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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think Center Parcs is a bit of a rip off?

59 replies

pearlym · 09/09/2011 21:17

Just been for first time, had to make own beds up FGS!Nohting inc in price save for the pool - no grill or oven in the so called self catering accomm, v expensive on site restaurants- pleasant staff just not enough of them so loads of long queues- such poor supervision in the pools and water slides that accidnet waiting to happen - on site supermarket v expensive - just seemd to have been no updating of chalets for years, weedkiller used to beat down foliage near chalets - just a bit shitty really, all for £1,200 for a week. Not a fortune, but would expect a bit better than that. What do people think?

OP posts:
Voidka · 09/09/2011 21:58

We like going and the DC's love it.

Though about booking over new year for a couple of days - £2500 for 2 nights in standard accomodation.

We normally go in the winter. November and Feb/march are good times to go. We do long weekends too. I think a weekend would be too much of a good thing.

TheHumanCatapult · 09/09/2011 22:00

we love it , do out of season so better prices and in uk beds are made up and do get cooker etc and dishwasher am easily pleased.

For me it is the fact they have villas that really are properly wheelchair accessible .My son who has sn can go to time out club or do activtes they put in extra staff for him no extra charge .

Never forget his face when he wanted to do zipwire but could not climb the ladder .Member of staff harnessed him up and he wa shauled up and member of staff behind him in case he got scared .The staff then went down the zip wire with him

Cost yes expensive £10 his face and reaction priceless

2BoysTooLoud · 09/09/2011 22:05

It does sound like centre parks do vary a lot..

Sidge · 09/09/2011 22:06

2500 for 2 nights???

minxofmancunia · 09/09/2011 22:08

They are horrible, went once with a discount voucher...thank God. Horrible damp musty accommodation. Tacky cheap and dare I say it chavvy atmosphere. Even the lake and the trees seemed plastic. The "sports plaza" was so horrible it was beyond words.

We have a cafe rouge where we live (as well as lot of other far nicer restaurants), we also have a v nice gym offering all the proposed activities, we have climbing walls, farms, proper countryside, wild animals etc all within a 10 mile radius. We live 5 mins from beautiful parkland. I would never go there again.

I truly think those who enjoy CP must have a very limited outlook on life to think there's anything fun about it.

Oh and I'm not into "spa" treatments ut every beauty therapist I've spoken to says the CP ones are absolute shite....

2BoysTooLoud · 09/09/2011 22:09

Tis expensive - it's newspaper deals and caravans for us!

lisad123 · 09/09/2011 22:15

we go every year, the week before xmas and for 6 of us its a little over £300. We love it. I love the no cars, the fact Im not rushing, no having to walk passed plastic toy machines every 5 mintues, the fact theres a lovely spa there, the beds are comfertable and no night life Grin
The beds are always made when we go, and always have an oven and grill. Once on our first night the oven was broken, so we got voucher for dinner that night and breakfast the next day.

glitterkitten · 09/09/2011 22:17

Minx did you set out to be so insulting. Ive travelled far and wide all across the world. My outlook is anything but limited. Perhaps yours may be?

JemimaMuddledUp · 09/09/2011 22:17

We have just come back from Center Parcs and have already booked for next year.

I live in the middle of the countryside so the appeal for me isn't the bunnies and squirrels outside my patio door (although I have nothing against them). The appeal for me is the sheer number of activities all in one place, with no need to drive anywhere. We don't even have decent tenpin bowling here, let alone all the sports activities that you can do. The DC are in their element. We swam every day, the boys did soccer school, DD rode and did a couple of other activities, we took a pedalo on the lake, went tenpin bowling, ate out every night... it was fab. It is also nice to cycle somewhere less hilly than at home (we live in Wales and go to Sherwood).

The only bit I didn't like was Aqua Sana. I had booked in for a fish pedicure, but as I had a midge bite on my foot I couldn't have it. The girl there was quite snooty about it which annoyed me and I don't think I'll book anything there again.

Yes it is expensive, but it ticks the boxes for us.

fartmeistergeneral · 09/09/2011 22:24

It was the activities I found most disappointing. Quad bikes were so lame (according to my children), they were on a tow rope for the whole time and going soooooo slowly. Circus tricks seemed short, lame and expensive and they pushed the fact that you could buy the spinning plates, diablos etc when the parents arrived to pick up the kids so of course all the children came running up to the parents begging to buy this that and the other. Roller skating OK, but overpriced. Loved, loved, loved the pool and flumes etc but did think the whole thing very overpriced in general. Wouldn't go back.

SeniorWrangler · 09/09/2011 22:27

It was Elvedon in the UK.

lisad123 · 09/09/2011 22:27

we like some of the kids activities but mainly we just just spend time chilling out. I hate the whole "clubhouse" thing most holiday places have, so its great for us

SeniorWrangler · 09/09/2011 22:28

It was a bit chavvy, now you mention it.

