‘I took my family to the UK’s only all-inclusive resort — it was incredible’

Imagine the classic British ‘holiday camp’ atmosphere: family fun by the sea, nightly entertainment and everything you need on-site. But then imagine it brought bang up to date, with comfortable rooms and high quality amenities and a few ideas borrowed from luxury cruise ships.

Now you’re getting somewhere near what Potters is. I spent a weekend her and got a perfect family getaway.

The Potters at Hopton on Sea is a gem tucked away on Norfolk’s coast. It is steeped in history but has been bold enough to move with the times, which has seen it voted the best holiday park in the UK.

And I would go back in a heartbeat. You’ll find it at almost exactly the mid-point between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. If you don’t drive, then a train to either town puts you a 20-minute coastal bus ride away from the resort’s front door. And when the tide’s out, it’s just a few minutes walk down to a lovely little sandy beach.

The resort has been looking after guests since 1920 when it put families up in quaint wooden huts – one of which lives on in hotel lobby to this day.

A hundred years on it’s a fully-fledged resort, with a pool, countless sports facilities and activities to try – and almost constant entertainment from morning till way past my bedtime. Many guests stay in the rows of cosy bungalows, which have solid, basic amenities at an affordable price.

My family stayed in the resort’s hotel for our three-night break. Hotel rooms are a little more expensive, but are more spacious and boast private balcony or terrace areas.

And when I say spacious, I mean spacious. The standard hotel room is about twice the size of a normal room in a British hotel.

As well as a very comfortable bed and luxurious double-sink bathroom, there’s a seating area with a sofa and chair. And a pull-down ‘Murphy bed’ gives you the option of sleeping a third person – and with a room that big, there’s plenty of space for three.

While the bungalows are closer to the playing fields and beach, the hotel is closer to dining and entertainment venues and the pool. Food and drink is where Potters is truly unique. Everything is included – and everything I tried was delicious.

For many, the phrase ‘all-inclusive resort’ conjures images of lukewarm buffets, piled high with chips and pizza slices, perhaps the occasional chicken nugget and long benches of weird-looking salad.

Not so at Potters. Each lunchtime and evening menu offers three or four restaurant-quality starter and main options. During my stay I had a buttery, flaky Sea Bass fillet, some deliciously crispy deep fried Halloumi and a perfectly cooked chicken breast with mushroom and thyme sauce.

None of them would trouble a Michelin star – but they’d give any of the foodie pubs near me a solid run for their money. And that’s before we come to the carvery, which is served every evening with a different roast meat.

On top of that there’s a second buffet option – usually a curry or Chinese food – that you can help yourself to if you’re in a hurry or just don’t fancy the a la carte options. I tried the butter chicken, which was about as good as any I’ve had, and the crispy fried king prawns with sweet n sour, which were huge and very moreish.

A couple of hot desserts are offered every night, or you can choose one of a long list of cold puds. Or more than one. Have as many as you can eat, it’s all inclusive. Your groups is assigned your own table in the grand Garden restaurant, which you’ll return to for every meal – as well as being attended to by the same member of the incredibly friendly and helpful staff.

Nothing was ever too much trouble for our server, and service was impressively quick – a great thing for families with restless kids. The restaurant – as well as the nearby Garden bar – have clearly had some money spent on them fairly recently. They’re bright, airy and a lovely place to relax.

The kids menu is pretty solid too, with a daily rotation of pastas, fish fingers, pizza and other favourites served buffet style – so hungry youngsters don’t have to wait a second to tuck in. Breakfast is a solid, unfussy breakfast buffet – which included a fried bread that immediately sparked memories of Little Chef Olympic breakfasts enjoyed in my youth. Those that remember, will know what a compliment this is.

Lunch is a generous selection of lighter bites, salads and freshly cooked omelettes. And the mystery fourth meal of the day? A late night snack served after the evening’s main entertainment. This changes nightly, but during my stay they served hot dogs, fajitas and lasagne on successive nights.

And, of course, all inclusive means drinks are included too. Soft or alcoholic, hot or cold, there’s a solid range of premium drinks for everyone and it’s all included in the price. On arrival, we were given a sheet listing all of the activities available throughout the day – and it’s an enormous list. Thrillseekers can try go-karts, off-road Segways, indoor climbing or a trip on an enormous bungee swing.

Those in the mood to relax can try out yoga, or the daily craft workshops. There’s a gym, a golf course, indoor pickle ball courts and outdoor tennis courts. There’s no need to book any of it – just turn up in the right place during the right time window and you’ll usually be able to have a go within a few minutes’ wait.

I tried archery, for which I had a fantastic, helpful and attentive instructor to show me the ropes. I didn’t split any willows, but I had a great time. Potters is an adults only resort for much of the year, but in the summer it opens up to guests of all ages, and there’s loads for kids to do.

A giant fluffy panda prowls the halls offering big fuzzy hugs. There’s an arcade and bowling alley – for which there is a small charge – and a compact but fun soft play. There’s an outdoor play area too, a kids club with competitive games, kids discos and occasionally a visit from a pack of alarmingly realistic dinosaurs.

As someone who’s seen his fair share of musical theatre, I’m always skeptical of anywhere that advertises “West End Quality” entertainment. But I was pleasantly surprised with the nightly shows, performed by a top notch cast of singers and dancers and some genuinely dazzling staging effects.

There’s so much variety, too. One night was a rundown of American classic pop. Another was a night of numbers from musicals past and present – from West Side Story and Oliver! to Hamilton and Wicked. And from sets to costumes to some very impressive vocal performances – ‘One Day More’ from Les Miserables was a bold move – they nailed every one of them.

It’s hard to find fault with Potters, so I’m not going to try particularly hard to do so. I think the best review of the place is that I met dozens of people there who go every year, and some of them have done so for decades. There are families who have grown up staying there every summer, and now take their own kids and grandkids – and all of them love it. And there’s every chance that my family might join them.

Book the holiday

Potters Resort is offering £100 off half-term family breaks now. Check out its website to find out more.