Back in January, I was lucky enough to book a few mini breaks for myself and my family for this year. The first one was to Parkdean Torquay where we stayed in a Totnes apartment rather than a caravan.
Parkdean Resorts Torquay – Our Holiday Cost
I’m well known for loving a bargain and the cost of this break has to be up there with one of the best bargains so far this year.
Booking in the January sale, I bagged us a three-night break for just £69 staying in a two-bedroom Totnes apartment which sleeps up to six people.
This was the cheapest option when I booked but I could have upgraded to a slightly nicer apartment or a caravan for around £20.
I could have also upgraded pretty much any time in the run-up to our holiday, and while I was tempted after reading some reviews of the apartments, I decided not to.
What Was Included In Our Break?
The £69 covered the cost of our accommodation for three nights, access to the nightly entertainment and swimming pool as well as bed linen and electricity for the apartment.
Sometimes when booking a budget break these things aren’t included and you have to pay extra for them so I was really pleased I knew how much we were paying up front.
There is also a large children’s play area and sports court on site which you can use during your stay.
Things that aren’t included in the cost of the stay include onsite activities, towels and sundries in the apartment such as washing up liquid and toiletries. You’ll also need to bring your own tea towels, cloths, kitchen roll and cleaning spray.
For me personally the kitchen was a little under-equipped – if planning to do a lot of cooking during your stay I would recommend taking an extra oven tray, tongs, a wooden spoon, a spatula and a colander as these were the things I missed the most.
Parkdean Resorts Totnes Apartment – Good or Bad?
Before going away on this break I had read some absolute horror stories about the apartments.
Comments online included them being dirty, dated, noisy, disgusting and cold.
I can’t lie, I was starting to get a little bit apprehensive, especially after reading stories of people seeing the apartments and then asking to be moved to a caravan as they are so bad.
However, I really didn’t want to spend any extra money on what was supposed to be a super budget break away with my little family, so I decided we’d see what it was like – expect the worst and hope for the best.
In actual fact, we were actually really happy with the apartment. I didn’t even think it was particularly dated on the whole, other than the bathroom. It was clean, bright and comfy.
Of course, there were signs of wear and tear but nothing I would write to complain about. The wardrobes in the bedrooms are an old style but perfectly functional and really nice and big with plenty of room on top for suitcases.
The bedrooms both had plenty of space around or between the beds and the twin room could easily have fitted a travel cot into it if needed.
The living area was small but functional with a huge window looking out onto the car park and rolling hills beyond.
The sofa in the living room pulls out into a double bed meaning the Totnes apartment can accommodate six people. Overall we felt it was more spacious than your average caravan but would be but probably on the small side for six adults.
All of the apartments in the block have their own balcony. I think this would be nice to sit on during summer evenings but of course, was too chilly for our March stay.
My husband vapes, so this was ideal for him and meant he didn’t have to leave the apartment and go downstairs to vape.
Lots of accommodation providers do use vape detectors to catch people out and we’d already set off the smoke alarm while cooking dinner, so we wanted to be extra cautious!
It’s worth noting that there aren’t any lifts in the apartment block so those using buggies or wheelchairs may want to request a ground-floor room when booking.
Would We Stay Here Again?
Yes, we would stay here again! For what we paid we felt the apartment offered excellent value and more than enough room for the three of us.
While we didn’t use the onsite restaurant or the evening entertainment, it is something we would consider doing if we visited again.
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Onsite Activities at Parkdean Torquay
As this is quite a small site, there aren’t many activities compared to some other caravan parks you may have stayed at.
Swimming sessions need to be booked in advance, six weeks before your stay. I set a reminder and then booked as early as I could. You get 45 minutes and we could book two sessions over our three-night stay.
I honestly would have liked another swimming session and much longer in the pool but I’m guessing this allows everyone to be able to visit safely during their stay. The pool is clean and warm.
Crazy golf is advertised but is in a very sorry state – children were ripping off the green felts and we didn’t even bother asking about it – the whole area could definitely do with a revamp.
The sports court is perfect for letting children run off steam and the adventure playground is large and well-maintained.
It’s also overlooked by the Willow apartments so this could be a great choice if you want to let children out to play and be able to see what they are up to from your apartment.
Tips For Booking Parkdean Resorts Torquay
The park is very hilly so the apartments are a great choice if you want to be close to all of the amenities such as the children’s play area, shop, launderette and restaurant.
These are also only a couple minutes’ walk from the pool, reception area, arcade and evening entertainment.
Don’t be put off by online reviews of the apartments, we really liked ours and had no issues with it at all.
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Parkdean Resorts Torquay is on the outskirts of Torquay and is around a 10-15 minute drive to the beach and main town. There are a few small shops and takeaways around a 5-minute drive away.
Overall we really enjoyed our stay at Parkdean Resorts and would definitely visit again.
Read about our recent stay at Butlins Minehead:
Butlins Minehead Review Spooktober Half Term 2022
Premium Dining At Butlins Minehead Review
Hi we are going next monger
Month could you tell me please is there more than one apartment block?
I don’t think there is. From what I can remember there is just one large L shaped apartment block with two floors.