Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I Book the Ferry ...
- What are Kiddies Teas ...
- What Family Accommodation is Available ...
- What Children's Entertainment Will There Be ...
- What Adult Entertainment Will There Be ...
- What is there to do at the Hotel ...
- What is the Badger Watch ...
- How Does the Child Listening Work ...
- Does the Hotel Have a Private Beach ...
- How Much Will a Phone Call Cost From the Room ...
- Do We Have Access to A Microwave and Fridge
- Will There Be A Quiet Atmosphere during Busy Times ...
- What if I Cannot Get My Children to Sleep Before Dinner
- Is Smoking Allowed at the Hotel ...
- What is the Correct Domain Name of the Hotel Web Site
How do I Book the Ferry
Throughout the year, both Red Funnel and Wight Link run ferries almost every half an hour from all of their terminals. . The journey from London will take approximately 2 hours. If you arrive at the ferry terminal early or late you will be asked to go into a holding lane. It is sometimes possible to go on an earlier ferry. There is a fairly inexpensive snack bar at all of the ferry ports so you can leave your car and wait in comfort. If you miss your ferry this is not a disaster. For some of the busy days in August it could mean that you have to wait for an hour, but do not stress yourself out, or worse, to catch that ferry !!!.
The cost of the ferry is not included in the holiday price. We will be happy to book the ferry for you although you can find special offers from the ferry company. For advance bookings ferry tickets are sent to you shortly before you travel. Please contact us if you have not received your tickets one week before you travel.
If you book at the last minute, tickets are kept by the ferry company for you to collect on arrival at the ferry terminal. Simply tell the attendant at the port that you do have a booking and that you are collecting tickets. You will need to your ferry booking reference number to hand when collecting your tickets from the desk.
If we have made your Ferry Reservation then any amendments to your traveling arrangements have to be made through the hotel. You are unable to deal directly with the Ferry Operators. Also note that a subsidy will be payable if you extend your stay beyond 4 days. Please note that we are now making a £5.00 administration charge for changing ferry reservations.
If you lose your tickets contact the hotel reception and we will get duplicates for you or ensure that you can travel.
If you travel by White Link Ferry from Portsmouth or Lymington it is possible to come over on one ferry and than return on the other.
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What are Kiddies Teas ... ?
Kiddies teas take place between 4:45 and 5:45. This allows enough time to see any evening children's entertainment and get the children off to bed before dinner.
During the busy periods the dinner will take the form of a buffet.
Here you will find a selection of :
- Baby foods
- Milk, juice, water
- Fresh fruit, milk, bread, jam etc
- Pasta or pizza dish of the day
- Roast meal of the day - e.g. meat and two veg.
- A selection of chips, fish fingers, chicken nuggets, beans etc
- A selection of deserts
A Supervisor will be available to heat up milk and baby foods as requested.
In quieter times the meal will be served on an A La Carte Basis.
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What Children's Entertainment Will There Be ... ?
During the busy periods the hotel provides entertainment and workshops at no extra cost. These activities take place after breakfast or after 'Kiddies Tea'. Details will be posted on the entertainment board in the entrance hall. Current activities include :
- 2 Hour Supervised Play and Activity Time - organised by energetic, screened and qualified staff.
- David Randini - Magician and Humor
- Traditional Punch and Judy Show
- Birds of Prey Display
- Children's Disco
- Morning Face Painting Session
During the adult meal the large 43 inch TV will be on in the coffee shop area, where a favourite children's video will be played. Children's board games and toys are also available from the bar.
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What Adult Entertainment Will There Be ... ?
During the busy periods the hotel provides adult entertainment at no extra cost. We ensure that this entertainment is also suitable for children. Details will be posted on the entertainment board in the entrance hall. Current entertainers include :
- David Randini - Magic and Comedy
- Kelly Burke - One of the top male singers on the Island
- Casino Nights - Gather winnings at Black Jack and Roulette for the top prize
The bar is also stocked with a selection of popular board games.
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What is there to do at the Hotel ... ?
The hotel offers the following facilities:
- Snooker
- Pool
- Table Tennis
- Indoor Pool and Children's Pool - heated to 82 degrees
- Large Indoor Soft Play
- Children's Supervised Play and paints toys etc
- Adult and Children's Entertainment and Workshops
- Areas for Ball Games - Equipment is provided
- 9 Hole Putting Area
- Outdoor Play Area with Swings, Climbing Frame, Slide and Sandpit
- Waterfalls and woods to explore
- Rock Pooling on the local beach
- Follow the Coastal Path to the Botanic Gardens and Steephill Cove
- Evening Badger Watch
- Evening Children's Video
- Board Games and toddlers toys in the Bar
- Exploring the little Village of St Lawrence
- Sun Bathing on the Sun Loungers in the Gardens
During the adult meal a favourite children's video will be playing on the large 43 inch TV in the coffee shop area which is close to the bar and dining room.
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What is the Badger Watch ... ?
Most evenings at approximately one hour after dusk, badgers arrive from various sets within the grounds to eat from the box that we fill with the surplus toast and sausages from breakfast. The box is placed outside the window of the bar and is illuminated by a spotlight which provides a superb vantage point to view our families of badgers at very close quarters.
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What Family Accommodation is Available ... ?
