A Family Break at Bridgewood Manor Hotel & Spa

Disclosure: We were invited on this break for the purpose of this review however all opinions are my own.

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Last weekend we were invited to stay at Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa for a family break away during the summer holidays. I’ve been lucky enough to stay at Bridgewood Manor previously but was excited to return with the rest of the family to see if the hotel would be as nice a place to stay on a family trip.

Where is Bridgewood Manor Hotel & Spa?

Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa is in Chatham in Kent, just a fifteen minute drive from The Historic Dockyard Chatham and close to the M20 and M2, making it easily accessible from all over Kent, London and further afield.

Staying at Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa

There’s a free on site car park at Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa for hotel guests and we were greeted warmly by the reception staff. We arrived just before 3pm and our room was already waiting for us. All rooms at Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa are for up to two people, however, they do have a few different options for family stays.

For families, Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa offer either a superior double room with extra beds added for the children, a suite with a sofa bed for children in the lounge area or two interconnecting double rooms. Due to the children’s ages we stayed in two interconnecting double rooms for our break away and it couldn’t have been better for a family of four.

The two rooms were both a great size, each with their own tea and coffee making facilities, a good size TV and plenty of storage. Plus, they each had their own full size bathroom – an amazing perk when travelling with teenagers!

Rooms at Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa have free wifi – which is fast and reliable, along with plenty of towels, complimentary toiletries and a room service menu too. We were also pleased to see USB charger built into the plug sockets, something we always appreciate. The rooms are quiet, a good temperature – although fans are provided if needed – and have a daily housekeeping service.

The Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa facilities

The Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa has an onsite restaurants, Squires, as well as a good size bar with indoor and outdoor seating, a sunny courtyard area full of garden games, and a lot of cosy lounge areas throughout the ground floor of the building. The communal spaces are bright and airy and really lovely areas to spend time in.

The hotel also has an on site health club with a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, heated loungers and cardio gym. There’s also a lovely health club reception area with plenty of seating, and a private outdoor space with loungers to enjoy the good weather as well.

If travelling as a family it’s good to be aware of children’s swim times – as the pool is part of the hotel’s spa offering they like to keep the area calm and relaxing for spa guests during the day which is understandable.

Children can use the pool, accompanied by an adult, between 8.00am and 10.00am and again between 6.00pm and 8.00pm Monday to Saturday and between 8.00am and 9.00am and 5.00pm and 7.00pm on Sundays.

After we checked in we spent some time relaxing in our room until the children’s swim times began and then all went to use the pool. It’s a good size pool, with a handful of loungers at one end and two heated loungers up on a mezzanine level.

The pool also has a compact but functional sauna and steam room which are definitely popular parts of the health club. Whilst we were there the pool was partially roped off for swimming lessons but the remaining space was plenty big enough for all the guests that wanted to use the pool at that time.

Towels are provided for guests using the swimming pool and the changing rooms are tired but functional and have plenty of lockers – the women’s ones take a pound coin, or you can borrow a token from reception – and the men’s just need you to take your own padlock with you.

Just before we went swimming I had a facial booked – and it was one of the nicest facials I have ever had. The lights were dimmed, relaxing music was playing and despite it only being a 25 minute treatment, it felt like I had a dozen different things done to my face. I absolutely loved it and my skin felt incredible afterwards. I’d definitely recommend booking treatments if you’re staying at Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa – it was such a treat. You can see the full treatment menu here.

Dining at Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa

In the evening we had dinner booked in Squires Restaurant. When staying on a dinner inclusive package at Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa you can dine from the set menu or have a £29 per person allowance across the other hotel menus – the a la carte menu or bar menu.

We all ended up ordering from the bar menu which had options to suit all of us. LP and I went for salads – a Caesar Salad Poke Bowl for LP with added halloumi and avocado, and the Manor Salad for me with added halloumi.

Both were really good size portions and everything was super fresh and delicious! We loved that the dressing came in a separate little jug so you could use the amount you wanted and having extra toppings to add meant you could still have a salad whilst making it into a more substantial meal.

Little Man had a fish finger sandwich which was a great size meal and came with skin on fries and salad, and Dave had the bavette steak and chips which he really enjoyed. Perfectly cooked and served with his choice of dressing, it was a really fantastic meal.

I also had sweet potato fries on the side and these were fantastic! We had a side of skin on fries too and all really loved the variety of sides and sharers on the menu. There really is something for everyone.

For dessert, Little Man had churros with a chocolate sauce and Dave went for the cheese board which was a really hearty plate to finish off with! They both really enjoyed their puddings – and LP and I were just so full from our mains!

Throughout our meal the service was great, although the wait for puddings was a little longer than expected, but the staff were really friendly and everything else arrived nice and swiftly. I’d definitely eat in Squires Restaurant again.

We all slept really well at Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa – the room was lovely and quiet overnight and the blackout curtains worked really well. Plus, we were near the end of a corridor on the second floor meaning we didn’t really have people walking past our room in the evening and morning either. It was a really peaceful stay.

We went back to Squires Restaurant for the breakfast buffet and loved the amount of food on offer. The cooked buffet was one of the best spreads I have had in a hotel – with all the usual options of bacon, sausages, fried and scrambled eggs, beans, mushrooms and tomatoes as well as hash browns, black pudding and even fried bread.

Plus, there were cakes and pastries, breads, fresh fruit, cold meats and cheeses, yogurt, cereals, fresh juices and more. Everything is self service and you can help yourself to as much or little as you like. It was fairly busy when we had breakfast but everything was regularly replenished and staff were around if you needed anything and were cleaning tables swiftly. It was a lovely breakfast service.

We had a great stay at Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa and, having stayed with friends and as a family, I would happily say that the hotel is perfect for any travel type and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again on a spa break, weekend away or family trip.

You can find out more about Bridgewood Manor Hotel and Spa over on their website and for reference the address is: Walderslade Woods, Blue Bell Hill, Chatham ME5 9AX