Review: St Catherine’s Lookout Cottage, Isle of Wight

What’s the difference between a nice place to stay with kids and somewhere with the wow factor? The kind where you look back and think, we have to stay there again… for longer.

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Once the basics are out of the way – comfy bed, enough space, clean, safe, decent bathroom and these days, self-catering facilities too – it could be anything from fabulous decor to little thoughtful touches or something to make parents’ holidays easier and more relaxing. Or in the case of St Catherine’s Lookout, the most amazing sea view.

We stayed here for two nights for our weekend break on the Isle of Wight, and it’s no spoiler to say I was wowed. This was not just any family-friendly stay… here’s why.

Book via Isle of Wight Hideaways, at booking.com or holidaycottages.co.uk, plus more ideas of family-friendly Isle of Wight cottages

St Catherine’s Lookout: Vital statistics

Although St Catherine’s Lookout has the same kind of atmosphere as a cottage, it’s actually one floor of a big house – although other people were staying on the other floors, we were barely aware of any of them during our visit.

There are three bedrooms – two with double beds (one of which can convert into twins) and one single bedroom, plus a living/dining room, very well equipped kitchen and bathroom. There’s also off-street parking.

In Niton Undercliff, in the south of the Isle of Wight, not far from Blackgang Chine, you’re not far from the coast and the village itself has a fantastic family-friendly pub called The Buddle Inn, practically across the road.  You can also check out my Facebook Live video for a mini guided tour after we arrived.

St Catherine’s Lookout review: The good

The views

Well, I can hardly call it the wow factor and then start with something else. The big windows of the living room and main bedroom look straight out onto the sea below and I could happily have gazed out to the blue waves for hours.

From my bed, if I’d left my blinds open, I could even see the sea from my pillows. And as the rear of the house slopes down the cliffs to the sea itself, no-one could peek back in…

The space

Admittedly there were only two of us in accommodation which sleeps five (plus room for a cot) but even with a family, or three generations, the spacious rooms meant you wouldn’t be tripping over each other every few minutes.

The equipment

I’ve bundled everything together under the heading ‘equipment’ but it’s far more than that: someone has actually put a lot of thought into what you might need. So as well as a travel cot and highchair for those with smaller kids, there was a step in the bathroom which was perfect for preschoolers and younger kids.

In the kitchen, there were essentials like oil (something hardly anywhere seems to think of either) and washing/cleaning supplies. We didn’t make much mess in our stay, but I hate having to ration washing up liquid or dishwasher tablets for longer breaks if I’ve forgotten to pack any.

There was also all the crockery, cutlery, glassware and cooking equipment you’re likely to want, including a wildly high-tech kettle, a small freezer on the worksurface, and a small quantity of children’s tableware, albeit not a huge amount.

Even the WiFi was strong enough to manage a live video on Facebook (fortunately as I was almost entirely without mobile signal).

The decor 

I’m all for eye-catching decoration but sometimes simple is best. Cool whites with a few nautical touches, hugely comfy beds, a snuggly throw and cushions in neutral shades.

Everything was understated but subtly stylish. In summer, it would be a lovely chilled-out retreat after a day on the beach too.

For more ideas of the best Isle of Wight beaches with kids, click here

The concierge service

EDIT: We booked through VIP Cottages which offered this service – they are no longer trading although you can book stays via Isle Of Wight Hideaways

Advice and help on booking things to do? Yep. Baby-sitting? Absolutely (and dog sitting if you want). A delicious hamper of local food so you don’t have to worry about dinner when you arrive? Waiting in the kitchen.

The concierge service promises it’s limited only by your imagination. I reined mine in and restricted myself to asking for breakfast. [EDIT: Alas, no longer available]

We barely made a dent after two days: the fruit was too good to leave, so we took it home, the coffee was fantastic, and there were some lovely jams, biscuits and other treats tucked in to the hamper for us. I regretted the fact that we weren’t there for longer to have dinner too.

The pub

The reason we weren’t having dinner in the cottage? The Buddle Inn, about a minute’s walk away. Once a 16th century smuggler’s inn, we swapped the beamed ceiling and stone fireplace for the beer garden outside, thanks to some unexpected sunshine.

The sea views there were almost too good to miss as well. Very family-friendly, there were plenty of kids around and a children’s menu.

The Buddle Inn menu meant I was definitely not second best though, with a fabulous starter of mussels and what I dubbed posh fish and chips for my main – sea bass with garlicky prawns and rosemary saute potatoes.

As a bonus, as I didn’t have to drive (I suspect it would have taken longer), I could have a glass of wine as well. Bliss.

The location

Peaceful and out of the way of passing traffic, the village and St Catherine’s Lookout is just off one of the bigger roads running round the island, so wherever we wanted to get to, it seemed an easy trip, from Blackgang Chine and the Needles, to the fossil walk not far from Sandown, Carisbrooke Castle and even the ferry port back at Fishbourne.

St Catherine’s Lookout review: The not so good

Was there anything I’d change? No, not really – but a few things to mention which other families might find useful.

The steps

It’s flagged up on the website but there are steps down to the front door of the property. Not so steep that I worried about my four-year-old using them, but worth knowing if you’re travelling with toddlers.

Once you’re inside, the big bonus is that everything is on one floor. The windows are also relatively low so keep them locked if you have small kids.

The dining table

You can sit four without being too cramped, but if there are five people eating, it looked like you’d have to improvise.

St Catherine’s Lookout review: verdict

What makes somewhere a wow place to stay? You’ll all have your own opinions, but a well-equipped, stylish, comfy, spacious place with the most amazing sea views, lots of thoughtful little touches which is also the perfect base to explore – that has to be a serious contender. Especially with delicious food to fuel me for all that exploring.

I can easily imagine staying with a group of friends, visiting with my daughter when she was much younger or going back when she was older too, so worth a look whatever your family set-up.

A place to stay on the Isle of Wight with something for everyone? If that’s not the wow factor, I don’t know what is.

Disclosure: My stay was courtesy of VIP Cottages which is no longer trading – but the cottage can be booked via Isle of Wight Hideaways, on booking.com or find more self-catering accommodation on the Isle of Wight here]. My trip to the island arranged through Visit Isle of Wight. All opinions remain my own.

Images and video copyright MummyTravels

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