Beautiful Celtic Haven

Nov 15, 2010 by cafebebemama

We had the immense pleasure of spending 3 days and 2 nights at the beautiful Celtic Haven along with 3 other bloggers and their families. I do believe that this blogoliday is probably one of the best holidays we have had as a family. One of the reasons for that was because it was JUST THE THREE OF US for 4 days. We rarely have had a holiday where it was just US. I like just us (don’t take that the wrong way family, sometimes it’s just nice to have “us” time isn’t it?).

The other reason that this was such a wonderful holiday was down to Celtic Haven. From the minute I entered the Reception area to the minute we left the property on Sunday, I felt welcome and comfortable and HOME. Every member of staff was kind and friendly and made you feel like one of the family from the start. The property is not massive which lends itself to that feeling of home and the grounds and landscape were immaculate.

After getting our key and welcome pack, we made our way to our abode for the weekend- the Servant’s Quarters! Thankfully, we did not have to do any work!

We found our accomodation more than satisfactory. It was comfortable, clean and somewhere you could sit right down and feel at home. Little Miss’ bedroom had 2 single beds and a bed rail while our bedroom had a double bed positioned under a velux window. The only real challenge was that there were low beams in the Servant’s Quarters as it was up a flight of stairs. Hubby is nearly 6’3″ but might have a few new dings in his skull now! Oops! Duck! The bathroom was large and perfectly laid out for a family while the lounge and kitchen were the perfect place to relax and have a nap after all Celtic Haven had to offer. We picked up a few bits and pieces for the kitchen on our way in from Tenby. We had enough for breakfasts and snacks and a cuppa in the morning. Perfect. The reception/welcome centre also carried basics which would easily cover you in a pinch.

The grounds at Celtic Haven are well-maintained and lush. I think that might be down to recent rainshowers but perhaps not! The white wash of the cottages helps to reflect any light so even on the gloomiest and overcast of days (our Friday arrival day for example), the world at Celtic Haven still looks inviting and lovely. In addition to the cottages there is the restaurant, Waves, which is also connected to the Leisure Centre (hubby had ambitions but alas, we ran out of time!), Pool and Spa. We had the pleasure of swimming in the pool each day we were at Celtic Haven and I received a mini-pedicure spa treatment as well. My feet have not looked so pretty in a good long while. The pool was bath-water warm and the perfect place for Little Miss to paddle around. As the shallow end was not shallow enough for her to stand, we had to rely on her flotation swim vest and arm bands but she happily splashed around the whole pool and had a great time.

Waves Restaurant at Celtic Haven was delicious! Little Miss enjoyed pasta and pizza while hubby indulged in Sea Bass the first night and Swordfish the second night. My clams with linguine the first night was gorgeous (and provided the lone shell for Little Miss for the weekend) while the pizza the second night was divine. The desserts were both visually enticing and delectible. It’s no great surprise that the chocolate fudge cake was sold out by Saturday night. Gah! Chris, the head of house, was welcoming and always willing to go the extra mile. Little Miss was sure to say goodbye to Chris before we left! The restaurant caters well for small children with high chairs, a children’s menu (and flexibility to be fussy!) and more than a few toddler friendly toys in the entrance. Little Miss brought a few items back to the cottage with us one evening. I didn’t dare try to prise them from her hands!

One of the best parts of our weekend was our walk down to Lydstep Beach, below Celtic Haven. The shale beach was a treasure trove for Little Miss who eagerly filled her bucket with loads of pebbles but we did manage to find a few sandy bits to build rather wet sandcastles. There were no crabs to be found but the view and the waves were enough to keep Little Miss happy. The steep cliffs, clear blue sky and glorious sunshine made the backdrop for what will be our Christmas card this year. “Diolch yn fawr Cymru” (Thank You Wales) for giving us such a wonderful family holiday! Thank you to Celtic Haven for giving us our own slice of heaven in Wales. We’ll do our best to come back next year but count on us for at least a week next time!