Guess how much 5 days in Centreparcs is next week?

[JacobReesMogadishu]

So the pool is shut. Lots of other stuff is also shut/unavailable.

£550 for a one bed place......not in the summer holidays!

Which seems to me to be pretty much normal price? Think I paid £500 when I last went 2 years ago.

I know the outdoors is still open so paths to walk round, cycling. I guess the outdoor activities will be available with less availability though. But surely the pool is the main thing for most people. I’d have thought it would be cheaper. Be interesting to know if they still sell at that price.

I don't think owners are getting greedy at all. Self catering accommodation in the UK is always eyewatering during the 6 week English break, always. Most decent places are booked year on year. Presumably those places are already booked. Every tourist business has lost Easter, May half term and June. It's supply and demand. It's not greedy to try and salvage your business imho.

Christ, that's far too much.

Why would they not charge what people will pay, same as anything else?

We were booked to go in a couple of weeks. More or less as soon as lockdown happened they were clear that we would always have the option to rebook or cancel for a full refund, no questions asked. They've been great. We've rebooked for October half term and they were virtually full for then already, lots of people wanting holidays not now but later in the year.

Like anything, if you don't think it's good value, don't book it. If they fill up at that price, or almost fill up, then they've set the right price. If they can't sell holidays at that price they'll lower it.

I always find Centreparcs (and Butlins) prices extortionate to the point that I wonder have I accidentally requested prices for a full month's all inclusive stay in their top of the range accommodation rather than a week self catering in their cheapest. Fair enough if people see it as worth paying for but I really don't and have always been happy with alternatives, not least because an extra £400 as spending money makes the holiday a lot more fun :)

I've never been to Centerparcs, for full disclosure, but haven't been able to work out why they are able to charge this much. It seems staggeringly expensive for what it is and I wouldn't go there if my life depended on it.

I can't understand why anyone wouldn't opt for a large rented farmhouse in a beautiful part of the world which is cheaper than a hideous hermetically-sealed place redolent of a Nazi version of the ideal family holiday....

shudder....

I agree @Charleyhorses! Most owners of SC property don't make a huge profit each year. They're trying to salvage their businesses after an enforced 3-month shut down. At the moment, we're not allowed to travel abroad for leisure, so UK properties have a captive market and they're making the best of what is still likely to be an awful year for them.

If that's Whinfell then it's because it's easy to get to from Scotland where the school hols have already started

@Scruffyoak - where is your cottage in Cornwall for £375?!

@Inadays - there's some availability in Northumberland, but not much in Cornwall and Devon that O could find. Plus, we were put off booking there as I bet they will be absolutely heaving. Cornwall is bad enough in a normal summer- the tiny roads, high hedgerows and caravans mean some hairy driving!

We have booked a remote cottage in the south-west of Scotland instead - much better availability.

I also wouldn’t go without the pool but I am so grateful to them for is they’ve treated us. We love it (small kids!) despite the slightly naff side of it!!

How much is a comparable caravan mobile home or other lodge (which caravans have full size single beds?) for same nights?
You need to compare like with like.
Am paying more for a tiny one bed cottage end July . So it s comparable...and for small kids the no traffic can be advantage versus rural road with speeding tractors....

£550 still sounds too much to me. I've got a house in Cornwall next week for £550 - sleeps 6.

I guess if people are desperate enough for a UK holiday maybe they will pay it, I'd just assumed without the main attraction prices would come down. I didn't look at the bigger bedroom lodges, but I'd assume they'll be quite a bit more so probably more than a cottage.

And lets face it cottages inside are normally nicer than the CP lodges. But yes, for some the no traffic convenience may outweigh it.

It was Sherwood btw, so no red squirrels sadly.

Like I said it'll be interesting to know if people do pay it or not.

If the quarantine is lifted, which hopefully will happen soon then why not consider a gite in France. There’s lots of beautiful accommodation, restaurants and bars are open.
Just be sure to bring masks.

The reason we do Centerparcs rather than a cottage is because I don’t want to self cater so having the restaurant options on site is perfect rather than having to drive somewhere . It all boils down to personal choice I wouldn’t stay in a caravan or camp or sit by a pool somewhere hot for a week but to lots of people that’s a lovely holiday .

I'm surprised it's not twice that! School holidays have started in Scotland, any sharp travel company will have worked this out although the next 2 weeks is usually cheaper before England & wales break up.

@tenlittlecygnets we already had one week booked for original full price, owner called us on Tuesday and said people in second week have cancelled and did we want to offer anything? So we did a low offer expecting to be raised and she said yep OK!

In Perranporth.

Oh I see! Good job - enjoy!

Holiday cottages can be really hit or miss though I find. We've been to Centreparcs once but we won't be going again - the pool was great but I wasn't very impressed by the rest. It was like an open prison with a nice pool.

For the last 3 or 4 years we've been going with Forest Holidays. The cost is probably not much less than CP (we're paying almost £2k for a week in the school holidays) but without all the rules and regulations. It also has the benefit of 3x value in Tesco Clubcard points so I use our annual points and trade them for a couple of hundred quid off the price of the cabin.

We'd go mainly for the pool.

We're going to the Yorkshire Dales & Filey camping for the first time with the boys. I loved it way more than the stressful trips abroad where I was carted off to kids clubs, so hoping they will too!

I was hoping to go before I return from mat leave at the end of this year but we won't book until the pool is back open so potentially won't get to go this year.

I am a little surprised they haven't made any price reductions given the fact the pool and spa are closed and they are the most popular things there - but I guess the fact is people are desperate for a holiday and will pay whatever irregardless!

That is the best description of centre parcs ever @Waspie ! I've never been able to quite put my finger on it but an open prison with a pool is perfect :)

Have you been to an open prison?!

I have to say I used to be a hater, before I actually went

What we like is we go with two other families in our extended family. There are lots of us but we still get privacy being in separate lodges next door. All the kids love the pool. We have several kids with sn in the family and the predictability is brilliant for them

4 nights in Centre Parcs Ireland for 2 adults, 2 children on 13th July is €1200 and that has a note on it saying it's a reduced price to reflect the pact that some activities are not available.