WHEN I told my husband I was whisking him away for a romantic weekend, he was expecting a quaint B&B with chocolates on the pillows, not a static caravan.
But our three-night trip to Green Hill Farm Holiday Village turned out to be rather luxurious, not to mention quite steamy . . . ahem, due to our private hot tub.
The Lovat Holiday Parks site sits just minutes away from the New Forest and it’s so much more than a budget family getaway destination.
We stayed in a modern two-bed luxury lodge, which overlooked a pond filled with ducks.
Alongside a comfy double bed, the lodge featured a cosy living room, a large kitchen and a decking area complete with a hot tub that glitters with LED lights at night.
The complimentary slippers and dressing gowns elevated the experience above your bog standard holiday park stay.
If the kids come along, there’s an endless list of activities as well as a play area with a splash pad, and a board game library.
Plus there’s a forest ranger programme, unique to this holiday park, offering special segway-riding trails through the woodland, and archery and trampolining.
Meanwhile, parents can relax by the enormous lake, where they can try fishing, or get their workout fix at the small outdoor gym.
The highlight for us as a couple was the stunning location.
Perched at the edge of the New Forest, with direct access to the National Park, it’s a haven for nature enthusiasts.
We went for a romantic ramble on the moors, where we spotted wild ponies and donkeys, many of which were tame enough to pet.
You don’t need to be a top-tier hiker, there’s a variety of routes to suit all abilities on your doorstep.
After working up an appetite, we treated ourselves to pizza from the Ember Restaurant back on site.
The margherita was £13.50, or you can opt for the Inferno, which comes with pepperoni, chilli and peppers smothered in hot habanero sauce.
There’s also the delicious Greek, which comes with olives, feta, red onion and oregano.
For burger-lovers The Smashed Buns van is sure to hit the spot.
Standard burgers will set you back £8.50 and fries are an extra £3.50.
GO: NEW FOREST
STAYING THERE: Prices for a two-bed lodge with hot tub at Lovat’s Green Hill Farm Holiday Village in the New Forest this September start from £741 in total.
Lodge sleeps up to four.
See lovatparks.com.
There’s also a takeaway spot for coffee and fresh pastries in the morning and a mini on-site shop selling groceries, beer and wine.
The nearby Rockingham Arms has a cracking beer garden and does an excellent Sunday roast.
The barmaid entertained us with ghost stories about the local area.
Architecture fans will love ornate Salisbury Cathedral, while the high street offers a great mix of quaint independent stores and giants like Primark and Marks and Spencer.
For lunch, head to The Tabletop Tavern, a medieval-themed bar with a wooden chandelier and candle-like bulbs.
The menu is all hearty stews and Elderwine sausages.
Even the board games have a Medieval theme — Dungeons & Dragons, anyone?
Our favourite pub, however, was The Bishops Mill, which hosts regular live music sessions and quiz nights, and does excellent sharing dishes like the crispy duck nachos.
We could have spent hours kicking back with a pint, listening to the singer belt out ballads, but the romantic setting left us in the mood to get steamy back at the lodge.
And we know what that means — hot tub time!