BusterGut · 10/09/2011 00:31

Go to Holland or Belgium.

peacypops · 10/09/2011 00:38

How insulting Minx! We are off to CP on Monday (after having already been twice previously to Whinfell) and we certainly don't have a limited outlook on life. Over the years we have travelled extensively, both overseas and in the UK, and even now that we have a toddler and baby we still enjoy going to interesting places and enjoying different types of holiday. For us the appeal of CP is that there are so many activities for children (regardless of weather), it is a safe, child-friendly environment, and if you book at the right time (ie term time) you can get a pretty good deal. My little girl absolutely loves it - and for me that is what counts. As for the spa treatments, I have always found them very good and the staff very professional (and I DO regularly visit spas). It is what it is and I think if you can't have fun somewhere like that then it says more about you than CP itself.

t0lk13n · 10/09/2011 00:46

Going to Holland CP at halfterm. It is costing us half the price that it would cost to go to Longleat at the same time. Going in a midrange villa for the whole week.
No spa there though as my family [boys] want me to go for treatments whilst they fish!
Het Heijderbos is the CP we are going to. I am looking forward to doing some siteseeing whilst there!

TheHumanCatapult · 10/09/2011 05:28

senior we go to elverdon and can honestly say we never had any problems there at all

and insult away Minx, you do not know me and if your judging me on where I go on holiday then that says more about you and your outlook on life than me .

I have travelled and my kids do and have done educational things ,but every holiday does not need to be educational ,

It is about us having a week away from home somewher ethey can accomidate all my kids from 17 down to 6 and more so keep them happy and us all having a fun week trying new things

ExpensivePants · 10/09/2011 05:57

Don't worry about the likes of Minx. It's not her fault she had such a joyless time. 'They' do say you get out of something what you put in and if you're a whiny sort to start with... If you go with your loving family and set out to have fun then you'll love it. If you trot in on your high horse then you won't. Sympathy is what's needed in that situation. :)

BimboNo5 · 10/09/2011 06:15

Its just a yummymummy's Butlins if you ask me. With far too many up themselves with no reason to be types.

Vicky2011 · 10/09/2011 06:18

It IS expensive but it is also brilliant. We go back a couple of times a year and of course we could do other things with the money but it works for us, we love the variety of things to do - even after about 10 visits in total we've not done all the activities we want to, but now that we know the Longleat site so well, it feels like a real home from home. Major complaint I'd make is about some of the larger groups in the spa (usually women but not always) who clearly can't read as they've not noticed the quiet signs everywhere so if you time the spa wrongly I would say that that can be a bit chavvy.

Overall though, we still love it.

wildhairrunning · 10/09/2011 06:25

I dont agree with minx at all and actually think what she says is ridiculous but she is entitled to her opinion!

mycatoscar · 10/09/2011 06:35

We've been going to CP for about 10 years on and off.

It IS expensive and in the last few years prices have rocketed, but we didnt spend much on our summer holiday this year (borrowed house from friend of family) so we are going at new year, £1100 for 5 nights at longleat.

I dont mind paying for the accomodation but do feel ripped off by the price of meals out, activities, bike hire etc. So we tend to do a lot of swimming, cycling (own bikes) and soft play rather than paying to do the actual activities. The only thing we do pay for is for dd to go to the time out clubs a couple of times while we are there, she's an only child and absolutely begs to go and meet some friends, plus we get some down time so everyone wins. It's £15 for 3 hours and she has come away with goodies every time she's been so its no more expensive than our childminder and she's happy so worth the money I think.

Overall, we totally relax while we are there so it is worth every penny. Mobile reception is rubbish so can't be contacted by work etc, and cars are in the car park which is a hike so we basically stroll around and feel undisturbed by the outside world. Its one of the only times of year we get to have proper family time without anyone/anything else interfering!

ErnesttheBavarian · 10/09/2011 06:51

Im not a spa person so have no interest in that. I agree with other posters, the fact it s so big, the french one we went to was just fabulous forest, we didn't see bunnies, but did have wild deer and frogs. Like previous poster had said, the great thing which we seldom find is that it had plenty for all 4 oth the children plus us. Rare that it isn't suited to older kids and little for dd, or too babyish for the older ones. It had a great span across all the age ranges, with 4 children to cater for, including a trainee teen and a toddler that's a rare and welcome discovery.

mummysfunny · 10/09/2011 07:13

We are booked in for may next year the week before may half term. Cost £400 for four nights midweek. We are booked into the disabled accommodation and are really looking forward to it.
I went to longleat in November and really enjoyed it, I can use my mobility scooter in safety and my son and husband can use the landtrain ( my 4 yr old loves this).
My son loves swimming as do I, and we spend the majority of our time in the pool.
I probably wont book as many activities as we did last time as i felt we clock watched a bit, but i will book a couple for my son and a massage for me.

I love Cp and dont find it chavvy at all, the staff always go out of their way to help and I reckon we will probably go as regularly as our finances allow

PicaK · 10/09/2011 07:32

CPs are fab! Had some lovely holidays there and the no oven thing just does not apply in the UK.

It is expensive but it has something like a 97% occupency rate all year round.
Best tip is always to check the price of a 3 bed villa cos they are often cheaper than 2 beds.

Went to Butlins this year for a change - never again shudder.

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