Explorers Retreat Matlock Bath

Location and childrens entertainment was great

Looked like someone had been sick in the room and the toilet was broken. It took over 2 hours for us to be moved into another room!

The room was quirky and I slept ok. The bathroom was compact but the shower was decent.

None of the power sockets worked in my room (Mouse). So I could not use the table lamp, TV or Kettle or charge my devices. It was late when I got back to the room and I left at 7.30am, so reception was not manned during these hours. This was a big inconvenience and I couldn't even have a coffee before checking out this morning. Fantastic location for Matlock Bath but feel the lack of 24 hour reception and issues with the room would put me off booking again.

Good location. Clean and tidy.

How close the hotel was to the theme park. Also the quizzes and games for the kids in the evening was fun and relaxed.

The location was excellent. Easy to walk to the town. The room was compact but clean and very comfortable. Perfect for us

Perfect location to Matlock bath and directly across from the entrance ! The room itself was amazing we stayed in hedgehog and we will again amazing space !!!

The location was great for where we were going.

The room was tiny. The bathroom was tiny and the sink above the toilet was ridiculous and every time you cleaned your teeth it dropped onto the seat. The shower was tiny too. You couldn’t watch tv because there was a ladder in the way. Not much room to move in. The beds were two singles put together , one higher than the other.uncomfortable to share. No toilet brush - when we asked why - they said the cleaning staff use a toilet brush once a day to clean the loos. Nobody did this during our 3 day stay. There was a fan that didn’t work in the bathroom and there was no hand soap . The bed felt unclean

We stayed in an explorers suite and it was beautiful. What a view! My daughter loved her bunk beds and the playground. She kept saying how magical it all was. The entertainment was unexpected and really cute. The lady doing it was so enthusiastic and it was so much fun.

It had really great amenities like a microwave and fridge, so it would be amazing to have some bowls and cutlery. Although, im sure you could ask at reception. I’d also have loved if you could buy some basics like milk in the shop.

We didn’t realise we booked a theme park so we were quite surprised at the location to Matlock Bath and the comfortable bed. It was small but enough for a stay over.

The only negative is I would have liked a bigger window, no opportunity to get air more into the room. Difficult to brush your teeth and spit into the sink as you can easily bang your head.

Location, playground

It was small and not entirely clean; we even found a spider in the bed. The balcony door wouldn't open at all, and there was no air conditioning, making the air feel stifling. The room's entrance door was broken, so we couldn't lock ourselves in, and a stranger accidentally walked into our room in the morning. It was very unpleasant. The issue wasn't fixed before we left, and no one apologized or offered compensation for the inconvenience.

A fun room, just very unexpected as we weren't expecting a child themed room.... we also didnt know it was on the site of a theme park. Achild would love it!!

None of the streaming apps worked on the tv. Nothing connected only free view.

Lovely theming. Great to have the play area right next to the room. Nice touch to have entertainment in the evening. Balcony was a real plus. Microwave, fridge, kettle handy. Free WiFi. Usb ports.

Bunk beds were very claustrophobic. Had a wet room which wasn't ideal. No remotes for TVs. Base of the bed was grubby. Mattresses were very hard.

Wizard room (family of x4). The room overall was ok. Staff were helpful with our SEN children. At dinner they helped change the burger for a hot dog as my son got upset and changed his mind at the last minute. One of our kids got scared of Gully the mascot and the staff escorted the mouse out, much to the delight of my child. *Essential* I think an onsite shop would have been helpful for buying teabags, coffee, snacks and milk for the fridge in the room. There wasn’t a shop in Matlock Bath to buy these items which seems crazy!

It needed a little spring clean (at the harder to reach areas). Some spiders and spider webs were in the corners. There was also lots of dust behind the bed curtain across the top of the headboard. Minor but something we noticed.

