To wish there was a MN Center Parcs support group?

[BoffinMum]

So I appear to have paid £1000 to stay in a damp bungalow and to be bossed about by unsmiling teenage staff members telling me off or telling me I can't do things, right, left and centre. I feel like I am back at boarding school, rather than on holiday. I've actually had a little cry, I'm so frustrated and feel so fleeced and got at. Hold my hand while I pretend to have s good time, people. I may need gin. And Pombears (which I noticed they sell in the Parc Market).

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

We went to Erpeheide on a last minute this summer and I was a bit worried I'd hate it never having done CP.

The DC's got to chose which one which was a slight mistake from the point of view I told 14 year old DD to Google, not realising the MN Bumsex thread comes up.

The cottage was damp and one room a bit mouldy but having our own bedding made it feel better. I got stung by something in the first hour and then munched by mossies.

But it didn't feel too crowded and the Germans were polite Germans. Lots of Dutch families. We booked Laser Tag and the Zipwire the day before for about 9 euros each. A meal cost about 70 euros for all of us plus the shop did the job pretty well. The instructors spoke very good English and made sure DS fully understood when doing the Zipwire.

Didn't take long to walk to the center and all the staff were polite. It exceeded my expectations and I'm happy to try Kempervennen next year but maybe a better cottage. I think having low expectations helped though.

[yourlittlesecret]

Country cottages are fine for younger children but try selling such a thing to teenage boys. Plus we actually live in a country cottage, so I'd rather stay at home.
If only we could get somewhere hot with a water park for a short break. The nearest place is the Canaries in October but from where we live it's a full day travel each way and you can't go for a weekend.

[lottieandmia]

I am sorry you are having a bad time I love CP but I had a few issues last time we went. We also usually book a Woodland Lodge and the one we had last time wasn't clean enough - I had to buy a bottle of bleach and clean the bathroom myself. When we contacted the staff about it they said their staff don't use bleach because it's bad for the environment - so agree with you about the risk of norovirus as bleach is the only thing that kills that!

Center Parcs is very expensive and I do expect it to be spotlessly clean and no issues with the accommodation tbh.

[BeckAndCall]

Another Center Parcs addict here who totally disagrees with you boff

I've been 18 times now - so that's since before my kids could walk right through to their late teens and more - have just booked for the post Christmas break again.

I've never been to Elveden tho - all except one for us were at Longleat. Oh, plus one in Holland which was nowhere near as good.

Food bland? No. Not at all. Love the sports cafe,the pancake house, the Spansih tapas place.

Dirty and spreading norovirus? No, again, don't recognise that description at all. Only time I've ever been sick there was when I was expecting number 3.

But I've never used the kids clubs. But we have used all the other children's facilities on offer.

Hope the weekend picks up for you though - go join in the roller discos - give the kids a laugh. My kids LOVE it when I show them up doing things I'm no good at.

[RinkyDinkyDoo]

Been to Whinfell quite a few times, always been great! Lodges clean, not smelly at all and the swimming place is brilliant and also clean.
DH likes the nature activities and has done the falconry experience, no problems with ore booking it.
We take all our own food and drink, so works out fine.
We didn't go this year as they are taking the piss with price rises,especially charging an extra £150 to go for 3 nights the week before Easter.

[MadeOfStarDust]

We go to Longleat maybe every other year - the kids love it, it is a holiday for all of us -

No cooking, no cleaning - just set the kids (now 11/12 - from age 8/9) out in the morning - they can go off to the play areas, do bike trails through the woods, arrange to meet up for lunch or in the pool, pay a couple of quid for table tennis,

eat out in the evenings - tapas or strada - nothing bland there.. Always had a great "lodge" loads of wildlife outside - deer/squirrels/heron/woodpecker/rabbits/ducks.. the myriad little birds coming down for seed that we take with us...

must be a different park we go to..... or maybe our family "lucky" gene helps....

[Suttonmum1]

De Kempervennen very good. May Half term is not an expensive week there. All in price inc bike hire and snowboard lessons was v. Good. Activities much cheaper than here. Feels much less crowded as most people are speaking Dutch or German.

[Suttonmum1]

And I second that the Non-British CP are run by a different company.

[PanicMode]

We went to CP Longleat this summer - first and last time. It was, as my husband said, like being stuck in Asda, but being forced to pay Harrods prices.....never, ever again - my least relaxing holiday ever!

