Five Lakes Pre Arrival Information

Hello and welcome to Potters Resorts Five Lakes! We are excited to have you join us for your upcoming All-Inclusive Break. Here are some important details to know ahead of your stay with us.

As the lead name on your booking, please share this important information with everyone in your party.

Before you arrive, some important pre-arrival questions...

1. Do you need to tell us about any additional dietary requirements or special assistance that you didn't already mention at the time of booking?

2. Does anyone in your party rely on medical equipment that requires continuous power through the night?

3. Has anyone in your party felt unwell with symptoms that could be communicable to other guests and team members, within 2 days of your arrival?

How To Find Us

Our address is Potters Resorts Five Lakes, Colchester Road, Essex, CM9 8HX. If using a SATNAV or Google Maps, please search for the postcode CM9 8HX before you leave as the signal can be patchy near our Resort.

Arrival At Resort / Check In

Please head straight to reception to receive your welcome packs, resort information and get directions to the car park nearest to your room.

You can add a tasty two-course lunch to your booking, served between 12:30pm - 2pm (last orders at 1:30pm). We recommend booking in advance for a reduced price of £14.95 per person (£19.95 on the day of arrival, subject to availability). To book your arrival lunch, please call our friendly sales team on 0333 3207 414.

From 2pm on your arrival day, you can kick off your break in style by joining us for the Garden Party! Head to the Garden Bar (or on sunny days, out to the Garden Terrace) to enjoy this unique event complete with comedy, live entertainment, music and even a quiz! It’s the perfect afternoon and free to enjoy within your All-Inclusive Break price.

As usual, from 3pm, our much-loved All-Inclusive drinks offer kicks in and you can collect the keys to your accommodation from Reception.

All breaks at Potters Resorts are Exclusively for Adults, apart from during the school holidays, where we welcome families at Potters Resorts Hopton-on-Sea only. We do not accept bookings from any person below the age of 18 on breaks that are Exclusively for Adults. If children arrive on the resort for a break that is Exclusively for Adults, the party will be asked to leave, with a loss of all monies paid.

On Resort

We take the health and safety of our guests and team members very seriously. During your break with us, we kindly ask that you take appropriate personal responsibility and continue to help protect your fellow guests and our team. Please wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water, and sanitise your hands regularly throughout the day using the hand gels available across the Resort.

Departure

As your All Inclusive break comes to an end, we ask that you please vacate your accommodation by 10am and leave Resort by 12 noon on your day of departure. All keys can be returned to reception or left at the gatehouse as you leave Resort.

Rebooking

You can get an exclusive saving if you book your next short break with us while on Resort. Be sure to visit our Rebooking desk to make use of this offer. Exclusions apply.

The Lakes Golf Course

As a guest of Potters Resorts Five Lakes, you can play a round of golf on one of the finest courses in Essex at an exclusive rate. Our 18-hole course has been designed by European Tour legend Neil Coles and guarantees to be a golfing experience to remember.

Simply click below and choose your date, to see your exclusive tee time offer.

The Spa

Get pampered by our professional team with a range of treatments and products. Visit our website to book your treatment, or call us on 01621 862324. Our calendar often gets full very quickly so we highly encourage you to pre-book to avoid disappointment.

Dining

If you haven’t already advised us of the special dietary requirements of any members of your party, such as gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, or of course, any allergies, please get in touch in the next 24 hours so we can ensure their needs are catered for. On arrival, please visit our Restaurant Team as early as possible and no later than 5pm to discuss your specific requirements with our chefs.

All mealtimes will be listed on your break programme, which is included in the Welcome Pack you will receive upon check-in.

Accommodation

All our rooms offer an en-suite bathroom, TV, tea and coffee making facilities, a safe for your valuables, a hairdryer, iron and ironing board, drinks cooler, essential toiletries and free Wi-Fi. Please check our accommodation page for further details on what is included in your accommodation grade.

We operate a daily housekeeping service, however, if you do not wish for your accommodation to be serviced during your stay then please advise Reception as soon as possible after your arrival.

If you choose not to have your accommodation serviced, but require fresh towels, toiletries, or tea, coffee, sugar, etc, replenished, then these are available from Reception for collection or alternatively, we can deliver them to your accommodation if you prefer.

