Ilam Hall YHA

Accommodation was large/clean/excellent showers and spacious. The food was completely delicious and lots of it. The staff were fab. We went to Elf school and the 4 year old cannot stop talking about it a year later!. The organiser was fantastic and there was a whole host of well resourced activities. My 9 year old hated it and in hindsight I should have left him to just play pool outside the main hall! Boy ..did he show me up! Still, that was my fault. The hall is beautiful and the environs superb. Cannot recommend a great value break enough!
Well done YHA-brought hostelling into the 21st century!

I stumbled across this place last year when doing a Google search for a cheaper alternative to Lapland. I didn't hold out much hope that it would be anywhere near as good, but my family really really enjoyed it!

Basically ILAM HALL is a youth hostel in the heart of the Derbyshire Peak District. It's an amazing building with beautiful Gothic archways and amazing features, it sits in National Trust grounds and certainly has the wow factor.

Last year was the first time they had done the Winter Wonderland package, and it was really great. It's a 1-night package, where you arrive at lunch time on the first day. The children are welcomed by elfs who give them hot mulled berry juice, and then take them off to elf school where they do all sorts of things like make toys, learn to speak and sing in elfin, make their own elf hats etc. The activites went on all afternoon and were all based inside, so it didn't matter what the weather was doing. The staff pitched the activities to suit children of different ages, which was great as i have an 8 year old and a 4 year old, and both really loved it.

There is then a Christmas-themed meal with loads of choice for the children (my sons a picky eater and the kitchen were great at catering for him). Then the children write Christmas wish lists and have a Christmas bedtime story with hot chocolate.

We were a family of four and had a four-bedded bunk room which was made up of two bunk beds (which the kids loved). It was fully ensuite with toilet and shower - very basic, but modern and spotlessly clean. I actually slept really well as the beds were very comfy - I did hear that they have some rooms with double beds in, but they are very popular and I've never managed to get a double (I always seem to leave it till last minute to book!)

Anyway, the next day was my favourite. After breakfast the children spend the first half of the morning decorating Christmas biscuits and makin decorations to take home. Then you go on a big treasure trail around the grounds (take coats and wellies as it's outside). It was just beautiful, and we ended up in a secret lodge where we just happened to find Father Christmas!!! The kids thought that this was amazing - he gave them a present and they gave him their lists which they had written the night before. You then go back to the hall for a light lunch before going home.

It really was a lovely day, it cost