Are you trying to decide which accommodation to stay in at Butlins Minehead? This post takes a closer look at the Gold Apartments, situated in the Plantation Quay area of the resort.

We’ve recently returned from another trip to Butlin’s Minehead, this time staying in a Gold apartment, which was a small upgrade from last year’s Comfort Apartment.

Our half-term break last year (which you can read all about here: Spooktacular Half Term) was very enjoyable although this time we decided to try and avoid the crowds with term time mid-week stay.

Once again we thoroughly enjoyed our getaway and I really don’t think you can beat Butlins for free entertainment and activities onsite.

Butlins Minehead Gold Apartment Review

My first impression of the apartment from the outside was that it was going to be really dark inside as the French doors which let in most of the light had the apartment above’s balcony over them.

However, once inside it was actually much lighter than I expected. The outside deck/patio area was in some definite need of TLC although the inside was pretty much immaculate with the only noticeable damage being discolouration on the heater in the living room.

Butlins Minehead Gold Apartment Location – Plantation Quay

Our gold apartment was located in the Plantation Quay area of Butlins. Guests staying in this area use the west car park which is really close to the apartment blocks.

We found getting all our stuff from the car to the accommodation a bit of a fiasco last year so we were very pleased we were able to park so close!

We stayed at 03 Strawberry Square – this is a ground-floor apartment which we chose due to having a five-month-old baby in a pram. It does cost around £15 to guarantee an apartment on the ground floor but this is refundable if you have a blue badge.

This location is close to both the Skyline Pavilion and the Splash Waterworld, however, there is a bit more of a walk to the dining area if you have either of the dining plans.

One thing I loved about the Plantation Quay area was all the greenery – there are lovely green plants and bushes everywhere.

That said, the buildings themselves do look a little run down, with most being in need of some minor refurbishment and a good lick of paint.

I must say though this didn’t affect our holiday and the apartment was absolutely fine on the inside.

It’s worth mentioning that this area and the gold apartment were not affected by the recent flooding at Butlins Minehead.

Butlins Minehead Gold Apartment – Kitchen & Living Area

I personally felt that the living room and kitchen area in this apartment were smaller than in the comfort apartment which we stayed in last year, which is made up for by having the outdoor space with either the balcony or in our case the patio.

However, my husband is adamant the apartment is the exact same size!

Overall this apartment felt a little bit darker than where we had stayed previously and it was quite overlooked from the apartments opposite – anyone coming down the stairs from the upper apartments could easily see into our living room.

This was dependent on our location though and wouldn’t be the same for all gold apartments at Butlins Minehead.

The apartment did lack some of the basic equipment you’d expect – we only had three knives and forks in an apartment for four people although I’m sure these would have been replaced if we’d complained.

However, it did have a complimentary teatowel, washing-up liquid and sponge.

We much preferred the sofas in this apartment as they were much more practical and comfortable for a party of four.

There is no low lighting in the living room so we took a small lamp with us to have on in the evenings when we didn’t want it to be too bright.

The main door between the living room and bedrooms is very heavy – we ended up borrowing a large rock from one of the garden areas to keep it open, but my advice would be to pack a doorstop!

And one final, quite specific thing (not a complaint as such, just something to be aware of if travelling with a baby) our Mam Microwave Steriliser didn’t fit in the microwave.

This wasn’t a major issue as the Mam bottles can be set up to self-sterilise but this is a bit of a fiddly process so using the steriliser would have just made life easier.

Butlins Minehead Gold Apartment Review – Bedrooms

The bedrooms in the Gold Apartment are small but perfectly functional.

We had no issues fitting a travel cot into the double bedroom, however, it might have been a struggle to get it in the double room without turning one of the beds on its side (something I’ve seen people do on YouTube).

As baby M is still very small, we were more than happy to have him in with us.

I liked having a TV in the double bedroom which wasn’t something we had during our previous stay.

Both rooms had adequate storage, plugs by the bed, and a dressing table area.

Butlins Minehead Gold Apartment – Bathroom

As always with Butlins, the Bathroom was small but functional and I would say this one was in much better repair than the bathroom we had at the Comfort apartment last year.

The towel rail on the other hand was quite a bit smaller in this accommodation and didn’t get nearly as warm, so this did make it harder to get our swimming gear dried each day. However, having the patio did give us an extra space to dry towels.

Most accommodation at Butlins only have a shower, but if you’re little ones prefer a bath you could try the shower paddling pool hack to solve this during your stay.

Butlins Minehead Gold Apartment – What We Loved

Here is what we loved about our Gold Apartment at Butlins Minehead:

Great location – Close to the Skyline Pavillion, Splash Waterworld and Car Parking.
Clean and Comfortable – There were no issues with the cleanliness of our apartment and the beds and sofas were comfortable.
Outside Space – We enjoyed having an enclosed patio, for fresh air and drying off towels and swimwear.
Budget Friendly – Compared to other holiday providers, the price was great for the size of accommodation and length of stay.
T.V – We liked having an extra T.V in the double bedroom.
Children’s Play Area – Close to the apartments and would be right outside for some guests.
Maid Service – Midweek change of towels and beds made.

Butlins Minehead Comfort Apartment – What Needs Improving

Here is what we felt needed improving in our Gold Apartment at Butlins Minehead:

Equipment – There should be enough cutlery for everyone staying and we could have really used a doorstop!
Run Down – The Plantation Quay area does feel a little bit run down and in need of some maintenance.
Towel Rail – Much smaller than the ones in the comfort apartments made it harder to dry everything after swimming.

Would We Book A Gold Apartment Again?

We would choose the gold apartment again over the comfort apartment which we stayed in previously, mainly due to the patio area and more comfortable sofas. My husband vapes so he likes being able to head outside easily.

While it wasn’t warm enough to sit out much during our October trip, I can imagine that during the summer this would be a lovely place to relax in the evening.

Overall we felt our Gold Apartment at Butlins Minehead was very nice, especially considering the price of around £120 for a Monday to Friday term time stay. It was clean and comfortable with a great location for both the Skyline Pavillion, Swimming Pool and car park.

Any questions about the Comfort Apartments at Butlins Minehead? Let me know in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them!