Activities And How To Book

On arrival, you’ll be given your own break programme which will tell you all about what’s happening throughout your break including fun activities, experiences and entertainment. You don’t need to book the activities listed, simply arrive on time at the venues detailed for your chosen activities.

As well as our programme, there’s a variety of leisure facilities for you and your party to enjoy. If you wish to enjoy a non-instructor led activity such as bowls, snooker or badminton please visit our Pop-in-Shop to collect equipment, or if you’d like to swim, our pool is open until 7:30pm with last entry into the pool/gym at 6:45pm.

Please be aware that our leisure facilities are subject to availability and are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Please Note: Guests under the age of 18 cannot purchase tickets or participate in bingo games. It's important to note that to play and purchase tickets, you need to present acceptable identification. If you are aged between 18 and 25, please ensure you have one of the following forms of ID: a photocard driving licence, passport, or proof of age card that bears the PASS hologram. These measures are in place to ensure compliance with legal requirements and to promote responsible gambling practices. Thank you for your cooperation.

Equipment

We provide equipment for each activity, but please ensure you bring appropriate clothing and shoes. Please be aware that closed shoes are required to participate in certain activities.

The only exception is for our 18-hole golf course. If you choose to upgrade to The Lakes Golf Course, please bring your own set of golf clubs.

A small number of clubs are provided for the inclusive Par 3 Golf course.

Enjoying A Drink

Your All-Inclusive offering starts at 3pm on your arrival day, and from 8:30am on each full day of your break to close of bars. On departure day, your All-Inclusive offering will be available from 8:30am until 10.30am.

During your break, a drinks service will be available in the Garden Bar and the Garden Terrace from designated ordering points, where your order will be taken, and your drinks delivered to your table. Drinks service in The Glade Theatre will be available from a designated ordering point just outside. You can order drinks from the bar in The Lake View Lounge. In addition, you’ll also be able to help yourself to chilled water from a water fridge in reception and water fountains, as well as ordering from bars.

Please note: Potters Resorts does not serve alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 or who appears to be under the age of 18. If you are aged between 18 and 25, please ensure you have an acceptable ID, which includes either of the following: a photocard driving licence, passport, or proof of age card that bears the PASS hologram. Anyone aged between 18 and 25 can check their ID with the reception team on arrival for age verification valid for their break.

Our Policy

While our breaks include drinks, we welcome guests who consider this particular element secondary to the safe surroundings, variety of inclusive entertainment, delicious food, activities, sports and a host of leisure facilities. We discourage irresponsible drinking, and as such, drinks with ultra-high Alcohol by Volume or caffeinated drinks, such as shots, liquors or energy drinks, are not included.

Our team is trained to acknowledge guests partaking in sensible drinking and will refuse service to anyone they believe is drinking to excess. We encourage people to enjoy a drink with friends and loved ones and, most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Other Helpful Info

Now we’ve given you all the essential info for your break; we trust you will enjoy a wonderful stay with us here in the Essex countryside. But here are a few handy tips to make your stay even more memorable.

Reception

Reception is open from 8am to 10pm and can also be contacted by calling 01621 868888.. Outside of these times, this number will go to our Security Team, who are also contactable via the emergency phones around the Resort. Please refer to your resort map to see where they are located.

Pop-in-Shop

Open daily from 8am to 6pm. Our shop offers a lovely selection of gifts and any supplies you may have forgotten to bring with you.

Pool & Gym Facilities

Our swimming pool and gym facilities are open from 7:45am to 7:30pm every day except for Mondays and Fridays, when it opens at 9:00am.

EV Charging Facilities

At Potters Resorts Five Lakes we have six EV charging points available, situated in the middle of our car park. You will need to bring and connect your own cable to the charger. Please check when connecting what the KWH price is on the display panel and you can pay via contactless on the charging point. When your car has finished charging, please park your car in a designated car park leaving the charging point for others to use.

We hope the above information has been helpful and answered any last-minute questions you might have. If we’ve not quite ticked every box, please call our friendly team on 0333 3207 414 or Whatsapp us on 07830 359007.

We can't wait to see you, and may we take this opportunity to thank you for your support and for reading this important information, as well as to wish you a safe journey to Five Lakes.

The Potter Family