If only all great golf hotels did family friendly like The Belfry

If you’re looking for a family resort style hotel in the UK, Katie Amps thinks you won’t find one much better than The Belfry in Warwickshire.

The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire

Renowned for being home to one of the UK’s most famous golf courses – The Belfry has hosted The Ryder Cup four times – it’s no wonder the hotel has a cabinet full of awards!

Although, if you’re getting a lad’s weekend or dad’s weekend vibe, it’s far from that. This is a family-friendly resort, with bells and whistles!

Championship golf course, The Belfry

The Belfry impresses golfers and wows our kids too

For our visit, we decided to bring my golf-mad parents, who are great Belfry fans and have played the course before. My mum was excited to tell us about the time she won a trophy at The Belfry, and Dad was her caddy! However, they’d never stayed at the hotel before, which made this break even more special.

What struck us on arrival – after we got over the fabulous cars in the car park – was how welcoming the hotel staff were. There is even a family check-in desk, where Ronnie, our youngest, was given a lovely goodie bag! And a kids’ library at the hotel entrance, means little ones can look through the books while parents deal with the check-in. The books can also be borrowed during your stay. It’s like they have thought of everything!

Our Double-Double Room came with an extra bed to accommodate two children and three adults. Really spacious it featured a walk-in Shower, ESPA Toiletries, and a hair dryer, as well as tea and coffee facilities, WIFI, HD Freeview Widescreen TV, and 24-hour room service. As an added bonus, the view of the course from the room was spectacular.

Ronnie putting The Belfry to the test

So much to do, one stay may not be enough

But, with so many family activities on offer, our room-time was limited to bedtime, as we wanted to make the most of the resort. Although fitting in everything during our stay was a challenge we failed. Guess we’ll just need to come back again.

• Archery: load your bow, take aim and let the arrow fly into this awesome archery experience. Suitable for ages 8 and over.
• Air Rifle Shooting: ready for some fun? You’ll learn how to focus, aim, and eliminate the target. Get ready to feel like the main character in a video game! Suitable for ages 8 and over.
• Go Karts: get competitive and pedal as fast as you can to race around The Belfry go kart track. For ages 3 and older.
• Mini Golf: great fun for all the family! Experience 12 holes of competitive fun through the miniature versions of some of the most iconic holes in Ryder Cup history!

Making the most of the great outdoors at The Belfry

• Woodland Walk: explore the great outdoors on the family-friendly, interactive Woodland Walk. You and your kids can take a walk on the wild side with den building, wildlife spotting, and bug hotels! Alternatively, the trail is ideal for a scenic run with a fitness trail halfway through.
• Adventure Zone & Playground: zip wire, tree house, puzzlewood, timber climber and net, group swing, balance beams and more!
• Toptracer: practice your swing with the kids at the Driving Range. Get a free bucket of balls for children with a paying adult. Available daily during school holidays.
• Foot Golf: head to the Woodland Walk for Foot Golf. Kids play for free with paying adult.
• The Belfry Trail: follow the trail map from reception & find the hidden letters across the resort, to reveal the secret message. Once the message is found, return to reception to collect a certificate and a little prize for the kids to enjoy! Only available during school holidays.

Indoor pool, The Belfry

Sweet ideas and lots of chill time too

• Splash Time: have family fun in the pool with children’s swim times from 8am to 11am and 3pm to 7pm every day.
• Movie Night: get the kids relaxed after an exciting day with a film. Indulge in the popcorn station, sink in a bean bag and enjoy the movie.
• Games Room: enjoy a variety of indoor games, including table tennis and giant Jenga.
• Colouring Station: get your child’s creativity flowing at the colouring station.
• Sweet Cart: find the residents-only pick ‘n’ mix sweet cart at reception. At check-in guests receive a token to exchange for free sweets from the cart.

See all family activities at The Belfry

What our family loved best at The Belfry

One of our family favourites was the go-kart racing. Picture us, racing around the track, feeling the wind in our hair, as we compete for the title of the Fastest Family Member! There was also a lovely chill zone right on The Green with a bar stocked with all kinds of drinks and snacks and picnic benches where the grandparents could relax and watch our go-kart shenanigans.

However, the movie room was also a big hit with the popcorn station (unlimited popcorn, yes please!) and super comfy bean bags. It’s the perfect way to unwind.

But wait, there’s more! They offer splash time in the pool, a games room that became my second home, a colouring station, a sweet cart full of sugary delights, and even a kids’ library for cosy story time.

And the outdoor fun? It’s like they’ve thought of everything: an interactive woodland walk, football with mega targets, badminton, corn in the hole, table tennis, and even sand bunkers and diggers for the little builders.

We also had a blast with snag golf – a hilarious twist on the classic game.

We were lucky enough to have some lovely weather, so we made the most of The Belfry’s Woodland Adventure Zone, with swings, a climbing obstacle course, a slide, zip wire, a tree house, and this cool climbing thing that Ronnie conquered (after a few tries).

The Ryder Grill, The Belfry

Several restaurants to choose from and family attractions in every direction

Naturally, after a busy day, we were ready to indulge in the resort’s several restaurants. Although we dined at the 2AA Rosette Ryder Grill, where we enjoyed a delicious buffet, we also loved family-friendly Rocca’s, which offered a casual environment and Italian classics.

With 550 acres of outdoor space for guests to explore, four restaurants and bars, three golf courses, a tranquil spa, an enviable adventure playground, and an indoor pool, families will never be short of things to do.

Also, you’ll find The Belfry near some of the UK’s most popular family attractions, including Drayton Manor, Twycross Zoo, and Cadbury World, all of which are just a short drive away.

We had a brilliant day out at Twycross Zoo, where we saw hundreds of amazing animals and let off some steam at the outdoor play areas and The Gruffalo Discovery Land. The indoor soft play was a great opportunity to sit and have a coffee and watch Ronnie having fun!