Help! Moonfleet Manor or s/c house near Lulworth Cove?

[TheDuchessOfNorksBride]

DH & me, DCs aged 6, 4, 3 and approx. 7 week old baby. And the dog.

Do I go for hotel convenience or self-catering privacy? I really can't choose.

Has anyone stayed at Moonfleet? What is there for the DCs if it pee's with rain?

TIA

Moonfleet's nice but expensive. There's a big indoor play area. We were there a few years ago. Seem to remember you can't take children into evening dinner, don't know about babe-in-arms.

I prefer SC if we are going with the kids. I hate to have to 'shush' them on holiday, and prefer not to worry aboiut meal times etc

No children at dinner? That's a bit crap.

If we went to Moonfleet I was going to book a Coach House (we need the space!) so not too much shushing required.

It's a family hotel, so anyone going for quiet is in the wrong place. No shushing needed. They do a children's supper/high tea at 5.30, which is why dinner is grownups only. I think we were in the coach house too - it's not in the same building as the main hotel (and restaurant). DS was three-ish and dd 6 months and they were fine, there must have been a listening service.

We had a weekend at Moonfleet about four years ago and the children absolutely loved it, big games room, small but adequate pool and we were happy with the children eat first and we eat in grown-up splendour later thing. However, not a good deal if you have a baby who won't settle - they do baby listening so every so often the receptionist would come into the dining room and everyone would look up with 'oh god, I hope it's not us' expressions on their faces. I had a hard time settling DD3 who was 18months at the time and almost missed dinner as a result as last orders were at 9pm. But it really is lovely and there is a friendly spaniel you can take for walks and such.

I think we'll take the house at Lulworth. I like having dinner with my children (fraek) and I wouldn't leave a tiny baby with a listening device. So Moonfleet Manor doesn't sound suitable.

Thanks everyone.

If you want any info then let me know we live there, also have fab babysitter if you want to go out for the night.

I would go to Lulworth SC if it were me. I seem to recall Moonfleet being in West Dorset and Lulworth is nearer to more things I would personally want to do.

at living at Lulworth.

We went to Moonfleet Manor with our dd1 then aged one in late 2006. The setting and the food was fantastic, but I thought the rooms were small and a little faded for the money you paid, plus the pool was not wonderful. The creche looked good but dd would not stay in it on her own.

People did bring their children into dinner for the earlier servings but we left ours asleep in bed and used the listening service, which worked fine. However not sure I would leave a 7-week-old baby up there alone unless it was the best sleeper ever (in fact I now also have a 7-week old and although she's pretty good she wouldn't settle long enough for us to go for a meal in the evening without her).

All in all I did enjoy Moonfleet and would probably go back but look for special offers as not sure it was worth the money. But I don't think I would go with a baby.

Friends of mine went there very recently and said it's become a bit faded too. I'm sure they said they took their children into dinner with them? They were polite about it, but not sure they'd go back.

have you thought about the Bull in Bridport?
Have stayed there nad Moonfleet.

bull is a posh pub, not with proper child facilities but very pro-families and does children'd tea if you want it.

have a look at the website. We had the big suite, with 2 ds 3, and 5. Worked well.

can I recommend a house on the coast path between Osmington and Lulworth - it's where I have spent many lovely holidays in the past with my family - owner is friend of my parents- it's right beside the sea with loads of lovely walks, beach ...nr enough to Weymouth for entertainment, etc ? is here - I love it White House