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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel a bit cynical about Centre Parcs?

240 replies

ilikeyoursleeves · 19/05/2012 22:05

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?

OP posts:
DottyDot · 21/05/2012 09:09

In fact it's usually after each year at Centerparcs that we give ds's a bit more freedom at home. Last year after the Whit break, ds1 (then 9 in year 4) started cycling to school on his own because he'd cycled around CP, going to the shops on his own. We also started letting him go to the local shops at home because he'd been going to the shop to buy us a paper each morning Grin.

We've stayed in the Comfort lodges before and have been able to book stuff in advance and pay a deposit in advance - same as for the Woodland lodges. We also always get there late morning of the first day, go for a swim then have a picnic lunch we've taken with us, so we try and make the most of the first day.

I agree the Comfort lodges need doing up though - the furniture looks shabby these days and we've had a couple of things not working in the lodges which is annoying. Customer services tend to be pretty good at coming and sorting stuff out but you don't want to have to be bothered with palavering on holiday. Money spent doing up the accommodation would be very well spent I think. I think the layout and space you get though is brilliant - even the two bedroom comfort lodges (which is what we usually book) are bigger than our house - I love the open plan layout and the outside space each lodge gets.

Tabliope · 21/05/2012 09:13

Never been to CP. Didn't fancy it after seeing a friend's photos. Thought I'd rather get a holiday cottage or B&B in a nice area and take day trips.

A couple of people upthread mention Bluestone, which I think is very similar to CP. I hated Bluestone. Our cottage was filthy (fork found down side of sofa, crumbs everywhere, tomato ketchup on dining chairs, toilets had brown sludgy stains in them (they use some ecological cleaner that as far as I'm concerned doesn't clean), bathroom smelled as they hadn't cleaned the shower drain in god knows how long. I had to ask them to clean 3 times and each time no one did a decent job. The restaurants were so overpriced. Only went to one granted but it was like a breeze block canteen, all staffed by local teenagers so as pleasant as they were they weren't up to the job - just about every free table hadn't been cleared when we ate there - about £20 for a grisly steak. You have a hell of a hike up a hill just to get to your car. When we went there were about 3 swings and a slide for the kids, golf buggies to get you around cost a fortune. Teens were cycling round and skidding in the grit just outside our cottage at all hours. It felt like a council estate. Horrible. Do not recommend at all and it put me off ever going to CP. Upmarket Butlins says it all. Pool was good though but you can use it even if not staying there.

Tabliope · 21/05/2012 09:14

Forgot to say I thought it so poor I complained to management after we'd left and insisted they pay back half my money or I'd give them a crap report on Tripadvisor, which to their credit they did.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 21/05/2012 09:27

I hate CP, and Bluestone in Pembroke is just as shit.

Overpriced, and in Bluestone they don't have washing machines or a laundrette, so you either have to hand wash and try to dry things when there is no airer, or spend £10 on a service wash which takes 2 days!

Fucking massive rip off. Hotels are cheaper and there are people to do things for you!

soverylucky · 21/05/2012 09:27

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 21/05/2012 10:08

Sovery - I was wondering the same! We love Cornwall.

Rainydayagain · 21/05/2012 10:15

Cp's is great when you have preschoolers, the price is ok out of hols.
Take your own food ( m and s ready meals) and provisions.

Toddlers only want to do the free stuff, swim, walk, ride, park.

When lo starts school we will stop going.

Otherwise TOTAL rip off. Not that nice for the price.

Rainydayagain · 21/05/2012 10:19

Oh yes and the pool was flipping filthy. I had to go without my contacts to make it bearable!!

Shameful as my local council pool is much cleaner!

Voidka · 21/05/2012 10:27

We like it and the children love the pool. It is expensive though and although we are going at Christmas as an early present I dont think we will be going again.

We are going to try Sandy Balls next year as it looks brilliant.

Voidka · 21/05/2012 10:27

I also wonder how you can get bored in Cornwall. If you want bad spend a week in Hafan Y Mor - that was like skipping purgatory and going straight to hell!

hermionestranger · 21/05/2012 10:32

My caravan, 5 berth with awning, cost £1500. We are taking it to Scotland in June, the first week of the whit holidays, for 7 nights. Including electric hook up it is costing us £70 to pitch it.

That's good value and we'll not be stuck in some plastic woodland.

hmc · 21/05/2012 10:33

OP - imho CentreParcs comes into its own with older children who can fully participate in a wide range of adrenalin charged activities rather than with little ones where you are stuck with the pool....

LauraShigihara · 21/05/2012 10:52

We go to Longleat every year (sometimes more than once) because we really enjoy it. It's clean, safe and it reminds my lazy DH that cycling is great fun.

We've never had any problem with the chalets. We book up loads of activities, pile into the car and go. I buy food there, we hire their bikes to save lugging ours and we always have a really good time.

