The Lakes Rookley Holiday Resort on the Isle of Wight Review

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​The Lakes Rookley

The Lakes Rookley is one of four Away Resorts holiday parks on the Isle of Wight (we've been to them all!)

The Lakes Rookley is one of four Away Resorts holiday parks on the Isle of Wight. They were all bought a few years ago from a company called Aria Resorts and had previous lives under different owners.

We paid a visit to the Lakes Rookley in the autumn to see how it compares to the other three.

The reception at The Lakes Rookley

We are always impressed with the smart signs and branding at Away Resorts

The Lakes Rookley is a long and thin site

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First impressions and location of The Lakes Rookley

The Lakes Rookley is quite unusual for an Isle of Wight Holiday Park as it is some way inland. 

Of course, that means you won't be walking to the beach in the evening, which is a negative point in my book. 

However, as someone who grew up in the middle of the Isle of Wight, I do think it's worth putting across a counter argument. 

The Isle of Wight is - in my opinion - just the right size. If you're staying in a central location then you can go anywhere within about 20 or 30 minutes. If you end up at a holiday park in the East Wight then you might have a drive of nearly an hour to reach The Needles and Alum Bay. The Lakes Rookley gives you much more flexibility to explore. 

I would consider it then if you want to get a feel for the whole Island in a week, without spending too much time in the car. 

Rookley is a fairly pretty village but I would say that there are some that there are slightly more scenic and interesting villages on the island. It's worth saying that there's a very high bar for scenery on the Isle of Wight and that I have enjoyed some excellent bike rides nearby! 

As we came into The Lakes Rookley, one of the first things that we saw was one of the large lakes that has been tastefully decorated with white lights around its perimeter. This is a simple addition but it really does give a good effect at night. 

The onsite restaurant overlooks the main lake

We liked the lighting around the lake

The lakes give the site a lot of its character

These lights look great at night and give it a nice atmosphere on warm evenings

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Accommodation at The Lakes Rookley 

There's an interesting mix of accommodation at The Lakes Rookley. It has been owned by a few companies in recent years and each has added their own type of accommodation. 

That gives it a good character that you wouldn't get from a purpose-built holiday park. In my opinion, the nicest accommodation are the lake houses that have particularly good views. 

There are also a good number of standard caravans and some that have balconies and are a little wider. Most of these don't have a lake view, but some of them do have a good view out towards the farmland surrounding the site.

Finally, there is a sizeable section of the resort that is made up of brick-built properties that I would call holiday chalets. I quite liked this part of the site and would say it's a good choice if you fancy something a little more robust than a caravan. I can imagine these would be cosy in winter.

There isn't any camping or touring at The Lakes Rookley. 

We found it quite easy to explore The Lakes Rookley

Caravans make up a good number of the accommodation units at The Lakes Rookley

Some caravans enjoy a lovely view over fields at the edge of The Lakes Rookley

There are quite a lot of these chalet type holiday homes at The Lakes Rookley

I liked the modern lakehouses at The Lakes Rookley

These lakehouses overlook a large lake (as you'll have guessed from the name)

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Facilities at The Lakes Rookley 

There are some activities provided at The Lakes Rookley, which take place on the water. We also liked the indoor swimming pool. It is only a very simple rectangular pool without any slides, but it is a useful addition for a rainy day. 

As we explored, we found the large covered building for what are known as 'urban sports'. 

There's also a pretty good playground that sits near to the main restaurant and entertainment area. I like it when these are placed near to each other as it makes it easier to keep the children entertained whilst they wait for their food to arrive. 

There are some other activities that you can sign up for at The Lakes Rookley. It doesn't - of course - have big facilities such as high ropes or things like segways. However, its central location does make it good for exploring. The Isle of Wight has a terrific range of things to do if you do a little bit of research. 

The restaurant and entertainment complex at The Lakes Rookley are nicely bunched together

There's a large terrace at The Lakes Rookley

The main playground at The Lakes Rookley

The indoor swimming pool at The Lakes Rookley isn't massive but it's a nice addition

Various activities take place in the Urban Sports Arena at The Lakes Rookley

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Vibe and atmosphere at The Lakes Rookley

The Lakes Rookley is a mid-sized holiday park. It is large enough that it took us quite a while to get our bearings but not so small that we got bored quickly. You are not going to spend every minute of your holiday here, but you could also enjoy a little bit of time on site each day.

We visited off peak but there were still quite a lot of people on the site and plenty going on.

We were charmed by The Lakes Rookley

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Final thoughts on The Lakes Rookley

We liked the setup at The Lakes Rookley. The accommodation overlooking the lakes is particularly appealing and the communal areas are also well placed to make the most of the view. For me, I would always favour a holiday park that is walking distance to the beach. 

For that reason, I personally would go for Away Resorts' sister parks of The Bay Colwell or Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park. Both are next to fantastic beaches. However, if you are an explorer who wants to see the whole Island in a week, then The Lakes Rookley is an excellent choice.