Folly Farm, the award-winning adventure park and zoo has just launched its luxury holiday lodges for visitors – and this is what they’re like! Join us as we take an exclusive look around the accommodation…
Opened in late 2022, Folly Farm has teamed up with park home and lodge manufacturer Prestige to design and create very impressive on-site accommodation. The new luxury lodges use the rustic “Foresters Lodge” design, which have been themed around the attraction’s remarkable vintage funfair.
The new luxury lodges are the park’s first step in its grand plan to offer more exciting accommodation at its site in Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire. In addition to the lodges that you see here, they will open new luxury glamping options and Kirfau Lodges, also by Prestige, which overlook the rhino enclosure. These are set to open later in 2023, but bookings are now being taken.
Folly Farm is one of the highest rated attractions in Wales and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the country every year. Since opening in the late 80s, it has grown from a humble family farm to an incredible adventure park and zoo with more than 750 animals, where you can get up close with lions, giraffes, penguins, and sloths. There are the more traditional farm animals too, located in the barn.
The family attraction includes several outdoor activities that you can get involved in, including electric go-karts and big diggers that you can try out. There is also a gigantic Ferris wheel that you can ride on, which offers incredible views of the park and surrounding areas.
What is perhaps overlooked and a little less known is the large indoor vintage fairground, with more than 17 rides dating back from the early 1920s. They have been carefully restored over the years to their original glory for all the family to enjoy.
We can’t name them all, but our personal favourites were the Caterpillar ride (it’s unlike anything we have experienced before and you’ll just have to try it for yourselves to find out why), the Jets, Dodgems and the merry-go-around. There is so much to choose from. There are height restrictions for some of the rides, but you can find this out before purchasing tokens or wristbands.
With fairground tunes pumping away in the background, and the smell of popcorn and candy floss in the air, it offers a truly unique experience. No matter your age, you will get to experience the nostalgia of the fair all under one roof – perfect for taking a break from the Welsh weather as well!
There is an additional cost for the fairground rides, however, it’s much cheaper than if you were to visit a fair. The rides cost between 1-2 tokens each (£1 per token), but you can purchase a wristband for £12, offering unlimited rides – which is great value for money. There is also an offer for 4 wristbands for £40 for families.
Explore the luxury Fairground Lodges at Folly Farm
Folly Farm boasts six fairground-themed lodges, each with their own private decking and a sunken hot tub. In the warmer months, they also feature luxury garden furniture, which looks out across Folly Farm, giving sensational views of the countryside and the park’s 82ft Big Wheel.
Each of the lodges have been tastefully decorated with high quality, modern furnishings and finishing touches to give the look and feel of the fairground. Look out for the artwork of vintage carousels and helter-skelters in the bedrooms, as well as the hook-a-duck game in the main bathroom. The fun doesn’t stop when the fair closes, as there is also a basket of fun family games in the living room to choose from, and even a mini popcorn machine for good measure.
The open-plan living space is one of the best that we’ve experienced. The outside view of the lodge is extremely deceiving as you’ll see in our photos, as inside it’s very spacious and you’ll lose count of all the hidden storage available. This is something that the park home and lodge manufacturer, Prestige, is known for. They have very cleverly maximised the space, without making it too busy. We’ve taken away some designs tips that we hope to implement at home, so thanks for that.
The double set of windows and French doors at the back allows the light to pour through during the day, and the outdoor spotlights shining down from the roof make for a calming, relaxing, space in the evening. The decking fencing as you can see in the picture below, offers added privacy.
Although the weather wasn’t the greatest when we visited, the lodge was perfect for cosy nights in, and we did manage to sneak in a couple of dips in the hot tub. The water was just at the right temperature and it is cleaned between each booking. Where it is sunken, it makes it much easier to access. The jets certainly help you relax and hold off any aches or pains from walking around all day.
In the mornings, you wake up refreshed and know you are in the countryside, as you hear the animals waking up as the sun rises, which I suspect is their breakfast time, as well as yours. Luckily, the country-style kitchen is stocked with all the cutlery and plates that you’ll need. The kitchen island doubles up as the hob, so you can cook and tuck into breakfast as it comes along with your family.
Even with their plans to open more accommodation in the spring, there is only a handful of lodges to choose from, making it feel like a very special place to stay, with its quiet, secluded setting.
Finding the accommodation
The lodges are located on the site of Folly Farm, making them the perfect accommodation choice if you plan to visit. You are a 5 minutes walk away from the park’s main entrance. As an added bonus, each booking comes with tickets for your entire stay, giving you unlimited access to the attraction.
The accommodation is accessible, 24 hours a day, so if you did decide to stay and want to explore the rest of what Pembrokeshire has to offer, you can. Tenby is only 5 miles away (14 minutes by car) and so is Oakwood Theme Park, for example.
