in such situations there are backup options such as a unit or something that powers the heating in the event that it is winter season and there are no other heating devices except electricity or gas!! the problems don't end there the problems continue after the power came on and it came back on after about half an hour and the gas ran out on the heating itself It was gone and we had absolutely no gas on the gas hobs or the oven and the radiators We had to stay up all night with a small child at minus three degrees without any heating this is unheard of And unseen this is beyond human capabilities what must be done to withstand the cold outside which is minus three degrees this night and we have no heating either electric offered by reception or somewhere else in the event that we informed them about all this already at the moment when there is no heating This was already at 9:00 in the evening and from then on no one reacted in any way in the event that they know that the evening will be too Cold and the people in the house have no heating!!!!!!! This is simply unacceptable absolutely everything that happened I do not recommend anyone to visit this place Although the comments that have also positive because I am not a person who likes to write negative comments I would accept one two three things to happen that would be acceptable however so many things and not pay attention to the situation that one of the things like the heating that disappeared at minus three degrees and they don't even offer any alternative to say not to move to a house that has heating or to offer us electric heating so that we don't stay in cold at situation that we are at minus three degrees This is absolutely unacceptable and no respect for our customers anyone who wants to visit this place let him do it but I tell me my situation which with a very sad story I describe in detail what...

Our stay at Wood Lakes was generally enjoyable, with some standout features but also several areas needing improvement. We stayed in Cube Two, where the outdoor amenities were exceptional, including a daybed with an outdoor TV and a hot tub that my children loved. Inside, the accommodation was pleasant, with two rooms, a toilet, and a shower room. However, there were several areas where the experience fell short of the luxury standard that Wood Lakes promotes.

Firstly, there was no welcome pack, which would have been a nice touch considering the cost of staying at Wood Lakes. A simple gesture like a pint of milk and other small items would be appreciated. The housekeeping was subpar, as there was hair everywhere—from the walls and door handles to the bed, pillowcases, floor, toilet seats, plates, cutlery, and even the sofa. The bin in the kitchen was dirty and emitted an unpleasant smell, indicating that the housekeeping staff needs to clean the bin thoroughly after each guest’s stay. There was no vacuum cleaner provided, and the furry rug was covered in crumbs and hair. It was unclear whether the hair was from previous occupants or the housekeeping staff.

The exterior of the property also needed maintenance. The windows could benefit from a professional cleaning, and although we were told the cube was just over a year old, there was green mold on the ceiling. The wood on the decking area could use a fresh coat of varnish. Additionally, there was a utility cupboard with water inside, creating a damp smell that seeped into the master bedroom, making it unpleasant at night and throughout the day. This issue needs urgent attention.

Furthermore, Wood Lakes promotes itself as a luxury experience, but the amenities provided in the lodge did not reflect this. There were no complimentary toiletries such as body wash, shampoo, or hand wash. The soap in the toilet appeared to be left from a previous guest and was covered in hair, which was off-putting. We were only supplied with one and a half rolls of toilet paper for a household of four, which was insufficient. Additionally, only one black bin liner and a small bag for the bathroom bin were provided, which is inadequate for a resort marketed as a luxury destination. The lodge could also benefit from air fresheners to create a welcoming ambiance for new guests, as the scent is a crucial aspect of the accommodation experience.

The retreat is aware of its wasp problem, and given that families often stay at the lodges, providing wasp and fly killer spray in each lodge would be a thoughtful gesture that goes a long way in enhancing guest comfort. Additionally, while the on-site restaurants offer lovely food, guests at Wood Lakes should be offered a discount as part of their stay.

The blankets provided for the outdoor daybed were not changed by the housekeeping staff and smelled unwashed, which is not ideal for new guests. We also encountered a broken dishwasher. Although we reported this, the maintenance man and a housekeeping lady sent to fix it were unable to do so, detracting from the luxury experience we expected.

We ended up cleaning and vacuuming the property ourselves to make it comfortable enough to walk on due to all the hair. Furthermore, the customer service prior to our arrival was disappointing. It was impossible to reach anyone via the main switchboard or directly at Wood Lakes by phone. We attempted to inquire about an offer for an additional 5% discount using the code “SUMMERFIVE,” but it could not be applied at checkout. Despite numerous attempts to contact someone about this, we received...