Arethusa Cottage Holiday Lodges

Wonderful hosts, Sue & Paul couldn't do enough. Never intrusive but there if you needed them. Lodge spotless & very comfortable with everything you need plus more! Gardens beautiful, especially the pond (magical) & the pool was the cherry on top. Area fab for walking, right on the doorstep so no need to drive anywhere. Very peaceful with only the sound of birds. Will definitely return & would recommend to anyone
Apr 28th, 2023

My family and I stayed at in Monktonmead in August 2022. We were extremely fortunate that the other lodge was occupied by a relation of the hosts, meaning we had full run of the gardens and exclusive use of the pool for the whole week. We had the most amazing time, Paul and Sue could not have been more welcoming or accommodating. They let our children feed the fish with them, chatted about the wildlife and gave tips on where to visit and what to do, but gave us space and privacy to enjoy our first family holiday since covid. The Isle Of Wight is such a beautiful holiday location, and we could have easily spent a month there without doing everything we wanted to! We will be back, hopefully with friends in the other lodge for a bigger group holiday next year, the pool is stunning and I can't think of a better holiday I've ever had in the UK!
Dec 11th, 2022

We had a great stay at Monkonmead Lodge this half term Oct 2022. Sue and Paul were extremely friendly and accommodating. The lodge was perfect with everything we needed, and really cosy. The pool was fantastic and fully kitted out for the children with inflatables and toys. We spotted woodpeckers and red squirrels in the garden, and relaxed by the fairy lit koi pond at night. A thoroughly enjoyable stay, and would love to go back!
Oct 16th, 2022

Have you seen the film, Misery? The main character in the film, Paul Sheldon, is an author that enjoys the solitude of a log cabin to finish his books. Peace, quiet and nature. But be assured, his number one fan, Annie Wilkes, is not in residence. Now Im not suggesting that we were isolated, but at Arethusa Cottage (named after HMS Arethusa, a Crimean warship) peace, quiet and the sound of falling acorns (maybe hazelnuts too) hitting various outdoor structures were the norm. Sightings of red squirrels and an abundance of birds were viewable from the decking area as well as the lodge itself. Bats may also be seen as dusk greets the days end. We were greeted warmly on arrival by Sue, and Paul a little later, who promptly showed us around our lodge for the week. Clean, comfortable and presented well, this holiday let had everything we needed for our stayand then some. The garden area is great. Well-manicured lawns overlooked by trees and shrubs invite you to explore further. At the bottom of the garden, there is another area, quite magical at night, that may contain fairies. Or even faeries. Let your imagination decide. And then, there is the swimming pool. A heated, indoor, swimming pool. Im not the fittest of people (my jogging days are now a fading memory) but gentle exercise of this nature is a welcome start to the day. That is, when the smell of bacon cooking didnt discourage me. Shared by only one other lodge, pool time can be enjoyed pretty much whenever you feel like it. Later in the week, we had the pleasure of meeting Gracie. Gracie likes to bound around and sniff things. Of course, Gracie is the family dog. I believe she is from Romania but I might have misheard the country of origin. Okay. So what did we take away from this experience? The owners are genuinely warm, welcoming people who could not have been more friendly. The lodge fitted our needs entirely without compromise. The location is down a private lane with no through traffic so there was plenty of quiet time, perfect for sitting outside, closing your eyes and listening to the local wildlife chirping, chattering and squabbling over food and territory. If we come back to the island in the future, without hesitation, we will be booking the same place again. We enjoyed our stay here.
Sep 29th, 2022

We stayed in Woodside lodge this past week. What a beautiful oasis of calm! Sue and Paul are excellent hosts and really care. The lodge has everything you need, plus a few extra touches. The indoor pool is great too! They have loads of lights and fairy lights so sitting outside on an evening is wonderful. Its so well thought out! So easy to get to many places on the island too either by foot or car. Well recommended.
Sep 5th, 2022