Woolley Grange
Overview
Children are exceptionally well catered for here, and stay free of charge when sharing their parents' room.
Best for
Babies and children of all ages warmly welcomed and will feel completely at home.
Recommended rooms
Suites have sitting rooms; the newly renovated Hayloft is popular. All rooms have space for an extra cot or bed, but it's a squeeze in the standard doubles. Children sharing parents' rooms stay free, paying only for meals.
Crèche
The Ofsted-approved Woolley Bear's Den crèche overflows with Lego, dressing-up outfits and doll's houses, and it's ideal for kids up to the age of eight. It's open from around 7am, and supervised from 10am to 4.45pm (unsupervised during meal times). It also has a DVD, video and music corner with beanbags to sit on. Take a mobile phone, and you can leave the children in the crèche and explore the local area. The Hen House is an unsupervised playroom for older children, with air hockey, a pool table and tabletop football games.
Activities
This child-friendly hotel has 14 acres of grounds to run around in, an outdoor play area, children's croquet, bikes (and helmets) to borrow free of charge, outdoor table tennis, football nets and a giant trampoline. Little Smiths will love the vintage tractor parked up near the kitchen garden shop. Indoors, there are board games, and PlayStation consoles in the (unsupervised) Long Room playroom. Woolley also always has up-to-date information about family-friendly attractions and events in the local area, such as the Spring Lambing Weekend fair at Lackham County College, or drama at the Egg in Bath, an award-winning children's theatre. During July and August, the hotel gives Blue Peter a run for its money, organising a range of creative activities to keep holidaying tots busy in the Den. Little Smiths can make masks, T-shirts, paper animals, bread dough creatures, cakes, scarecrows, and other glue-, sequin- and paint-adorned delights. There’s also Mini Olympics, bug hunts, den-building, rounders and other team games to get involved in.
Swimming pool
The outdoor heated pool is open all year, and well stocked with floats and armbands.
Meals
A two-course children's lunch (£5) is served in the Orangery, and high tea (£7) is served daily in the Woolley Bear's Den crèche; pre-order at reception in the morning. There are high chairs in the restaurant and Woolley Bear's Den. The main restaurant is adults-only after 7pm (last orders are 9.15pm). If you want to eat in the evening as a family, the Orangery serves dinner from 6pm, with special 'Teenie' menus for the children. A lighter menu is available as room service, and in the main restaurant and lounges till 9.15pm. Once the kitchen closes at 9.30pm, sandwiches and cold platters are usually available through the night, at the discretion of the night porter. They're happy to heat up milk and provide purées and child-friendly packed lunches. Any dietary requirements can be accomodated with advance notice.
Babysitting
This can be arranged with reception in advance (you'll need to request it when making a reservation) for a minimum of two hours; the fee is at the sitter's discretion, but is usually around £8–£10 an hour and paid directly to the sitter.
No need to pack
Families with babies are provided with a changing mat and nappy bucket. Kettles, fridges, sterilisers and bottle warmers are available if you ask for them.
Also
During school half-terms and holidays, lots of extra child-focused activities are organised, often on seasonal themes (Bonfire Night parties, Easter egg hunts). Your family pooch is welcome, too (though not in all rooms so check when you book), for a £7 charge.