Firstly, we found the rooms far too small and, in our opinion, they were not of the quality we would expect given the price we paid. The overall value for money was therefore very poor. We were also disappointed with the service at reception. When we went to ask for some milk, we were told that the hotel did not have any. We found this rather strange, particularly for a hotel that is specifically aimed at families with children. We would have expected basic items such as this to be readily available. Another major concern was the outdoor flooring/surfaces, which were extremely slippery, particularly in wet conditions. With young children around, we felt this was a genuine safety concern and something that should be looked at. Overall, we did not feel that the experience matched the price or the family-friendly standards we were expecting from Explorers Retreat. Unfortunately, based on our experience, we would not recommend the hotel.

Like the views

The steep climbs to the hotel, badly sign posted couldn't find it!! Checked in to be told we have to move back down the hill to another building!! The hotel is just converted containers which are very cramped!!, poor facilities no fridge, not enough cups etc. child's beds are in a compartment which is too low kept banging my head when getting the children ready! Breakfast not included in price. If I knew they were converted cramped in containers I wouldn't of bothered not worth the £160 per night stay, not 100% clean either lots of dust and cobwebs. Will not return!

Lovely character room great fun for children. Spotlessly clean room and ensuite. Perfect location and quiet at night. Easy to park. Excellent very helpful staff.

Nothing. Note - rooms are not large and ensuite is snug, but size was fine for us.

Overall we had an ok stay, this themed room stay was average. A great conversation and use of shipping containers, well insulated and sound proofed. Located on the park very convenient for visit the amusement park. Kids games and family activities run every evening which was a bonus. Beautiful views of Matlock Bath. Great full to the site team who we're professional and accomodation. Thankful for the free parking.

A few things to be honest. This place could be great but needs attention, care and lots, lots of cleaning to get to a good passable standard. The unit we stayed in needs a deep cleaning carried out, cobwebs, stains located in most areas, our bedsheets were stained by the time we noted it was late and couldn't get replaced, this was kindly sorted the following day by reception and house keeping team. The unit boiler was on a timer so hot water ran out mid shower, by the time we figured it out it was too late. For the night room price family tickets should be included as a package deal, this was only available on the main website.

- room catered for a family of 5 - size of the room including separate sleeping area for the kids - location to the park

- room smelt very musty - shower curtain was disgusting. It smelt of extreme body odour and made the shower unusable - bunk beds are not safe for the kids. An additional rail is needed on middle and bottom bunk - signs of bedbugs with 30+ spots appearing after our stay

Amazing location right in the park - entertainment was great in evening - rooms are fun ( we stayed in wizard room) view was fantastic too

Areas are little tired but feel the location and rest of experience made up for it. My 6 year old loved it

Location brilliant. Love Gulliver’s. Great entertainment. Lovely staff.

Could have been a bit cleaner.

Like the view

Uncomfortable rooms too small especially the willows rooms. No fridge or milk, couldn't turn heating on.

First, finding the property can be quite confusing if you book through Booking.com. The map takes you to Temple Walk, but the property is listed as Explorers Retreat Matlock Bath, so it is not immediately obvious that you have reached the correct place. There is also a sign saying “Parking Full” near the entrance, which can be confusing. However, there is parking available further up the hill at the property. I would recommend checking the property’s own website for clearer information before arriving. Secondly, the accommodation is essentially a converted container room. The room itself was manageable, but the bathroom was extremely cramped. Using the shower and washbasin was quite uncomfortable, with very limited space. The double bed is actually two single beds pushed together, and unfortunately there was a noticeable gap between them. This made sleeping uncomfortable, especially when travelling with a young child. We also stayed for more than two nights and were disappointed with the basic housekeeping. The room bin was not emptied, even though we were travelling with a baby and had accumulated quite a bit of waste. The tea, coffee and milk supplies were also not replenished during our stay. Overall, while the location is convenient, the facilities and level of service did not justify the price we paid, particularly as breakfast was not included. For the price, I expected better comfort and basic housekeeping services. I’m sharing this review honestly so that future guests know what to expect before booking

Everything was perfect

Everything was perfect

This was a unique place to stay! We had the Toad Hall themed room which was a family sized suite (2 bedrooms with ensuites and kitchen/sitting room). We really enjoyed the window seat where you could see the lights of Matlock Bath below you. Very quiet location (we were there prior to school holidays).

