It always amazes me how much variety there is these days if you fancy glamping – umpteen different types of luxury tents, pods, wagons, treehouses, cabins… but I’ve never stayed in a dome before, until setting off to check out some of the newest luxury glamping in Kent with kids.
review stay*
Checking in to Luna Domes at Hoath House in Kent, part of the Canvas & Cabins collection, it reminded me at first of a glass igloo I stayed in in Lapland. But with its hot tub and comfy chairs on the deck, this was the perfect summer escape.
And while I’m not a fan of back-to-basics camping (especially during an August heatwave), a spot of luxury plus a great location meant that this kind of family glamping in Kent had my name written all over it.
Luna Domes review: vital statistics
Luna Domes luxury glamping currently has four domes in the grounds of Hoath House in west Kent, including Knole where we stayed.
Each is set up slightly differently – Chartwell is pet-friendly and has an open-air hot tub while Hever is also pet-friendly but with no hot tub. Knole is one of the most secluded, while Scotney has a clear roof for star-gazing.
Each sleeps four, and there’s a two-night minimum stay over school holidays or for Friday/Saturday arrivals. You can find single night availability at other times (and, as you’ll see from my Luna Domes review, you’ll almost certainly want more than one night anyway!)
Our stay was arranged through Canvas & Cabins, the outdoor brand from holiday cottage letting company Finest Retreats, and you can book the domes here.
Hoath House itself hosts weddings and there are other cottages in the grounds, with some separate facilities, but even in peak season, we were hardly aware of anyone else on the site.
The domes are all around 100 metres from each other: close enough to stroll over if you’re visiting as part of a group, secluded enough that you can stay private even from your closest neighbours.
Set a short distance from Edenbridge, you feel like you’re miles from anywhere (although handily there are supermarkets, pubs and restaurants not far away, plus plenty of things to do in Kent with kids) .
There’s also parking right by the domes, as well as additional space in a grassy section nearby.
Check in is at 4pm, although you can arrange an earlier time – and we got a phone call to say our dome would be available from 3.30pm – and check-out is at 10am. Again you can arrange a later check-out, but this has to be done in advance and there’s a charge if you overstay.
Knole Dome: luxury glamping in Kent
As we pulled up next to our dome in the August sun, my first thought was how cool the dome looked – followed swiftly by wondering how hot it would be inside.
But all that went straight out of my head as I walked onto our deck and soaked up the silence and the views. Cows ambled lazily across one of the fields, butterflies and dragonflies flitted above the parched golden grass, and all I could hear was… nothing.
Well, except my daughter, frantic to get inside the dome and explore.
It was just as eye-catching inside too: downstairs there’s a king-sized bed, complete with ultra-squashy pillows, furry cushions and throw, and possibly the softest snuggliest white robes I have ever worn – it felt like I imagine wearing a cloud would be.
The thick squashy duvets kept us beautifully warm during the cool of the night, plus there are extra throws dotted around for evenings if you need them.
With the curtains open, there’s a fabulous view out onto the fields as well – light sleepers might want to bring an eye mask for summer, but I loved waking up, drawing back the curtains and being able to gaze out onto the Kent countryside.
To one side of the bed, there’s a couple of equally squashy beanbags and on the other, a little table with a guidebook to the dome and pair of chairs, plus a wood-fired stove (very non-essential this summer, but lovely for crisp spring days and autumn evenings). The dome also has heating if you need it.
Happily, there was also a fan blowing cold air: arriving at around 4.30pm in the hottest driest summer for decades, it was definitely warm inside the dome. The following day, as temperatures rose even higher, we kept the curtains closed and decamped outside.
Floating above the main bed, up a steep but very sturdy set of ladder-like steps was another double bed for my daughter, with its own fluffy cushions and handy shelf for her nightlight, clock, books, water and all the other overnight paraphernalia a 10-year-old appears to need.
When it comes to glamping, it’s often the little touches which provide the luxury but the practical side is also sorted: having decent WiFi was a definite bonus, as well as USB charging ports and plugs by the bed, lights you can operate from bed, wireless charging on the media console on the bedside table.
I was impressed to discover there were even USB charging points tucked away up by my daughter’s bed too. She was more interested to see which of her menagerie of furry animals bounced best when thrown down from above.
