OK - here goes. Would love to give you the low-down on KH, but had to leave (stressfully) within than 24 hours of similarly stressful arrival, so perhaps we?re not the best people to ask. Chose KH because of location (level walk to lovely beach) and reputation for looking after families with tinies. Please note that I am aware of the stupidly high standards I demand of hotels and that the vast majority of the population would be very happy with somewhere that I would shudder at, and if anyone reading this was there at the same time as us, I?m sure you had a lovely time. That said.....
Getting there was a pain - what should have been a do-able 2 hour journey was turned into over 3 hours by lorries and harvest tractors. D?oh! So we arrived after the lunch sitting. Virtually the first thing the receptionist said to me was we?d missed lunch so would need to drive to a pub down the road. DS (11m) was seriously overdue lunch and afternoon nap and had been waging WW3 in the back seat with his (2y 10m) sister for the previous 45 minutes - so a drive to the pub was not what any of us needed. Luckily the head housekeeper (I think), called VIcky - and the BEST person there by a long way, happened to be passing reception and said that they?d been saving lunch for our two in the Children?s DIning Room.
DCs loved lunch and we repaired to our rooms for naps. Now it?s not often that you can get 3 interconnecting rooms I know and we were picky about this (because DS is such a light sleeper and they?d never shared before so we didn?t want to ruin a holiday introducing the concept). But no-one told us you?d have to go through one of the children?s rooms to get to the other. Put DD in her bed, closed the door and put DS in his cot and sat in our room listening for the tell tale sounds of all hell breaking loose. Didn?t take long. DD although knackered decided, being in a new place, she would chat and sing her way through nap time, DS unable therefore to get off to sleep thought he?d join the caterwauling, so naps cancelled. There was no way we could have gone to DD to calm her/bribe her to sleep without brushing past DS and disturbing him. DW thought she?d politely ask at reception if there was any other configuration available and was (very) rudely treated by the receptionist. BTW ?baby listening? does not apply for daytime naps - so even if they had slept, one of us would have had to have stayed in the room.
Rooms were clean but cold and smelt damp and decor was c1973.
We cut our losses and got everyone up and went for a walk down to the beach - fine - DD and DW had a quick chilly paddle and we yomped up to high tea. Again fine. Good set up.
After tea we played in the playground which DCs loved and suitably knackered (all of us) we prepped them for bed. They went down all right and we got ready for dinner (I also went and washed and sterilised bottles in the 24 hour access Childrens Dining Room kitchen which had constant milk and cooled boiled water and Baby Organix available - very useful) - by this stage we thought we might actually enjoy ourselves. Baby listening in the evening involved a housekeeper sitting outside our room and listening - great.
Drink in the bar and into dinner. Menu was slightly disappointing (roast turkey and trimmings/lemon sole in white wine, cream and grape sauce/smoked salmon & halibut salad) and exceptionally speedy of service explained why. Everything pre-prepped and kept warm then sent out quick. So dining room virtually clear by 9.30pm - think we were last to leave. Clientele appeared to be 80% over 80 and the rest tired young parents. We were entertained over dinner by the medical ins and outs (quite literally) of the lovely 90 year old lady three tables away which we couldn?t fail to hear and enjoy. I guess if you?re used to/expecting this kind of meal it?s fine, but for the money we were paying, I?d hoped for a bit more finesse and choice.
Anyway after coffee in the lounge where very little chatting going on, we decided to turn in. To cut a long story short, DS woke 3am, possibly teething, possibly just waking in a strange cot and unable to get back over; DW tried to calm him, he was having none of it and cried big time. Major thunder storm kicked in which didn?t help matters. DW said she didn?t feel too good, I took over with DS while she beat a hasty retreat to bed. Eventually (4.30am) DS wiped out . I climbed back into bed and DW rushed out to the loo where she spent the rest of the night returning the lemon sole to its watery home.
When you get ill, the only place you want to be is your own bed. In the morning we decided to get DW home asap and notified reception before the DCs and I had breakfast. I packed up, packed the car and went to settle up. I explained that our hasty departure was due to DW?s food poisoning, but they were having none of it and invoiced us for the whole stay (which was a lot). I refused to pay on the basis that their food had caused the problem in the first place but in order to get away without a lengthy fight which DW didn?t need, we met half way, but still left with a bad taste (in many ways) in our mouths.
Trip home was worse (wouldn?t have thought it possible) than before.
Didn?t get anywhere near the pools - so can?t report back on them.
So that was our much needed holiday. We aren?t going there again. We probably won?t go on holiday again.
Needless to say no fudge was mined, sorry .