Everything was great

Great location and incredible view from room. Room set up ok. Staff really helpful and friendly.

Really, really tired. Requires basic maintenance all round and cleaning. Filthy carpets all over. Rotten stair rails up to the rooms. Blocked sink and shower plugs meaning we stood in half a bath of water for a shower. Reported and nothing done about it. Playground run down and in the car park. Really expensive for what it is.

Cute decor in the room Location

The room was not in the main complex as pictured so misleading. We had to move car after walking up a steep hill this should have been explained pre check in of where we could park. No hairdryer. One glass for two people Very noisy drainage from rooms above as waste water goes through a pipe in the room so very disturbed nights sleep due to people staying above Very compact in shower room can't shut door when using toilet No socket by bed

The location was good.

Felt it wasnt good value for money. Room was very basic. Not the cleanest & bunk beds were incredibly tight for children to sleep in.

The staff were fantastic in the retreat and the resort.

The rooms are far too small for a family of 4. The double bed was 2 singles pushed together with a double sheet attached. They kept coming apart. The bunk beds are too high and the kids kept banging their heads during the night. Floor was dirty. Shower room stank of dirty drains. Restaurant closes far too early at 7pm

grand kids loved the bunk beds and opn play area

double bed was poor and the wash hand basin was unusable due to its location

Very nice room

Two adults for a room for 1 night no breakfast included £204 rather dissapointed as was meeting up in the bath to celebrate my daughters birthday that is £102 per adult for a bed for 1 night will not go back

Amazing

Nothing

This place is outstanding did everything we asked

Wasn’t anything wrong

Spacious and very homely. Loved the decor and attention to detail. Comfy beds. Near to amenities and car park right outside the property. Lovely views too. Would definitely return

Nothing

Location, comfort, very clean

Nothing

The price of a can of pop is ridiculous

Great location, great for families

Expensive for food and drinks

Very pleasant and clean

Bathroom too small A small fridge would be helpful A fan or AC for hot weather

Very good location,a lot things for kids bigger and smaller.evening program for families.Amqzing,helpful staff

Location was good For the theme park and Matlock bath

Dirty, no hot water, was given complimentary breekie because of no hot water, but that was inedible!

Lovely room, comfortable bed, and great for kids. We really enjoyed our stay.

Nothing at all. Everything was great!

Reservé sin saber que pertenecia al parque temático, así que al dia siguiente compramos las entradas.

Staff were lovely and helpful and polite

Property was clean and tidy, but that was the only good thing about it

Not many people know this but you are staying in storage metal units that you would see in a storage place that’s just been decorated inside and altered with toilets and bunkbeds and beds and TVs with electricity very small rooms in the promenades area. You cannot swing a cat around in the room so if you’re claustrophobic then it’s a no-go. I am gonna go on about the food here there is no section about the food on the reviews so here goes expensive for the food and pricewise the food is cheap and nasty meat. You have a very small menu. I had an evening meal which came out cold the chips were pale and hard in size the breakfast. The sausage was overcooked on the outside and still pale and raw in the middle of the sausages so if you are thinking of having food included in your resort stay then I suggest don’t that there is facilities there for you to cook depending on what area you are staying in on the resort but these states are for not longer stays they are for short stays

Brilliant and convenient

All of it

N/a

The room was clean and nicely decorated in a princess style. Liked the fact that the kids were slightly seperated off in their den bit 😆

Nothing

Very nice place, definitely recommend. Definitely place suitable for family and children. Staff very friendly, lots of attractions and very good location

;)

The manager is my favourite she’s amazing and makes every stay so enjoyable, I’ve been back a few times and she always remembers people and bends over backwards for visitors.

Nothing

Great location right next to Gulliver's Land Theme Park. We stayed in the family room for four, and the kids were thrilled with the bunk beds. There's also a great play area, and it's just a short walk into town. Overall, a fantastic place for families.

