We visited Butlin's for the first time in 2024 - here's our honest family review

As we look back (and recover) from what was a whirlwind of a trip to the Minehead site – and its new amazing Skypark – we've already embarked on booking next year's trip.

Truthfully speaking, I think the first thing to make clear is – Butlin's can be as cheap or not-so-cheap as you want.

We stayed in the West Lakes Village and while the chalets are lovely, picturesque and cater to every need, they aren't the cheapest. But there are a lot of less costly accommodation options on offer, they are just (obviously) more basic.

The chalets are super handy for families - well equipped with a dishwasher, fridge-freezer, cooking facilities and even a little 'helping hand' pack that includes those essentials that you always forget on a weekend away like dishwasher tabs and washing up liquid.

A highlight for us were the large doors opening up onto the green - with frequent visits from the resident ducks and rabbits, the bunk beds (the kids loved these) and the fact there was a bath, which is just so handy for little ones including babies and toddlers (we had a three-month old with us too!).

A modern touch - and one I really liked - was the fact you can text housekeeping with any issues. We needed clean bedding for my daughter and within two hours of sending the text the beds had been remade.

There's just so much to do. Splashworld is phenomenal fun - for kids and adults - we rode the Master Blaster waterslide five times. The queues were long, but then again we did visit on the first weekend of the school holidays - and the wait was worth it.

The indoor water park has slides, flumes, a lazy river and a wave pool. You could spend the entire weekend there and think it wasn't enough time. There's no need to book this and it is included in booking cost. Lockers are available – don’t forget to bring a £1 coin.

There was go-karting, archery, football, t-shirt design, pottery painting, free soft play, and a free fairground (one outdoor and a smaller children's one indoors).

There is so much included in the price for a trip to Butlin's - free entertainment and activities - we enjoyed a panto, Peppa Pig show, Skyline Gang's Frozen adventure just to name a few.

A nice touch was the all inclusive drinks package - meaning your drinks are prepaid and all you do is show your wristband. It is just £25 per adult, per day and includes soft drinks, spirits, wines, draught beers and ciders, and Costa Coffee.

There are performances from big-name acts including The Masked Singer Live (we saw this and it was fabulous, but we won't ruin the fun with any spoilers) and Stephen Mulhern, alongside Justin Fletcher and Peppa Pig for the little ones.

In the words of my six-year-old, the Skypark is just simply "the best park ever". The climbling towers make it a winding pathway to the top with the option to make your way down on a transparent tunnel slide. This is also included in the price of your break - and it's open until later for the bigger kids in the school holidays.

Extra costs do appear- however- the go karting is extra, and the bungee trampoline, archery and climbing, bowling and the arcade - but there's a enough to do that's included in the price that you could go without doing these.

There's no need to spend a lot if you make the most of the included activities and entertainments (and there's plenty).

But if you can afford a more extravagant stay - then the little extras make it so much easier for a chaotic family like ours.

From the time we arrived, all staff were friendly and helpful. Our rooms and bed were spotlessly clean and comfortable, the food was lovely and well prepared. Like I said, we will be back to Butlin's again next year.

Check-in and check-out was easy and stream-lined - and although you can feel there's a lot of people there, there's so much to do everyone is very well dispersed around the site.

We opted for premium dining - which was an all-you-can-eat buffet for breakfast and dinner. The options were plenty and tasty, we all enjoyed it. But we could have easily self-catered, cooked in the chalet, ventured to the restaurants and eateries on site or even popped into Minehead.

Butlin's for us was honestly fantastic fun - however it's not for the faint-hearted. Be prepared for non-stop action from the moment you arrive until the second you check-out. When I asked my daughter what she wanted to add to our review she simply said: "It was the best holiday ever" - and that for us says it all.

What you need to know

Book a trip at https://www.butlins.com/resorts/minehead

A trip for two adults and two children for Minehead | 28 - 01 August 2025 (4 nights - peak time) | costs: Standard room: £498, £505 for silver, silver suits £535, comfort rooms £545, comfort apartments £625, gold apartment £727, deluxe suites £819, comfort plus apartments, £846, West Lake Chalets from £1124 per unit, seaside lodges from £1595, Bayside apartment £1787

Address: Warren Rd, Butlin's Minehead Resort