Escaping low-flying guinea pigs, I headed round the opposite site of the bed to find the little kitchenette – there’s a microwave and Nespresso style coffee maker, plus toaster, as well as crockery and glassware (mostly in sets of two). Tea, coffee and biscuits are also provided.
There’s a fridge too, plus a gas-fuelled BBQ on the deck outside, but you’re advised to bring your own cooking knives or other equipment if you’re planning to make anything more complex. Realistically, it’s designed for quick breakfasts and lunches, with the expectation you’ll be eating out or barbecueing otherwise.
Neatly tucked into an alcove, there’s also a hanging area, shelf and drawer for storage, plus a rack for shoes and another for coats by the door.
One of the few downsides is that there isn’t a huge amount of space to put clothes: with three of us staying for two nights in summer, we didn’t have a great deal, so managed with the available space (although another drawer would probably have been handier than the hanging rail.
Having done a complete circle of the dome, it struck me that I hadn’t spotted a bathroom. But no need to panic, this is somewhere to go luxury glamping in Kent with kids so it’s in an adjacent room on the deck.
There’s a shower – powerful enough, although not the fastest to drain away – a rather attractive stone sink, plus shelves in the corner above the toilet.
Again, there’s not a huge amount of space to put toiletries, but on the plus side, eco-friendly products are provided (and you’re asked not to bring your own unless they are 100% eco-friendly too). Really nice to use, they lasted us easily for our stay as well.
And outside, the lovely deck area. The table here has four chairs, plus two additional comfy chairs to lounge in and soak up those views.
Happily there’s also a very effective parasol for hot days, so in the end, I abandoned our plans to head out exploring and embraced a spot of slow travel. Grabbing books, board games and drinks, we settled ourselves into the shade and chilled out, stopping only for food and the occasional glass of wine (me).
If the weather isn’t so good, you could easily do the same inside the dome, although there’s only space for two at the table which would make things slightly trickier if you’re all trying to eat indoors.
And the final attraction? The wood-fired hot tub. It does take several hours to heat up but when the site manager called us pre-arrival, she offered to set it going for us so the water would be warm for the evening.
There’s an insulated cover to retain the heat… and we discovered it does so very impressively. Coming back after dinner out, the water had cooled a little, so we added more wood to warm it up – do not be tempted to get in while the fire is burning, incidentally.
At which point, it heated up very impressively. Even the next morning, although the fire had gone out, the water was still too hot to get into. The summer temperatures certainly helped but ended up having to take the cover off to let some of the heat escape before finally getting to try out the bubbles on the second evening of our stay.
Believe me, that insulating cover does what it says on the tin. The cover is also pretty heavy – easy enough for two adults to carry it, trying to manhandle it alone (or with the alarmed assistance of a 10-year-old) took a bit more effort.
You’re secluded enough from other guests that we barely heard them, and while you are asked to keep noise down, you don’t have to worry about every sound your kids make carrying across the site.
In fact, the only soundtrack was sheep baa-ing, doves cooing, the occasional cow mooing and at night, an owl hooting in the silence.
The final seal of approval? On our first night, I slept for 10 hours. 10 hours! If that’s not luxury when you’re a parent, I’m not sure what is – and while it’s not a guarantee of your stay, if you’re glamping in Kent with kids, this has to be one of the best places to well and truly switch off.
Things to do near Hoath House, Kent with kids
If you’re staying longer – or are less inclined to fill your days playing board games in the sun – the Luna domes at Hoath House are also a perfect base to get exploring.
Hever Castle is a short drive away – the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, there’s a huge amount for kids to enjoy, including jousting and a water maze.
Read my review of a day out at Hever Castle with kids
There are also several National Trust properties nearby, including Winston Churchill’s former home of Chartwell and Knole Park, with its wild deer, as well as two of our own favourites – Ightham Mote and Scotney Castle.
Groombridge Place, with its enchanted forest, is only 15 minutes away by car as well.
There are also some lovely walks and cycle trails to discover in the area, including at Bedgebury Pinetum, or you could hop on the Bluebell railway, just across the border in Sussex – you’ll actually find some of the family attractions in East Sussex are closer than those in the east of Kent.
For more ideas of things to do in Kent with kids and things to do in Sussex with kids, check out my top picks
Disclosure: My stay was courtesy of Canvas and Cabins for the purposes of this Luna Domes review – all opinions, and decisions to thoroughly test out this luxury glamping in Kent with kids by not leaving the site are my own.
Images copyright MummyTravels