When we arrived at reception, the blaring music was far too loud. We could hardly hear what the receptionist was saying to us. The same happened when we checked out early in the morning—the music was deafening. I don't think such a high volume is necessary, especially in the reception area where guests need to communicate with staff. The volume should definitely be turned down.

Location

Room had no air conditioning making it unbearable in the heat. Unable to have door open as someone in nearby room was smoking. Went to use bar area and a staff induction event was taking place, was made to feel like we were intruding. Went for breakfast to be told as we hadn't pre-booked there was no availability. We had a 6 and 9 year old with us!

Great place, clean. Love the themes room.Hidden in the trees lovely location. Nit far to other town to find restaurants! Staff very welcoming. Breakfast not to my liking though.

Breakfast was cheap but not so good.

the staff could not have been any more helpful than they were.

my granddaughter is gluten intolerant and even though we would have liked to eat at the hotel we were unable to because of the lack of food choice, chips or rice!

Child-friendly, great location

Our room and the main restaurant not very clean (incl dirty cups in room, very dusty bedhead, dirty windows, dirty walls and radiator in restaurant beside our booth), issues with toilet flushing in room, no fans despite v hot weather, very poor standard of food, insufficient no. of staff on duty (queuing at reception as appeared to be one staff member doing bar, check-ins and everything else, e.g. toilet-flushing issue). Wasn’t expecting a five-star experience, but felt basic cleanliness and very poor food in particular were an issue.

Amazing rooms for the kids and great that entertainment available in the evening

Nothing

Alle var super søde

Der var varmt - så måske en aircondition.

Ambience

All of it

None

The location was great

The room smelt really musty and damp and the hot water was shocking the man told us we could use the boost button if we needed hot water, there was 4 of us and only one got a like warm shower the rest were freezing cold even after waiting half hour in between for the boost button to work

The staff were really friendly, the children's entertainment team were very welcoming and got the children involved which was nice to see especially Pirate Nick.

I think when outdoor activities are happening such as the toasting marshmallows the area outside the building should be blocked off so cars can not pass during that time to keep everyone safe especially when children are running back and forth.

Location. We were attending a family event at nearby Wirksworth. Staff were extremely polite and helpful. Bed very comfy. Room very clean although decor/building were a bit quirky

The fridge in the room was not very cold. Although a microwave was provided in the room presumably for reheating food or snacks there were no plates or cutlery provided

Upgraded to the willows which was beautiful, clean, and quiet.

Was tricky to find using digital maps. No AC so a little hot and then someone threw water onto the roof while we were sleeping which dripped into our bed

We always love coming here, every thing is great, accommodation was nice and clean, we had a themed room, smelled lovely on arrival, very comfortable.

There is nothing I didn’t like

Very good

Nice

The staff were extremely helpful, they did everything we asked, without any problems.

The room needed a bigger fridge and something to cool it down without having to prop the door open with a stool! Also it got really noisy outside by 8 am, not just screaming kids but also sounds like mechanical garden trimmers. Both days.

Friendly, helpful staff. Good location. Good facilities for families.

Room was quite basic for the price paid-the hotel seems overpriced for what it is. It was noisy at night, but that was down to other guests and not much the hotel could've done.

Location was brilliant, right next to Matlock bath with plenty of car parking Play area outside the rooms Staff extremely helpful and friendly Bit of confusion about the room - it didn’t look like the same room I had seen on the advert. I queried this with staff, and mentioned how hot / small it was in the room (we were in a heatwave) and the staff upgraded us with no hesitation so we were more comfortable. Breakfast was lovely - no full English available that day, but the kids enjoyed the boxes of cereal Would 100% return, but would book the bigger family rooms in future

We liked the decorations it was very good

We loved our stay it was very nice any comfortable and the themed room was amazing 👏

Location was great. The rooms were themed and really nice. Lots of parking available. The staff were polite and helpful.

Nothing to not like.

Very nice place.

No complaints.

