De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel review: a relaxing lakeside getaway for families

Our verdict

Given its name, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’re booking a hotel with access to log flumes and splash pads, but in reality this family-friendly retreat is set within the 180-strong man-made lakes that make up the picturesque Cotswolds Water Park. 

With its beautifully decorated lobby, sleek bar facilities and host of meeting and conference facilities, it seemed quite adult-orientated at first glance, but we saw plenty of families with small children enjoying a weekend away - and wherever we went during our stay, we were greeted with a smile.

Rooms range from basic to deluxe, and there are suites and holiday apartments (sleeping up to six at a push) to book too, as well as pet-friendly rooms and facilities including a dog wash station. We enjoyed dining at the two on-site restaurants - the Brasserie and the Boathouse - both of which served huge portions and a crowd-pleasing children’s menu. And the breakfast buffet was a hit with our three kids. 

With well-equipped rooms, access to amenities including a swimming pool, a playground and board games, gorgeous waterside views and lots to do in the area, it’s a stunning spot for a relaxing weekend escape with kids. 

How we tested

I stayed at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park hotel for two nights in September with my husband and three children aged 10, seven and five. We stayed in one of the hotel’s holiday apartments which consisted of two ensuite bedrooms and an open-plan kitchen, dining and living room with a sofa bed. 

During our stay we had dinner at the Brasserie and the Boathouse restaurants, both of which offer far-reaching, lakeside views. We also enjoyed a swim in the Spa6 pool and took advantage of the on-site facilities including board games and the playground. We went for a two-hour walk from the hotel to explore the surrounding Water Park. 

How family-friendly is De Vere Cotswold Water Park?

From the goodie bags full of treats including three De Vere cuddly mascots to the spa pool, nature walks and on-site playground, my kids loved every minute of their stay, which of course made mine and my husband’s experience all the better!

It gets a big thumbs up for the breakfast buffet alone (more on that later, but let’s just say a substantial choice of breakfast foods + three kids who’ve never experienced a hotel breakfast before = Christmas morning levels of excitement).

While it might not be the first choice for families looking for a large range of kid-friendly on-site activities and adventure (such as an actual waterpark), if you’re looking for a base from which to access nearby Cotswolds attractions - from nature trails to paddle boarding, archery and farm parks - it’s great. 

What are the rooms like?

Rooms are decked out in soothing blue shades to reflect its lakeside setting. Our two-bedroom holiday apartment was impressive, with plenty of space in both our bedroom, the twin bedroom where our youngest two slept and the open-plan kitchen, dining and living room. Everything was very clean (though there were a few spiders we had to catch!) and both bedrooms included a handy range of amenities including tea- and coffee-making facilities, a hair dryer, an iron, a TV, a safe and a travel cot. The bathrooms were similarly spotless and had good-sized baths and showers and the kitchen was fully-stocked with essentials.

As a family of five, we used the sofa bed for our eldest, which slightly restricted the use of the living room during the evening. As a weekend stay, this wasn’t too much of an issue for us - my husband and I watched TV in our room after she’d gone to bed on the first night and on the second she was allowed to stay up a bit later. I could see this being a problem for families of five or more staying longer than two or three nights though. 

The apartment also featured two balconies, one accessible from the living room and master bedroom and the other private to the second bedroom. 

What’s the food like?

We ate in the Brasserie restaurant on the first night and The Old Boathouse on the second. The children's menu was the same for both but there were a few differences in the two main menus. At the Brasserie, my husband and I shared a charcuterie board followed by a braised beef dish, both of which were very tasty. The kids had BBQ chicken tenders as a starter (phenomenally good), followed by pizza, pasta and ice cream/chocolate brownie. The children’s portions were so generous that my 10-year-old struggled to finish her pudding (which she was most put out by) and my five-year-old didn't eat more than a slice or two of his nine-inch pizza (managed his brownie though, miraculously!) 

On our second night we ate at The Old Boathouse where the kids enjoyed much of the same. My husband had slow-braised lamb shank and I had a stuffed chicken breast, both of which we preferred to the first night's beef (but only slightly, they were both excellent). We had a bottle of red wine which went down very well and my husband had a lemon meringue mess for pudding which he said was really good.

Breakfast was served in the Brasserie and the buffet selection featured pastries, bread, cereals, yoghurts, cheese, meats, fruit (both fresh and dried), and a whole range of cooked options too. The variety was excellent - our kids particularly loved the small pots of jam. It’s a buffet spread and you’ll find hundreds of guests all eating around the same time so it’s never going to feel as fresh as made-to-order dishes but the impressive array of options outweighed any small niggles. 

What are the facilities like?

On the Saturday afternoon we enjoyed an hour-long slot in the Spa6 pool which is a decent size and features massage jets and hydrotherapy showers. There were some pool-side loungers and a relaxing sensory shower as well as some sort of ice bucket contraption I thought best to view at a distance. 

The spa is being refurbished this autumn and while I could see where a few minor improvements could be made such as the odd loose tile and peeling wallpaper, overall it seemed a perfectly decent hotel spa pool. The water was nice and warm, the ambient lighting made it feel like a relaxing place to be (until my three terrors turned up anyway). 

We also enjoyed the on-site playground, which was a good size and catered well to a variety of ages. My kids were happy playing there for an hour or so. We also had a few board games in our apartment which were great (DD10 narrowly losing her first game of Scrabble and DS5 riding the dizzying highs and lows of Snakes and Ladders). Otherwise we spent the rest of our time exploring the Water Park walks nearby. If we'd been staying longer we probably would have ventured further afield to the nearby family-friendly attractions.

Other activities available for guests to book include spa treatments, and an afternoon tea from £25 per person. The hotel’s Lounge & Bar is a great spot for a tipple while enjoying the view on the lakeside deck.

What is there to do nearby?

When we arrived, we were given a map of the hotel site and lake as well as a leaflet with plenty of family-friendly activities and attractions within the Cotswolds Water Park vicinity.  From country parks to beaches, water sports, archery and horse riding, most outdoor attractions can be found within easy reach of De Vere. And the hotel’s website also offers a good range of activities you can filter by type, including city excursions and nights out.

Within walking distance you can find:

• The Real Outdoor Xperience - lake and land adventure centre

• Cotswold Water Park Hire - including stand-up paddle boards, kayaks and rafts

• Bainton Bikes and Discover Bikes - two different bike hire centres

• Lakeside Ski and Wake - learn to water-ski or wake-board!

Within a 15-minute drive:

• Cotswold Country Park and Beach - for sand, swimming, AquaVenture obstacle course, water sports and adventure playground

• Cotswold Driving Experience - rally car and off-road driving adventure for age 10+

• Rein & Shine Equestrian Centre - horse riding for age 5+

• The Cotswold Range - archery and air rifle lessons 

• Cotswold Forest School - includes bush craft, archery, axe-throwing and team-building

• Cotswold Sculpture Park - contemporary and abstract sculpture set in tranquil woodland

• The Corinium Museum - Roman artefacts from the ancient town of Corinium, now known as Cirencester.

As the weather was quite wet and we were booked in for swimming in the afternoon, we were very happy to explore some of the nature trails around the lakes and streams near the hotel, but if the weather had been brighter we definitely would have explored a bit further afield, such as the Cotswold Country Park or one of the water sports activity centres.

About the author

Jenny Wonnacott is a Content Editor for Mumsnet, specialising in writing, editing and optimising parenting-related content. As a parent of three primary school-aged children, Jenny is passionate about making parents' lives easier through rigorous research of products and hotels to produce useful reviews, features, and buyers' guides.