Finding the accommodation itself is easy, just input Folly Farm’s postcode into your sat nav – SA68 0XA. When you arrive, follow signs for Folly Farm and head towards the rear of the car park where you then follow signs to the holiday lodges.
Parking, arrival and check in
The check-in time for the accommodation is 4pm and you will either be greeted at the barrier/reception by someone from the Folly Farm team. If arriving out of hours, they will send you some instructions on how to pick up your key. A friendly member of staff came by later on to ensure that we were settling in and had everything we needed.
We arrived after 5:30pm and it was dark already. However, the accommodation was easy to find, and the lodges are numbered 1-6. The ambient outdoor lighting looked spectacular and light up the lodges more than enough to see where you are going, without being overbearing and creating unnecessary light pollution.
There is plenty of parking available, with each lodge having space for two vehicles, so there is plenty of room if you are in a small group. Parking is outside the front of the lodge, as well as to the side, so if you are staying longer and have brought cases, you won’t need to wheel them too far.
Welcoming you is a hamper full of local produce, including a fresh loaf of bread and a carton of milk. You will also find Welsh Brew tea and coffee, crackers, and Strawberry & Prosecco Jam.
As the accommodation is self-catering, you’ll be glad to know there is a small corner shop (Begelly Stores) located just off the main road (A478) before entering Folly Farm if you need anything. For those staying a bit longer, 3 minutes away you’ll find a larger Co-op Food Store (Carmarthen Road), which stocks pretty much everything.
Bedrooms
There are two- and three-bedroom lodges available, with the former offering some additional accessibility with a ramped entrance, if required. All of the rooms are finished to same high standard as you see pictured below.
The three-bedroom fairground lodge is what we had the pleasure of staying in. The accommodation included one master bedroom, completed with king-size bed and ensuite shower room. We did find the bed a little soft for our liking, however, it did offer a good night sleep following a busy day at Folly Farm.
Both the ensuite and main bathroom comes with heated towel radiators and each has plenty of space for toiletries. The main bathroom has a mirror cupboard with additional space.
The second and third bedrooms consisted of two single beds in each, with plenty of storage space for clothes or bags. All of the rooms carry a neutral colour palette, with artwork throughout.
The main family bathroom is fully tiled, with plenty of shower gel and shampoo provided. Unlike the ensuite, there is additional storage space (if required). Located in the bathroom mirror cabinet, you will find everything that you need for the hook-a-duck game.
There is plenty of cupboard space in each room, as well as additional space in the bedside tables. More than enough if you were to book for a week.
There is also a small hallway leading from the main living space to the bedrooms, which contains an inlet for hanging coats and luggage storage. It’s quite remarkable how much space has been created, allowing you to enjoy the space without tripping over bags.
The holiday home is biomass heated, including the hot water. We did find that the water for bathing and showering was only moderately warm, as opposed to hot for this reason. However, it was more than adequate for a wash.
Being the winter season, we did find the living space took a little longer to heat up, but when it did, it was really toastie. There is also a flame effective electric heater in the living room, which you can choose to use to keep warm or simply turn on for effect. We also discovered blankets in the toy basket to settle down with of an evening. It’s a really versatile space, whether you visit in the summer or winter months.
Amenities
If you are travelling with a family and especially if you are here for more than a few days, you’d be forgiven for feeling as if you need to pack everything, including the kitchen sink. However, with the lodges at Folly Farm, there is no need to.
We were surprised to find a full size hoover in one of the cupboards, along with an iron and ironing board. There is also a fold out travel cot and conveniently located highchair in the dining area, ideal as it frees up some much needed boot space.
As mentioned, the kitchen comes with a full set of plates and cutlery. So if you’ve forgotten the bottle opener, they’ve got you covered. There are even baking trays and if you don’t fancy cooking, the welcome pack includes a list of local takeaways.
If you do find that you need to do any type of washing, especially if you are staying more than a few nights, you’ll find not only a washing machine, but also a dish washer.
The full-size fridge freezer has plenty of space for a week’s worth of food shopping.
Accommodation cost
If booking out of season, expect to pay a little over £700 for a week’s stay. This rises to approximately £450 per night during the high season. Even still, this is on par with other luxury stays and in our opinion offers incredible value for money, especially when you consider you receive Folly Farm tickets for your entire stay and the cost per head price.
There aren’t many options for luxury stays of a similar kind in Pembrokeshire, so if you are keen to book for the 2023 season, I’d recommend checking availability now as it will likely sell out fast.
For more information about Prestige’s Forester Lodge design, or to book a visit to view one in person, visit: https://www.prestigehomeseeker.com/holiday-lodges/foresters-lodge
To learn more about Folly Farm, and to book your stay at the luxury lodges, visit: https://www.folly-farm.co.uk/holiday-park/
