When we were offered the chance to visit Potters Resort in Norfolk, which is the UK’s only five star holiday village, we jumped at it. We knew this wouldn’t be the kind of holiday we normally go on, but it sounded such fun – with the opportunity to play all sorts of sport, have all your meals cooked for you, and to see a show. We'd definitely recommend it for half-term or upcoming school holidays and we saw lots of families there with grandparents too. It really has something for everyone!
[kad_youtube url="https://youtu.be/VU5OUlcXfK8?list=PL21MnxVphOzI2A8wn1ejWBYSXpgwMIkGw" width=200 height=100 ]
Here, Robert writes about our weekend away, which we all enjoyed.
[caption id="attachment_2733" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
Trying out pitch and putt with the sea behind the course![/caption]
Robert, aged 11, says:
I loved going to Potters Resort as there was such a variety of things to do. You could take part in a swimming gala, learn how to skateboard, play some badminton or just relax in your room. The options seemed endless.
The gift shop is where you can book the sports you want to play, either at that moment or for later on. Just before your scheduled time you come in and collect all the equipment you need from the back of the shop. It's all very well-organised.
You play badminton in half an hour slots and we did this twice over the holiday. We were put on one of the four courts and had loads of fun. We don’t normally play it, so it was a really nice thing to do, but the badminton at Potters was very popular (and rightly so). This meant that lots of families wanted to play, so we would recommend booking a slot straight after breakfast (you can only book on the day).
In the same hall as badminton is “Cliffhanger”, the climbing wall which was one of my favourite activities and would recommend for both adults and kids. Each group has a ten minute turn - which does result in a bit of time waiting - and then, after putting on their harness, each person picks one of the six sections to start on. Each one is harder than the last, and you can climb them all if you like - you’re allowed to swap sections throughout the ten minutes. One thing I really liked about Cliffhanger was that you could time yourself by pressing a button at the bottom and top of the wall to start and stop the timer. You can go climbing at nearly every point of every day so be sure to have a go.
We enjoyed playing squash although it should definitely not be a priority. The balls weren’t that bouncy and you had to pay a pound every ten minutes for the lights to stay on, but it was still fun. I loved playing table-tennis and as there were eight tables to play on there was always one free. We did it a lot over the holiday as it was a quick and fun thing to do when we had spare time.
[caption id="attachment_2736" align="alignnone" width="675"]
On the bungee trampoline[/caption]
On two of the evenings we also went and played darts which I’d never done before. I turned out to be pretty good! I don’t think many families knew about it or knew that children could play so there was never anyone there. It was a really nice end to the day, playing darts with my family.
If you’re the sort of person who likes getting really frustrated about hitting a little white ball, then the pitch and putt at Potters resort is the activity for you. My dad loves golf and completed the course twice over the holiday, bringing me along once. I was awful and didn’t find it that enjoyable but it was my dad’s favourite activity. I much preferred playing crazy golf which we all had a good laugh over. It only took half an hour and was really fun.
Some of the other sports you could have a go at were archery, tennis, bowls and curling. The kids could play a footy tournament in the evening (I did this one night) or get football coaching.
At Potters there are also a whole range of activities you can do sitting down, like the quizzes at the Terrace bar. There was one on Disney, one on sport and even one on TV theme tunes. They were all great fun and didn’t involve any energy. You have to pay and book for Bingo in the evening but disco bingo was free. It involved songs instead of numbers and was a really nice thing to do. At 9.15 every night Potter’s theatre company puts on a show. You don’t have to book or pay and can come in and leave at will, although mum thought the show we saw was a bit old fashioned.
You have to book to go on the giant swing which is on practically all day, every day. The staff running the swing haul you and one other person up 10 metres before letting you go. It is very fun when you are swinging like a pendulum but can be nerve racking when you’re on the way up. I did feel a bit scared (you can see me on the swing in the video).
[caption id="attachment_2737" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
Trying out laser clay shooting![/caption]
Laser clays is a really fun activity that involves shooting moving targets in the sky. We were given a gun that was altered so it shot non visual lasers and had a go at hitting flying Frisbees. People over 13 can have a go at rifle shooting and people over 16 can try normal clays, instead of lasers.
Every evening there was an inflatable assault course for both adults and kids, I did it with mum and we really enjoyed it. Each day in the same hall was a different type of “vehicle” to try and master. There were skateboards, segways and even go-karts. Bungee jumping was really fun and so was the sweeper (an inflatable with a spinning arm that you have to jump over. This was my favourite activity at the resort.)
Potter’s Street fair was held the day before we left. You could go around the stalls winning raffle tickets in the ring toss and hook a duck, listen to the band or help yourself to free candyfloss and popcorn. The fair was really nice and I would definitely pop by, even if not for the whole time.
Around the resort there were various amusement arcades with machines where you try to grab a toy, air hockey, racing games, Pacman and my favourite an old fashioned pinball game. In one of the arcades there were slot machines that the kids could use, and amazingly, I won the £5 Jackpot! The arcade beside the bowling alley was by far the best as you could win and save up tickets. Each one was worth one penny to spend in the shop so if you won 100 tickets playing the games you could get a voucher for £1. This is much better than most arcades where you just win tickets for pretty rubbish toys!
[caption id="attachment_2738" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
Yes, Robert needed two desserts.....[/caption]
My parents liked the fact that they didn't have to do any cooking at Potters all the food is provided. There is a huge dining room and set times for three meals a day (plus the possibility of a midnight snack if you want one). The desserts were delicious and there was always a vegetarian choice for the meals too. The main courses were so-so, but there was always something nice to eat and you never really had to queue for anything.
Overall I loved going to Potters Resort and would recommend it for all ages. It is right next to its own beach, and there was a big swimming pool which we didn't even try out because we were so busy doing other things. I loved the fact that there was so much choice of what to do and would definitely go back again. All the staff were very friendly and helpful and we all really enjoyed it. Please watch our video above to see more!
Disclosure: We were hosted by Potters, on the Norfolk/Suffolk coastal border, for a family break in order to write about the experience for our blog. However, no one from Potters had any input or influence on this post.
To find out more about Potters, visit their website or ring 0333 3207497.
The resort offers family breaks and various 1 night breaks with special guests, with upcoming stars including Dame Joan Collins and Brian Conley.
We stayed on a three night family Weekend Peak Summer ShowBreak in August 2016 in hotel premier rooms. For two adults and two children the inclusive break cost £1,386.
MORE ON NORFOLK:
What to do in Norwich
A boat on the Norfolk Broads
Seeing seals at Horsey BeachLabels: activities, Blog, Norfolk, Potters Resort, UK