I stayed at the UK holiday park that’s a ‘better value Center Parcs’ with Christmassy Blue Lagoon and kid elf uniforms
AS a golf buggy whizzes past me, blaring festive tunes and with a fully decorated tree tied to the rear, it occurs I might be in possibly the most Christmassy place this side of Lapland.
I am with my family on our first visit to the popular Kingdom Of The Elves experience at the five-star Bluestone Resort — seen by many as like a Center Parc, but better value.
Every year the holiday park nestled in the breathtaking scenery of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park goes crazy for Christmas.
And if you have ever wondered what it feels like to live inside a snow globe then look no further than Bluestone this winter.
At the heart of the resort’s Christmas-themed experience is the Snow Dome — a huge glass- covered area transformed for the winter into a life-sized snow globe, complete with snowstorms several times a day, festive tunes, glittering lights and white dusted trees.
It’s a breathtaking sight by day and night, when it is lit up and has giant snowflakes projected on the side.
Even the resort’s year-round Blue Lagoon swimming dome gets a Christmas makeover, with candy-cane-coloured covers on the flumes, decorations and festive tunes pumping out on a loop.
I was there with my husband, children aged 11, eight and four and my parents. And we weren’t the only multi-generational family making the most of the Christmas spirit.
Secret location
Regulars arrived armed with their own festive decorations to dress up their holiday lodges. I even saw a large Christmas tree in one window.
But the most fun is spotting the Christmas pimped-up golf buggies that guests use to zip around the eco resort’s 500 acres of beautiful Welsh countryside.
Some accommodation, like our Platinum Carningli Lodge, comes with the use of a buggy but they can be hired for those that don’t.
Our comfortable lodge had two en-suite master bedrooms and two twin rooms for the children, plus another bathroom.
They are tastefully decorated and have fully equipped kitchens. Arranged in an “upside down” style, the large living area is upstairs, making best use of the tranquil views — especially from the glass-walled sun lounge.
Kicking off our break we took my youngest to the charming Elf School experience.
Youngsters are ushered through a wooden door from The Hive soft-play and activity area to a delightful interactive theatre experience.
Children move through a series of rooms helping some friendly elves along the way.
Tasks include collecting letters to Santa, exploring a giant advent calendar and helping feed “belief balls” into a madcap machine.
My daughter Estella was captivated. She was even given a special cape as an Elf School “uniform” (which she refused to take off for the duration of our trip) and a graduation certificate at the end.
But of course no Christmas weekend would be complete without a visit to the big guy himself.
We headed to the Snow Dome for the all-important appointment at Santa’s Lodge.
An elf in a decked-out golf buggy whisked us to a secret location where we wound our way through a wicker maze to a charming cabin. There, we met an extremely authentic Santa who surprised the children by dropping personalised details about them into their conversation — wonder how he knew those!
It was a lovely experience and the kids were each given a gorgeous Christmas keepsake.
Also a must is the resort’s Christmas panto. It’s Jack And The Beanstalk, but as you have never seen it before.
Kids will love the silly jokes and parade of current pop hits with the lyrics tweaked for Christmas.
Other special seasonal offerings at the resort at this time of year include the Elf or Reindeer Breakfast, where guests start the day by being serenaded with festive hits.
These Christmas experiences do come at an extra cost, but there is plenty on offer for free, including a Reindeer Village Light Show, Jingle Jive dance party and Polar Postal, where Santa himself tours the resort on a tractor collecting kids’ letters.
And of course Bluestone’s usual array of activities is on offer including the huge indoor soft play featuring the biggest bouncy castle I have ever seen.
My eldest son also loved the Woodland Warriors laser tag, which comes at an extra cost. Zip wires, climbing towers and archery are also among the activities offered to keep kids busy.
And when you need to refuel, there are lots of options, many found in Bluestone’s charming village area, with its quaint winding streets decked out for Yuletide.
We enjoyed a delicious barbecue meal at the Farmhouse Grill. Also excellent was The Knights Tafarn pub.
Everything from waffles to crepes and of course hot chocolates is available at the quaint wooden snack stands.
And if you are able to give your little elves the slip for an hour, there is even a spa for grown-ups.
With lovely surroundings, immaculate accommodation, yummy food and more Christmas spirit than you could shake a candy cane at, Bluestone really does feel a ho ho home from home.
GO: BLUESTONE
STAYING THERE: Bluestone’s Kingdom of the Elves festival runs until January 4. A three-night self-catering break for four for the 2026 festival starts from £645 in total. For more information and to book, see bookings.bluestonewales.com.
