I’ll never forget the drive to Ocean Breeze Villa 3 Hot Tub in Woolacombe – our three-day jaunt to North Devon started with a classic family comedy of errors. We’d piled into the car from Bristol early doors, kids buzzing with excitement about the beach, me navigating via a dodgy sat-nav that decided to throw a wobbly just past Braunton. “Recalculating,” it chirped endlessly as we took a daft detour down a narrow lane that pinched my wing mirrors on the brambles. Nothing major, just enough to have us all in stitches, with my other half quipping, “Welcome to Devon, where the roads hug you back!” By the time we trundled into Mortehoe, the sun was dipping low over the Atlantic, painting the cliffs in that golden glow only the North Devon coast can muster.

Pulling up to the villa felt like stumbling into a hug from an old mate. Tucked in a quiet spot overlooking the dunes, it’s one of those cosy semi-detached numbers that screams “relax and forget the world.” The hot tub was the star of the show right from the off – steaming away on the private patio like it was waiting for us personally, framed by sea breezes that carried the faint crash of waves from Woolacombe Beach just down the hill. We’d booked it for a chilled family break, no grand plans, just sandcastles, scoffing pasties, and dipping toes in the surf. Unloading the boot was pure lodge-life chaos: bags tumbling out, the youngest insisting on dragging his inflatable dinosaur straight to the tub, while I wrestled with the key safe, muttering about needing a cuppa after that drive.

Stepping inside, the first impressions hit like a warm wave. The open-plan living area was spot-on for us lot – plush sofas begging for a collapse, a telly primed for kids’ films, and a kitchen kitted out with everything from cafetière to toaster, no faffing about. I brewed up immediately, the kettle whistling as we peeked at the views through the big windows: rolling dunes stretching to the sea, with Barricane Beach’s rock pools glinting in the distance. It’s proper North Devon magic, that wild, untamed edge where the air smells of salt and freedom. The kids bolted upstairs to claim beds in the three cosy bedrooms, giggling over the quirky bunk setup, while we adults sighed in relief at the master with its en-suite – king-sized bed looking like heaven after the car scrum.

First evening sorted itself. We cracked open fish and chips from the Woolacombe chippy (salty, crispy perfection), scoffing them on the patio as the sun set. Then, the hot tub moment – pure bliss. Bubbles churning, steam rising, us all slipping in with whoops and splashes, toes wrinkling as we watched the sky turn pink over the ocean. Little one splashed like a mini pirate, declaring it “the best bath ever,” and even the dog (yes, we brought ours) paddled about, eyeing us for scraps. Light chaos ensued when a rogue wave of bubbles coated my specs in froth – “Dad’s a snowman!” the kids howled. Proper family gold.

But sat there, jets rumbling away, I had a quiet moment of reflection. Life’s been a whirl lately – work niggles, school runs, the usual grind. Here, in this unpretentious villa, with the sea whispering and family close, it all melted off. No Wi-Fi nagging, just simple pleasures: the tub’s warmth seeping into bones weary from city hustle, the promise of dawn walks on Morte Point’s cliffs tomorrow. Ocean Breeze nailed that relaxed vibe spot-on – a haven for recharging without the pretence. If you’re after North Devon lodge life at its finest, with hot tub heaven and beachy bliss on the doorstep, this is your spot. We were smitten from minute one, and that’s no exaggeration.