Sandy Balls Holiday Village

Reviews

• RL

  Red Lighthouse Local

  3 days ago
  2.0
  First time staying at sandy balls it was a mixed bag. Issues - given the wrong key for our cabin and took ages to be given the correct key - shutter in the kitchen was broken when we walked in went to speak to the team they said someone would be over to fix it but no one ever turned up - stinky socks down the radiator which wasn’t very nice (not ours) - dirty floor and dirty tables - kitchen hood didn’t work The good bits were the location and the lovely walks , we would stay somewhere else next time
• JG

  Julia Glaister

  6 days ago
  3.0
  This resort is in a great relaxing location where you can hear nature singing away, and there are plenty of lovely walks nearby with many parking bay scattered around. The cabin included the convenience of a parking space right outside. While the cabin was spacious and the on-site facilities were good—though most come at an extra charge—the attention to detail was sadly missed. I had to take one star off for service because when there was a problem with the heating. I rang the daytime number and was told someone would be over to assist. After waiting for over an hour assisstance never came, though thankfully after phoning the night number the guy sorted it out straight away. Unfortunately, the cabin's maintenance and cleanliness need some attention; there were missing coat hooks, ripped sofas, and dirty splash marks on the walls across the kitchen, living room, and bedroom (look sticky). The floors were not clean apon arrival so I kept my slippers on at all times. The bathroom had a cracked basin, black mould around the top of the bath, and the bottom of the bath had dirty stains which made me reluctant to have a bath and instead stuck to having a shower. Furthermore, guests must bring their own washing-up liquid and sponges, which clearly resulted in previous guests leaving the mugs, glasses, and plates dirty. Before using any equipment I had to wash everything before I could even use it. Despite these issues, I did overall enjoy my stay and would return in the hope that another cabin would not have these same problems.
• LA

  Leanne Atkinson

  May 20, 2026
  1.0
  Unfortunately I have tried to contact Sandy Balls and their head office multiple times now and no response. So disappointed in the customer service team so here is my review…. We decided to take the whole family to Sandy Balls to celebrate my father in law turning 70. At the time of booking, we specifically requested that our two caravans be located next to each other due to the needs of our party, which included elderly relatives and very young children. We were reassured that this arrangement would be guaranteed. However, upon arrival and check-in, we were informed that this was not the case. The caravans were situated in completely different areas of the site, which was both inconvenient and extremely disappointing. To make matters worse, one of our caravans was located adjacent to what appeared to be a hen party occupying approximately six neighbouring caravans. We find it difficult to understand why this group booking appeared to have been prioritised over our family request, which had been clearly highlighted at the time of booking due to the needs of both young children and elderly relatives. The excessive noise throughout the stay was unacceptable, particularly for a resort that markets itself as family-friendly. Unfortunately, the issues continued throughout our stay. In one caravan, both toilets stopped working. Following the instructions provided at check-in, we reported the issue using the telephone number supplied. We left the caravan and later returned to find that only one toilet had been repaired. We attempted to contact the number several times that evening, but no one answered. The following day, we visited reception to report the issue again and were assured that someone would attend to it. However, no one came. We returned to reception once more before the issue was finally resolved on Sunday evening — the night before our departure. In the second caravan included in our booking, the dishwasher was also not functioning. This issue was similarly reported, yet no one attended to repair it during our stay. During our visit, we spoke with the duty manager (who I believed was called Kayleigh), at reception regarding all of the above concerns. She listened to our complaints and reassured us that she would contact us to discuss compensation. Regrettably, despite several follow-up phone calls and messages left with different members of staff requesting a return call from Kayleigh we have still received no communication. Since then I have tried to contact HQ multiple times and no one has bothered to respond. I am extremely disappointed by both the experience during our stay and the complete lack of follow-up afterwards. This trip was intended to celebrate a significant family milestone, yet it was overshadowed by stress, disruption, and poor customer service. Our elderly parents were particularly upset and distressed by the ongoing toilet issues, which affected the enjoyment of the entire weekend. Additionally, the noise levels from the neighbouring group made it difficult for our children to sleep. The lack of communication, care, and responsiveness from both the on-site management and maintenance teams has been wholly unacceptable. Do not waste your money coming here. **UPDATE*** I have emailed guestsolutions@awayresorts.co.uk multiple times and I am yet to receive a response.
• JN

