We spent our October  half term week at Butlins Bognor Regis. It was our first time visiting the resort so we were really excited to explore it all. I will be writing a post in the next few days about the resort itself but for this post, it is all about our stay at Ocean Hotel Butlins Bognor Regis.

We were a group of 8, so we got 2 family rooms next to each other. My first impression of the hotel was good. I liked the fact that the hotel was close to the entrance of the resort and the attractions. The colourful reception also caught my eye. It was quite bright and inviting. The kids loved it.

Now this is going to be a very honest review. It might be too honest if I am being honest.

What we liked about Ocean Hotel Butlins Bognor Regis

Location, decor and some nice staff

Like I previously, the position of the hotel is super convenient. It is next to the entrance and all the activities going on so it was easy to get around. The colourful decor all over the hotel is super pretty. I think the rooms are well decorated with the kids in mind. The children’s room is super cozy with the lights and all. We all liked the hotel decor a lot. Some of the staff members were really nice and friendly. We met a few around in the restaurant and other parts of the resort and they were really helpful.

What we didn’t like about Ocean Hotel Butlins Bognor Regis

Checking in and the lift

I didn’t like the fact that it took forever to get a free lift. We had a toddler in a buggy so steps were not an option. It was super frustrating to spend forever everyday waiting for a free lift. Checking in was super slow. The were long queues and it felt like the staff at the reception desk would work faster with more hands on deck. After a long road trip to get there, waiting in line for ages was not fun with 5 children.

Dining and housekeeping

The rooms were cleaned everyday but it would have been great to have the beddings changed at least every other day. The beddings were not changed all through our 4 night stay. The toiletries provided in the bathroom were so basic. I expected a lot more for the price we paid. Thankfully, we came with all we needed for our stay.

There is no room service available. All dining in the hotel has to be done in the restaurant, which is usually packed and very overpriced. We had the misfortune of having dinner there in the first night, and the food was shockingly bad and very expensive. We never made the mistake again, but breakfast was ok.

Temperature in the room

Now this was a massive issue for us. The rooms were really warm, it was super uncomfortable especially at night. The thermostat in our room didn’t seem to control anything. It was so bad for my daughter’s delicate skin, that she broke into a rash. The rashes disappeared as soon as we checked out of the hotel, and I am still not 100% sure what caused it. My guess is the heat in the room caused her rashes but it could be a combination of other things from the hotel. Maybe the bedding wasn’t cleaned properly before we came, it could be something else from the room, I am not sure. But I was so happy to be out of there.

Before we left, we popped into the first aid to get some advice, they checked out the rashes and advised to see a doctor but luckily we didn’t have to. All the rashes cleared up within 24 hours of leaving the hotel.

No free WIFI

The hotel advertises free WIFI but that is not true because you can’t do anything with the free wifi. We all had to buy data to be able to stay connected on our phones and tablets for the children. You would think a hotel this expensive in a family friendly resort would at least have decent free internet connection.

We won’t be returning to this hotel ever again and I cannot see myself returning to Butlins Bognor Regis if I am being completely honest. My thoughts on the resort will be in my next travel post. So keep reading. You can also catch up on my last hotel review post here.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a lovely day wherever you are.