Why do so many people dislike Centre Parcs so much?

We went recently for first time and I was pretty underwhelmed. Could have got a standard Airbnb near a leisure centre for a lot less money and equal experience.

We do CP for a long weekend most years, usually Feb/March or end Sept/October time, our nearest one is 1.5 hour drive away so we're there for 11am Friday morning and can stay until teatime Monday with no great upheaval. That's precisely why we love it - I have just looked at Bluestone - its 6.5 hours drive for us, so no thanks. And Ribby Village is coming up the same price as CP in Feb half term next year, but would take 4.5 hours to get to so again no thanks.

Different things work for different people, we use it as its a nice, easy weekend away with the kids with no real hassle. We self cater, the kids get an activity each, and swimming, they enjoy the site being totally carless. Its not our main holiday, we actually also do a week in the lakes and often go abroad too, the week in the lakes is a completely different type of holiday to the CP one - I don't know anyone who ever really claims that they are the same except on here.

Yes, MN can be very funny (in all senses of the term) about AI. I have always presumed it to be a class thing. There was an utter corker of a thread on here a while back about the distinction between ham, cheese and bread in AI vs self catering. I must dig it up.

Agree people being weirdly personal about the sort of holidays others like and nobody is forcing them to go on is knobhead behaviour though.

What I can't understand is how weirdly personal people seem to get about this - if you say that going on safari or going AI is your thing, no one queues up to tell you that they once got ill doing that or that it would be cheaper to do something else or that you're an idiot
Yeah they do! It's not just a CP thing. Disney, popular resorts, long haul destinations, cruises, AI, self catering, camping...I've seen them all, and probably more types of holidays both denigrated and vigorously defended on MN and in real life.
Even on this thread you've got people arguing over whether it's normal to wash clothes on holiday or not! It is indeed strange how many people seem to take the fact that others enjoy different things as some kind of personal insult but it is definitely not restricted to CP.
I think there are some valid debates to have about holiday choices, such as the environmental impacts, effects on local communities and ethical issues around visiting certain countries, but more often than not this kind of discussion just descends into criticism or mockery of other people for holidaying "wrong". Personally I rather like the fact that people make all kinds of different choices as my favourite holidays are ones when I don't see many other humans. It would be dreadful if everyone wanted to be in the same few places, doing the same things at the same time.

I’ve been going to Longleat for 30 years. Yes it’s not as good as it was, it’s become heavily commercialised. I don’t like (or use) the chain restaurants. However, I enjoy the peace and quiet, my daughter is two so we don’t have to go in the school holidays, and she loves the swimming pool. Waking up to deer and squirrels on the patio is wonderful.

There's nothing wrong with centre parcs, infact I like it.. except the price!! If you haven't got school age kids and can go off season, its great. We did this before my oldest started school and enjoyed it. However there's no way i'm paying 2k for a self catering holiday in the UK. Once we dont have go in season, I may go again!

What I can't understand is how weirdly personal people seem to get about this - if you say that going on safari or going AI is your thing, no one queues up to tell you that they once got ill doing that
I think if they did get ill doing it they certainly would say. The fact that so many people did get ill at CP seems possibly coincidental but just as likely actually indicative of a problem.

could I've never stayed in a hotel on holiday. Only holiday lodges. With a kitchen and washing machine.

I think an illustration of how we're all different is the "you could go AI abroad for less" responses which clearly just assume that obviously that is the gold standard holiday for all.

I have been on many amazing holidays and never gone AI, it doesn't really appeal.

I don't think people are going to CP because they think it's a cheaper version of AI, they're going because they like CP.

I like the mix of things that CP offers for a long weekend (usually we go on an inset day weekend so it's not too expensive) - I am not interested in driving for 6 hours or flying for a long weekend but CP hits the sweet spot for us for that.

What I can't understand is how weirdly personal people seem to get about this - if you say that going on safari or going AI is your thing, no one queues up to tell you that they once got ill doing that or that it would be cheaper to do something else or that you're an idiot

It is a nature break for people who don't actually like nature.

The activities, restaurants, shops, bars, pool, is just stimulation overload. That's not nature....

Also you have to really really love people to go there, because you are surrounded all the time. It's like a cruise that never leaves port.

Was basically going to say this so it was nailed in the first post for me. I wanted to go until I saw the prices and realised we could go on an AI abroad for less.

It’s just so overpriced for what it is. It was about 2.5k for a week when I looked and it didn’t include food or travel obviously as the AI did plus you had to pay extra for pretty much every single activity which was the real stinger.

We stayed somewhere that had a washer-dryer. Made it very easy.

I do this when abroad too. I find a local laundry service. They pick it up, wash, dry, iron and neatly fold in tissue in most places. It never costs much and whatever it costs is worth not having to come home to laundry!

I wouldn’t consider doing it all myself whilst on holiday though!

I've never been to CP or Butlins and am now in Australia*, but I sincerely hope Centre Parcs are reading this thread.

• Yes, we did the theme parks on the Gold Coast one year, working out that we'd have to do it once so get it over with, considering DD's age at the time. It was fun, but we were never tempted to repeat it.
• Now I think of it, we also visited a native animal farm where crocodiles and emus are raised. And you can eat them in the cafe. Yes, crocodile does taste like chicken.

We also all had terrible stomach bugs last time we went and won’t be returning!

TBF I do my washing when I can, like u say...game changer!
In South Africa they even packed it all back into suitcases, after washing and ironing etc 😁😁😁

But I know loads of people do it all at home after.

Butlins is better.

I used to, but one year we were camping and it chucked it down the whole week and we ran out of clothes on day 4. Found a local launderette and dropped off a load for a service wash as we went out for the day and collected washed, dried and ironed clothes on the way back. It was a game changer and I've done it on every week long holiday since. Has massively improved the holiday come down not having loads of washing to do when you get back.

Fairly sure most people bring back their laundry with them?

The absolute insanity of the prices.

Re; the washing machine thing. What's the point of going somewhere you have to bring dirty laundry back with you? And take so much it has to last a week? If I'm off work I've got masses of time to chuck a load of laundry on, easier than catching up when I get home.

Millions of people go on holiday & do not wash their clothes whilst away….