The staff where amazing, the room was absolutely filthy, this is the 2nd time we have stayed here, I didn’t mention anything the 1st time as I gave them the benefit of the doubt, but it was disgusting, the 1st time there was a dead bug on the pillow, it had been there a while as it was moulding into the pillow, the dust was unreal, it’s a lovely place but also the price is way to expensive for what you get,

How clean it was and the price of things

Easy access

Not applicable

Really nice quiet location, great entertainment for kids and the rooms we more than adequate

room was amazing

Very any to the centre of Matlock Bath and you could come and go has you liked

Poorly signposted no hotel signs at the bottom of the road and there were others looking for it at the same time has me who were booked in

The room was very clean and apart from the TV only having three channels available and only one bedside light working was very well equipped.we stayed in Badger

At check in the staff didn't know if food would be available in the evening and if it was it would be a pizza menu. We were told that breakfast would be available between 8 & 10 am. But on arriving at 8:45 were told that breakfast was only available at the weekends. We did eat however manage to find an excellent restaurant and short drive away for both an evening meal and breakfast.

Staff were brilliant, bed was comfy, great location for Marlock Bath

Room was a little on the small side

Un buon soggiorno per una notte nel rapporto qualità/ prezzo

Manca l'acqua calda per fare la doccia

Great size of 2 bedrooms, one with bunks beds, both ensuite, nice lounge area, fridge etc.. excellent location for Matlock

Only downside were the small sinks in both bathrooms. Made very difficult washing faces or cleaning teeth as there is a shelf above the sink.

Location was great, we could park at their car park which was great. Really fun decorated rooms and lots of atmosphere. I booked it cause it was the cheapest option for our family of 3 in the area, but turned out to be a great place too!

The carpet in our room was very tired with spots so I was glad I took slippers from home for all of us. Quite dusty in places, but sheets and the bathroom was spotlessly clean.

Location

Tv a little small

Location.

Not enough coffee in the room.

Really nice

Great location and fairly comfortable rooms

The room wasn’t cleaned a single time during our 3 night stay and breakfast wasn’t great. The staff was very friendly but the I found the facilities to be somewhat disappointing.

Clean and fun

The decor and design, the quiet location.

The cramped space, having to climb the hill to reception (we were not travelling by car), no wardrobe or drawers, the shower head was loose, the plug stuck in the sink, there was only enough milk for one cup of tea but we were booked in for two nights, the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night and we were left standing outside in the rain for half an hour...

Clean and fun

Na

Location, views & staff

Location, great. Kids loved it! Comfy bed

It stunk of mould. Overpowering whiff the whole night/next morning

Great location. Lovely friendly and helpful staff. Comfortable bar area with very reasonably priced drinks. My room was comfortable and warm, and I liked the abundance of the Wind in the Willows themed prints and objects - like the oars - placed all around the room. Close proximity to public transport which was frequent and enabled me to explore further than I had anticipated and with single bus journeys capped at £3 offered great value for money.

The wash hand basin in the bathroom was very small and the shelf above it made it awkward to get get underneath to rinse my mouth following brushing my teeth, although I learned to manage.

The quirkyness of the theme of Badger from Wind in the Willows. Comfortable double bed, with clean, white cotton bedding. Very clean and well presented. Good tea and coffee making facilities. Lovely shower. Sleeping arrangements good...if I were to bring family next rime.

Unsure where to enter and book in and park when I arrived.

It was very nice and clean. Beautiful area

The sink very small over the toilet hard for kids to use it but apart of that nice

Close to the park, close to the shops and restaurants.

Not the most noise insulated place, beds weren't the comfiest and it was very warm. Children did like the bunk beds as too close to the ceiling. Bathroom wasn't the cleanest.

very family welcome kids love the theme sets the weekend away off perfectly very clean and ideal

had to keep putting hot water on boost

Location was great!

I found it grubby! The carpet in our room was dirty and smelly. I did not like smoking was allowed on hotel grounds! I could smell the smoke everywhere.

Everything it’s great for kids