The hotel has 24 family suites out of the total of 35 rooms. These rooms contain a private hall, off which can be found a Parents Room, one or more Children's rooms and a bathroom. The children's rooms contain either bunk beds or one or more single beds. Some of the suites can accommodate over six children. The majority can comfortably sleep 2 adults and 2 children. Although all of the children's beds are full size, we do not recommend an adult sleeping in the children's room. Some of the rooms will also take an additional cot in the children's or parents room.
We have several double rooms, some with a side room, which can take a child in a cot.
The West Wing rooms in the main house are furnished in a Victorian style. They do not have a direct sea view, but they tend to be larger with thicker walls and floors and for this reason tend to get booked first with our regular guests.
The East Wing rooms are furnished in contemporary styling and most have a sea view.
The Spindler Suite and the Cottage Suite are superior family suites.
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What is the Child Listening ... ?
The Child Listening service is operational between 7.00pm until the bar closes every night. It is possible to have the listening service during the day by special arrangement.
Every room has a speaker-microphone which is operated by a switch on the unit. Family Suites have a unit in the Parent's room and the Children's room. It is only necessary to activate the unit in the room(s) where the child is sleeping.
Please do not put it on too early as your efforts to settle down your children will be heard in the bar. As it is switched on, an alarm tone may be heard. This tone will advise the operator in the hotel that listening has been activated in your room and that the reception end needs to be switched on. Normally the switches for each room are pre-set each evening from your booking information and in this case the tone will not be heard. It is possible to check with the barman that the listening is on in your room before going through to dinner.
If your baby cries or becomes upset this can be heard by staff in the reception, office, bar, kitchen and wine store. We are able to locate your room via a switch matrix which can isolate a set of rooms, then looking within this set for the sound of your child. Normally you will be notified personally, but if we cannot locate you will will put a message over the Hotels Public Address. You are then able to hear your child at the bar and decide on your next action.
The baby listening also operates within the Cottage Suite.
Be assured that if you mistakenly leave your child listening on when retiring, we will advise you.
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Does the Hotel Have a Private Beach ... ?
The hotel is situated in 16 Acres of woods and gardens which extend to the sea. The beach is no longer private but is only really accessible for Hotel Guests and local residents. The beach may be reached by walking along a flat path through the woods and then finally down several steps.
Last summer the beach was largely covered in sand but this was a result of tide conditions and is not guaranteed. When the tide is in, there is not much to see except for the exhilarating force and noise of the sea beating the small shore of Binnel Bay. When the tide is out however there are many rock pools to explore. The beach is also a beachcombers paradise as many items are washed into the Bay.
There are several ways through the woods to the Bay you may find it fun to find a new route every time.
If you are looking for a nearby sandy swimming beach, there are two within a short driving distance at Steephill Cove ( next to the Botanical Gardens ) and Ventnor.
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How much will phone call cost from the room ... ?
Mobile phones do not work at the Old Park. There are certain high spots within the grounds but mostly there is no reception at the Hotel. For this reason, we keep the cost of phone calls from your rooms as cheap as possible. The following table shows the approximate cost of a 5 minute call.
| 5 Minutes | Cheap Rate | Peak Rate |
| Local Call | 20p | 80p |
| Long Distance | 80p | £1.60 |
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Do You Have a Guest Fridge or Microwave ... ?
Semi skimmed milk is available for children during breakfast and kiddies teas. Semi-skimmed milk can also be obtained from the bar in a children's cup.
Many of our guests have young children who require full milk or have special dietary requirements. For this reason we have a guest fridge behind the bar where you can leave your own supply. The staff will always be happy to warm milk or other food during the day.
To keep milk fresh at night time for the early morning, many guests bring ice packs and cool bags etc. We will be happy to put these in the guest fridge.
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Will There Be A Quiet Atmosphere during Busy Times ... ?
The Hotel is set in a quite secluded location and we do not admit the general public. Nearly all of our guests are professional people whom we are glad to welcome to the hotel. At peak times we do have 60 adults and up to 70 children, mostly under 12 years old. However many of these children go to bed before Adult Dinner and there are many public areas, so the Hotel never feels overcrowded.
During the day, most guests venture out to explore the Island and so you can always find peace in the extensive garden. The wood paneled quiet lounge, furnished with comfortable antique chairs, is off limits to children and is thus always available as a retreat for harassed parents.
Many of our quests remark on the relaxed atmosphere of the Old Park. We hope that you find the same.
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What if I Cannot Get My Children to Sleep Before Dinner ...?
You must get to the dining room by 8:30 pm for the Evening Dinner. If your children will not settle down before this time there are several options.
There will be a Children's Video during the Evening Meal in the cafe area, which is reasonably close to the dining room. Mostly the children sit quietly with the other children and are pleased to have some independence from their parents. There are also many board games and building blocks etc, available in the bar to play with and new found friends. Note that we do not allow games in the dining room and we ask that children do not run in and out of the dining room.
As a last resort, you can take your children to the dinner and give them something from your plate. We do not allow prams or push chairs in the dining room for safety reasons, but you can use a crib or a highchair.
If your child is sick and you want to stay in the room with them, we can arrange food to be collected to be taken to your room.
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Is Smoking Allowed at The Hotel ...?
All bedrooms and public areas within the hotel are no smoking.
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What is the Correct Domain Name of the Hotel Web Site ... ?
The Domain for the Hotel is child-friendly-hotel.com.
You may also arrive at this domain via:
oldparkhotel.com & oldparkhotel.co.uk