Brunel Premier Elegance Lodge 3

The Brunel Elegance Lodge 3 sits on the upper slopes of Cheddar Woods Resort, where the ground rises enough to give the decking a genuine vantage point. From up here, the landscape tilts away towards the Levels, and on a good evening you can watch the colour drain slowly out of the sky without moving from your chair. It is the kind of view that keeps you outside longer than you planned, with a gas BBQ and a dining set for suppers that lose track of time.

Three bedrooms make this one of the more spacious Brunel lodges. A king-size master with a contemporary en suite shower takes one end, and two twin rooms handle the rest. A party of six can spread out properly without anyone drawing the short straw on space. The main bathroom has a freestanding bath with a TV mounted on the wall above it, deep enough to settle into after a long afternoon on your feet. Run it slowly, put something on, and there is no hurry to get anywhere.

The living area is open-plan and modern, with a 40-inch flatscreen in the lounge and a kitchen that is properly equipped rather than just adequate. A full-size fridge, a proper hob, and enough worktop to cook for six without it feeling like a relay race. The layout flows well between the kitchen, dining table, and living space, and on a wet day, nobody feels hemmed in.

Out on the decking, the hot tub faces the view. The resort team checks it daily, topping up the temperature and testing the water quality each morning, so it is hot and clean when you climb in. Late evenings are the best time out here, when the park goes quiet, and the only sound is the water and whatever is left of the sunset.

Cheddar Woods has a heated indoor pool, sauna, steam room, and the Eden Spa, which runs Aromatherapy Associates treatments. The spa fills up, so get in early if you want a slot. The Bistro handles evenings when nobody wants to cook, and from March through August, a wood-fired pizza oven lights up on the terrace, which is hard to walk past. Children can try the climbing wall, burn through Go Active sessions, or wear themselves out on the adventure playground.

Cheddar village is right at the bottom of the hill, and local cheese has been made here since the 12th century. The Gorge is the obvious big day out, with cliff walks above and caves below. Wookey Hole is about 8 miles east, Wells and its cathedral are roughly the same distance. Brean Down gives you a beach at 13 miles, and Glastonbury Tor is 15 miles for the summit walk and the panorama at the top. Bath is around 25 miles. Check-in is from 2 pm, which gives you a head start on the afternoon. Phone signal wobbles a bit up here, so download what you need before you arrive and lean into being offline.