To feel a bit cynical about Centre Parcs?

[ilikeyoursleeves]

We are just back from a 'five' day break at centre parcs at Whinfell. It was Ok and I am sure that many people enjoy it but it just felt like a bit of a rip off in lots of ways. Our cabin thing was really tatty, lots of wear and tear, the carpet covered in stains and the toilet seat kept falling off. The five day break was really three days as we couldn't check in til 330pm on Monday then had to leave by 10am on Friday. Yes I know we could have stayed and used the facilities on those days but realistically with two very young children and me being pregnant, who can be arsed lugging everything about and having to pay extortionate prices for lunch etc.

The swimming was like human soup with about two inches between each person, the Chinese banquet we got was double the price it would normally be and pretty bleurgh, but the main thing that annoyed me was that there was only TWO infant swings for the entire place and one tiny soft play area next to an expensive bar. I just felt that they were blatantly not putting in free activities so you had to spend more money. We ended up going out to see the lake district most days rather than doing the activities that were there as I thought they were a bit of a rip off too.

Sorry I am moaning so much but just wondered if this is just me or has anything else felt like this after staying there?

It used to be good, about 15 years ago. Now they have shoe horned more villas in, stopped maintaining and cleaning them, put the prices through the roof and let cars in if you pay enough.

They've got rid of everything that was good about it.

Horrible place

Inlaws like taking us - which is great as theyre happy to pay. We went when DS was crawling - nothing there for him, grotty cabin so only the human soup for us. Went back this summer, spent way more and now DS is walking there was more to do but to hire a bike + carriage thing would have cost in excess of £100 for the week, we paid over a tenner for the sort of toddler entertainment we get at the local library for free and the whole 5 days cost £1400. We could have gone somewhere abroad for that!

We use sunparcs in Belguim instead. Even with the cost of the ferry to Oostende it was a lot cheaper than CP. DS particularly enjoyed the point when he realized a large goldfish had died and the turtles in the central pond were eating it! The joys of children, eh?

I love centre parcs and so do my kids. We have been to winfel & sherwood forest. found more free outdoor stuff in sherwood forest but thoroughly enjoyed the pool in winfel forest :)
Can't wait to go back at some point.

WOW what a shame you guys are all complaionign about a place that could be enjoyed so much stop looking at what is wrong with the place and just enjoy the outdoors and company of your children!

How patronising - can't you just go to the seaside, for less than half the price even in high season, and enjoy your children's company there? Oh, and why resurrect a 5 month old thread?

But while we're on the subject, I thought Elveden was pretty rubbish really. Hugely expensive activities (agree that you can do stuff like messy play which just entailed a bit of glue, paint and playdoh for next to nothing at a toddlers' group, and take your time over it); little available for toddlers anyway, and though the place was largely car free apart from arrival and departure days (which were horrendous for traffic) it wasn't particularly safe for a toddler with bikes all over the walkways.

Our bike locks were cut on our last night. I think I disturbed whoever did it (yikes!) and although when I reported it a member of staff came to take details, we never heard any more about it. Invest in heavy-duty locks!

We'd be very reluctant to go again. Tempted to try Bluestone though.

Have been to centerparcs Europe lots of times and its far better value. We had a Vip last august for week and it was half the price of the UK comfort.
The landal ones look ok but they don't have the facilites centerparcs Europe have so not very good value in comparison.
My teen dc had a brilliant time waterskiing all week.

Sounds like you got unlucky with the state of the lodge. We've always found it in great condition, and even if we don't book loads of activities, we buy a bag of seeds and feed ducks and deer.

We went to sherwood in June this year, staying in an executive lodge. It was vile. Accommodation was cold, damp, beds were lumpy. Pool was cold human soup, as others have said.

We love cycling, but even that was shit - you're just going around the lodges, there's hardly any real woodland.

Spa was really average too. Cold like everywhere else and just a bit shit.

Can you tell i hated it?!

I went with my inlaws, spent most of the time crying in the toilet. The DC's bloody loved it though, the little traitors!

I went a few weeks ago. We loved it. We don't drive so it was a nice change to have all the activities etc on your doorstep. Also it was very family friendly, it didn't feel like having the baby in tow was annoying for others.
Bloody expensive in high season though!

Christ, it sounds awful. I was not really tempted to visit Centre Parks but this thread has made up my mind. Never! It sounds like a rip off in return for not a lot at all.

We're off to whinfell on Monday can't wait ! Been to sherwood and longleat so it will be good to see how it compares as we loved both.

Centerparcs is not as good as Butlins.

We won't go again.

Another vote here for the european ones - french ones are cheaper than the uk but the belgian and dutch ones are even cheaper, even when you take the cost of the ferry and petrol into account, plus some additional fantastic things inside them they don't have over here.

we went to het heijderbos in the netherlands last year and all enjoyed it - dc particularly so. Plenty of space in the pools, lots of little playgrounds dotted around the place, and a fantastic dome the same sort of size as the swimming pool one but filled with tropical plants, jungle walkways, tropical birds, like a giant jungle-themed softplay centre, except it wasn't very soft - all rope bridges, wooden tunnels, even little streams and waterfalls. And all adult sized so good for the whole family.

Did they still have the clay in the tropical dome zipzap