Landal Kielder Waterside

I had a brilliant time paddle boarding on Kielder Water with instructor Josh. I’ve done some paddle boarding before, but Josh really helped take my technique to the next level with clear, helpful coaching. He was patient, professional, and clearly passionate—not just about paddle boarding, but about the whole Kielder leisure experience. The tour around the reservoir was stunning, and Josh made it both fun and informative. I’d 100% recommend this experience to anyone, whether you’re a beginner or looking to improve your skills.

This was our second stay at Kielder, returning because we had liked it so much last year. Again we booked an Otterstone Spa lodge, this time being allocated No.4, which was better this time as we had a bigger decked area to the rear, with a view across to the lake. The welcoming prosecco was again appreciated, and the lodge was pretty much the same as we had experienced the previous May in No.7. Since our first visit these lodges now have a combined TV and gas-effect heater unit built into the end wall of the living room- overall this is good, but the heater is very noisy when running- the TV needs turning up to be heard over it and you definitely couldn't use it if someone was trying to sleep on the other side of the wall. A minus point- generally the lodge appeared immaculate, but the wooden top of the bedstead was thick- and I mean, thick- with dust. Likewise, the wall clock in the living room was filthy- this was a great shame to note. Another minus point were the absolutely ridiculous tripod-style bedside lights- great big ungainly things that don't really fit, and prevent you from easily using the actual bedside shelf. Who thought they were a good idea?! BIG fail! Again the hot tub was serviced daily- we actually saw the chap checking water quality and adding chemicals, which was reassuring. We loved using that, and the view from it! We enjoyed two free sessions in the main swimming pool and also used the games room, but again we just took our own food so did not try out the on-site restaurant. The kitchen again had all the basics, but you need your own big frying pan to do a breakfast! Warning- the hot water 1, comes out VERY slowly and 2, is like MAGMA! Overall we really enjoyed our stay; we did 3 nights, Friday--Sunday- and would come again, depending on the price. (We do not consider the experience to be worth a full season four-figure price!)

We stayed in a Woodland Cabin over Easter. The service was excellent from start to finish. The lodge was modern, clean and the site had everything we needed for an amazing stay. The area is beautiful - we walked, cycled, played mini golf, went to Keilder Observatory and went to the Bird of Prey centre. The hot-tub was clean and monitored every day. The on-site shop is well stocked and the restaurant and bar are very good. All the staff we met were polite and professional. We will definitely return.