4
A good Parkdean sites with more than a few accessibility issues
I have to say upfront that we really did enjoy our stay at Nairn Lochloy. Unfortunately, there are a lot of small, nitpicky, things but, sadly, they do add up.
On the plus side, the park is in a great position next to the harbour and right on the beach. It's also one of the few Parkdean sites which is actually within traversable distance of the town without a vehicle. It's flat and has great facilities, including a bar/restaurant, entertainment venue and swimming pool all within the entertainment hub.
We didn't use the pool but used the restaurant a few times. Prices are comparable across the Parkdean network. The food was all great, with one exception being the roast half-chicken which seemed sous vide rather than roasted, being rather wet and slimy. However I can heartily recommend the burgers, lunchtime sandwiched (particularly the Onion Bhaji wrap) and breakfast rolls.
Unfortunately, we did have a few issues, primarily with accessibility.
The biggest problem was lips on doors. The main entrance to the entertainment hub was the only door which was truly step-free. Substantial lips on the doors barred direct entry to reception and shop... and, more importantly, to the caravan itself!
I'm not sure who signed off on a "accessible" caravan with a ramp outside and pretty wheelchair-friendly inside but to not address the 2" lip at the outer door which you definitely need assistance to get over is an unforgivable oversight.
Further, they had tried to address the flooding problem with the shower (as mentioned in previous reviews) by jacking up the floor underneath to increase the slope of the floor but (a) it didn't work and (b) it meant the toilet door didn't shut! They sent maintenance to sort that and it took them two full days to do so, leaving us having to use the loo with the door open.
Incidentally, we also had issues with the boiler which left us unable to use the shower for pretty much the duration of our stay.
The road outside the caravan was poorly maintained with no drainage which resulted in a substantial flood after a heavy rain storm which left me unable to leave the van for a few hours one morning.
Inside, the caravan was spacious enough for manoeuvring a manual wheelchair and I had no issues there. However, all things considered, I think I'd rather book a non-accessible caravan and be prepared for the ensuing difficulties than book an allegedly "wheelchair-friendly" one and yet still have many of the same issues.
Back to the entertainment hub and, once inside, it's not bad at all for getting around as it's all on the level. There was a new carpet in the main corridor which was quite difficult to self-propel along but otherwise it was fine. The accessible toilet was great and well set up, including a raised pedestal which is unusual and welcome to see.
All in all, we did have a good time but it was unfortunately, and avoidably, marred by the problems I've mentioned.
I have to say upfront that we really did enjoy our stay at Nairn Lochloy. Unfortunately, there are a lot of small, nitpicky, things but, sadly, they do add up.
On the plus side, the park is in a great position next to the harbour and right on the beach. It's also one of the few Parkdean sites which is actually within traversable distance of the town without a vehicle. It's flat and has great facilities, including a bar/restaurant, entertainment venue and swimming pool all within the entertainment hub.
We didn't use the pool but used the restaurant a few times. Prices are comparable across the Parkdean network. The food was all great, with one exception being the roast half-chicken which seemed sous vide rather than roasted, being rather wet and slimy. However I can heartily recommend the burgers, lunchtime sandwiched (particularly the Onion Bhaji wrap) and breakfast rolls.
Unfortunately, we did have a few issues, primarily with accessibility.
The biggest problem was lips on doors. The main entrance to the entertainment hub was the only door which was truly step-free. Substantial lips on the doors barred direct entry to reception and shop... and, more importantly, to the caravan itself!
I'm not sure who signed off on a "accessible" caravan with a ramp outside and pretty wheelchair-friendly inside but to not address the 2" lip at the outer door which you definitely need assistance to get over is an unforgivable oversight.
Further, they had tried to address the flooding problem with the shower (as mentioned in previous reviews) by jacking up the floor underneath to increase the slope of the floor but (a) it didn't work and (b) it meant the toilet door didn't shut! They sent maintenance to sort that and it took them two full days to do so, leaving us having to use the loo with the door open.
Incidentally, we also had issues with the boiler which left us unable to use the shower for pretty much the duration of our stay.
The road outside the caravan was poorly maintained with no drainage which resulted in a substantial flood after a heavy rain storm which left me unable to leave the van for a few hours one morning.
Inside, the caravan was spacious enough for manoeuvring a manual wheelchair and I had no issues there. However, all things considered, I think I'd rather book a non-accessible caravan and be prepared for the ensuing difficulties than book an allegedly "wheelchair-friendly" one and yet still have many of the same issues.
Back to the entertainment hub and, once inside, it's not bad at all for getting around as it's all on the level. There was a new carpet in the main corridor which was quite difficult to self-propel along but otherwise it was fine. The accessible toilet was great and well set up, including a raised pedestal which is unusual and welcome to see.
All in all, we did have a good time but it was unfortunately, and avoidably, marred by the problems I've mentioned.