  Julie Nye

  May 17, 2026
  1.0
  We recently stayed at Sandy Balls Holiday Village and unfortunately the experience was far below what we would expect for the price paid, especially as disabled guests. We arrived on Monday 4th at around 2:45pm and the site was extremely busy, with no parking available during check-in. After eventually checking in, we were given the keys and welcome pack for the disabled access caravan we had booked. However, upon entering the unit, it was immediately obvious it had not been cleaned or prepared after the previous guests. The caravan was in a very poor state of cleanliness and completely unacceptable. We returned to reception to complain, and the manager offered two alternatives. The first was another disabled-access lodge, but it appeared extremely old and dilapidated, with cobwebs and spiders all around the exterior and generally looked at end-of-life condition. The second option was a cleaner, more acceptable caravan, but it was not accessible. By this point we were exhausted and reluctantly accepted it for the night. After settling in, we explained again to reception that we genuinely required the accessible accommodation we had originally booked and were struggling without it. We were assured this would be treated as a priority the following morning and that we would be able to move into the correct unit. The next morning at 10am, a maintenance worker knocked on our door asking why we were in the caravan and informing us another guest was due to arrive into it. We then had to return to reception yet again, only to be told our accessible unit still had not been prepared and that we should “go out for the day” while they dealt with it — despite us having all our belongings and our pet with us. Instead, we remained in the caravan until midday when the accessible unit was finally ready. We then had to repack and move everything again, effectively losing an entire day of our holiday and dealing with unnecessary stress that could and should have been avoided. The final accessible unit was clean enough, although still tired in places with stained carpets and signs of wear. By that stage, however, we had simply had enough and accepted it. We have stayed at several other Away Resorts parks, including Appley Beach Holiday Park, Mill Rythe Holiday Park and St Ives Bay Beach Resort, and had far better experiences. Sadly, Sandy Balls felt overpriced, poorly managed, and not maintained to the same standard. Away Resorts head office should urgently review the quality and customer experience at this site, particularly regarding accessibility and housekeeping standards.
• CP

  Claire P

  May 15, 2026
  3.0
  Overall we enjoyed our stay at Sandy Balls, the location was fantastic for exploring the New Forest. The park grounds and paths are lovely with beautiful views from Good Friday Hill. Short walk to a local pub and forest walks. The variety of facilities was great for families. We enjoyed the outside live music on Saturday night. The shop was excellent and had a huge range of products, many local. The restaurants were not bad for the price although chain pub style, they were well suited for families. We really enjoyed a couple of breakfasts in the pub. The service was not bad, Reception team and the guys looking after the alpacas and Village Square were very friendly and chatty. We were disappointed by the general standards across the park and accommodation, it felt quite unloved with broken fences and benches etc. When we arrived at our Zen lodge there was litter on the parking area and around the communal areas. The patio and deck were covered in tree debris, weeds everywhere on the patio and a broken BBQ stand behind the hot tub. Maintenance standards for the lodge were not great - broken/wobbly bits on the deck, tape on the main door, gaps around door frames, light bulbs out, dead batteries in TV remote, wobbly door handles, ripped wallpaper, broken main bed, etc. The cleanliness was ok but lodge not mega clean, the crockery and glasses were quite grubby. The inventory had not been checked so missing spoons and plates etc. Given we paid almost £1k for a week I expected better standards for the money. It didn't feel that the park was well cared for or pride taken in its upkeep. I expected to receive a survey following our stay to feedback directly but nothing received. First experience of Away Resorts and had high expectations from the website/marketing but our experience fell short. Also, the accommodation in many areas was very close together and overlooked, not very relaxing. The lodge layout was good and spacious.