On my youngest's birthday last year, he hand-fed an adult badger who had come to the patio doors looking for food. It was amazing and he still talks about it now.

pollyjake · 21/05/2012 11:05

I have photos of my kids hand feeding swans, squirrels and ducks on the patio. To me that's priceless. To feed a badger must have been amazing! We love it as its so cheap, other than a spa for me (fantastic) we don't book any activities or eat out (we go late nov / early dec) To us it's all about getting away from it all and spending time as a family. We build dens, go for walks / bike rides, feed ducks, swim (a lot). They also do activities such a story telling for £1 charity donation which I don't mind paying. We love the fact there are no cars on the road so safe for the kids and you don't have to drive anywhere.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 21/05/2012 11:08

Sandy balls is also crap IME - dirty, overpriced. Yuck.

Fluffy1234 · 21/05/2012 11:10

And Sandy Balls pool is pretty shite.

smalltown · 21/05/2012 11:32

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Vicky2011 · 21/05/2012 11:46

I just hated Cornwall... At least in comparison to the rave reviews I'd heard. I just remember going to bed at 9.00pm every night 'cos there was nothing to do. It took ages to drive anywhere. The only place I remember thinking was quite nice was Truro and as I say Eden was good in a "glad I've seen it" sort of way though Heligan has by far the more interesting history behind it.

HexagonalQueenOfTheSummer · 21/05/2012 12:06

I can't help feeling with CP though that it is for middle class wannabes, and people rave about it because they feel middle class people 'should' rave about it and go there. There is definitely a Centre Parcs 'type' of family; Boden wearing, Joules wearing, Waitrose shopping PTA-type families.

Going there wouldn't feel like a proper holiday for me, it just seems so contrived!

BiddyPop · 21/05/2012 12:11

We went to Sherwood 3 years ago and had a great time. DD is ASD/ADHD and needs some semblence of a routine (which we had only partly realised at the time) and self-catering with plenty of activities suited us soooo well. I was back on a bike for the first time in years (have since bought a new one at home). We had planned to go out into Nottingham a few days and do different things, as we both thought we'd go stir-crazy "locked up" on site all week - we didn't go back for the car after unloading at the start until we were reloading at the end of the week!

We had brought a reasonable amount of food with us for the week - about 3 dinners and plenty of breakfast, lunch and snack stuff (and G&T). We ate mostly at home but out for a few coffees, 1 lunch and a few dinners. We did bring home food, and we did buy a few things on-site.

We swam every day, cycled LOTS every day, did a few activities (canoeing together, DD went to kids club twice by choice, one wet afternoon playing arcade games). But we cycled in the rain (had brought raingear), stomped in our wellies on molehills, looked at loads of squirrels, did the nature trail (3 times) and relaxed in the chalet as well reading and playing cards and other games as a family.

It was soo much better than SC hols I had to endure as a kid (single house in the middle of nowhere and no eating out as there were too many of us and no activities either locally, not even safe enough to cycle around, the very odd trip to the beach in 3 weeks). We ALL relaxed, we all got lots of fresh air and exercise, we got to enjoy cooking together for a change. It wasn't the cheapest, but it wasn't as expensive as some other options and it suited our family.

2 years ago we went SC in Ireland again - ugh. Cold wet and miserable.

Last year we went to the USA (as cheap as other options we looked at, as we are only 3), but SC wasn't really an option so we shared a room with DD for 10 days in 2 different hotels, with a coffee maker but otherwise having to eat in either hotel restaurant or outside the hotel. Fresh food was hard to find (we love our fruit and relatively healthy meals so a diet of lots of "X and chips" is not the greatest), and it felt far more commercialised there. The hotel pool was always crowded and the weather was not great.

We are going back to CP this year (Longleat) by popular demand. DD hasn't stopped asking since we were there before and we know that the routine part is more important to her (that we can set a routine for the week and do things like having a brekkie like at home, and doing things to our own schedule). And we enjoyed it too. We will bring DH and DD's bikes with us (as he has a "trailgator" for hers) and they can decide to be solo or joined as suits. I will rent one (less to transport). It works well for us.

birdofthenorth · 21/05/2012 12:13

We all love Centre Parcs with a passion. We go with friends and take turns to babysit so each couple gets a proper date night. It's pricey but a real relaxing break from the hustle and buslte of everyday life. The toddler activities -craft time etc- went down great with my 18 month year old last time and my 9 year old literally thinks the pool is heaven.

It's best at Christmas, genuinely like a wonderland -real reindeer! Cannot wait til December. I hope Starbucks have my eggnog latte brewing for my arrival Smile

fatsamsgrandslam · 21/05/2012 12:17

Bluestone is the answer.

Whatevertheweather · 21/05/2012 12:18

No joules or boden here Hexagonal and i shop in Sainsbury's although I am partial to Waitrose Smile Have you ever been? Because in my experience there is no 'type' of family at all. Again with the sneery class comments.

HexagonalQueenOfTheSummer · 21/05/2012 12:21

Sainsburys is virtually on a par with Waitrose...

No I haven't been but every family I know that goes on about it is a certain 'type'. Aspirational middle class-ers. I would imagine too that there is a lot of loud parenting at CP

smalltown · 21/05/2012 12:45

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