[SidandAndyssextoy]

I agree totally, OP. We've been twice - Longleat and Sherwood. The first time with high expectations and the second dragged there by a family trip. Every single penny is wrung out of you, the food is lamentable and overpriced, the activities are impossible to book, and having to stay for most of them renders it difficult to fit them into family activities. Our Exec lodge was poorly cleaned and our cheaper lodge was damp.

You mentioned kinderhotels. Last summer we worked out it was cheaper to go to the lovely one we like to visit for a week than Centerparcs, and of course that includes all food, most drink, and 80 hours of excellent child care a week. No contest.

[uptheanty]

The Dutch CP I've been to are quite boisterous , due to the fact that they like there dc's to run free! Although I was happy with DE Eemhof, it's just outside Amsterdam so there is lots to do locally.

My favorites are by far the French. I'm going to Lac d'ailette at Xmas this year, we've been a couple of times before and it's always been very good. The food quality is much better and you can buy great wine & beer for reasonable prices. The park is quite new and is Canadian style houses built around a lake, very beautiful.

I've also been to Les Bois'francs & Les hautes de bruyeres in France, both I would highly recommend with great countryside, horse riding and chateaus and great local restaurants nearby.

In Germany my favourite was Bispinger Heidi. We did stay in 1 of only 2 tree houses there so the accommodation was very special. The photographs do not do it justice it is a truly fantastic experience. It's just outside Hamburg, so again there is lots to do locally and it is very reasonable to eat out & the beer is delicious!

[FlorenceMattell]

Love centre Parcs, Spa at Elverden is fantastic. Think you get what you pay for with the lodges, usually pick yen best but taking dog this time so expect it to be shoddy. Always take bleach wipes and pillowcases even to 5* hotels but I am a bit funny with bugs etc.
Saying that I wouldn't be happy in a damp lodge, did you ask to move OP?
Must have been upsetting at kid's club but I can understand if staff tbh. Your child is never going to settle with his mum sat next to him. If you left him and he didn't settle they would ring you to pick up in any case.
And CRBs are now called DBS but exactly the same. And they would have had CRBs hence them calling them that. The staff would need to ensure none of other children are alone with you. So extra work for them watching where you are as well as organising activities. Plus little Flossie who wasn't sure about her mum leaving but has put on a brave face, sees your son with his mum and realises she is upset. If your child does not do separations why leave him, as you say there are other activities you can do together.
Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend.

[BoffinMum]

I am currently in the Lakeside Starbucks and it's clean, calm, not busy, plenty of comfy seats and a lovely view. I think this is more of the feel I am after in order to have a bit of a holiday.

What people have said about teenagers is true, there is a lot here for them if you get the wallet out, and that's not the case in most places, although we went to Kinderhotel with a teen club once, and every day they went out canyoning and riding and rock climbing, plus there was 12 hours of blissfully unregulated childcare every day, and that was all included, along with more food and drink than any reasonable person could put away, for about £2500 for a week for 5 of us.

DH made the very valid point that it's all about leveraging finance these days, and this place is consequently probably bring milked for profit and receiving inadequate ongoing investment, which is why it's structured like this. Kinderhotels on the other hand tend to be long established, family run concerns and there is immense pride in the job combined with old fashioned hotelier skill. Makes a massive difference.

Perhaps we all suffer from being a captive market on an island. I'd customers can't easily drive abroad to take a holiday, you can get away with higher prices and poorer standards.

Anyway, for those that do like it, and want to spend their money here, I am glad that they have found somewhere they enjoy. I just wish there was more pressure on prices here, and greater competition, to drive up standards.

[BoffinMum]

Yes, that is the British way re childcare. All the pretence of quality via excessive procedures, and none of the holistic, educated educational practice that many of us have found elsewhere (or indeed experienced with our own kids prior to the Holly and Jessica Chapman panic). But then the British love nothing more than a good moral panic to get their blood up.

[Suttonmum1]

Boffin which Kinderhotel did you go to with Teen club. have looked at them on and off over the years but felt kids have now outgrown them.

[FlorenceMattell]

Glad you are feeling better Boffin, it is half term so probably very busy there too. I would definitely write and complain when you home as accepting poor service not good.

[SidandAndyssextoy]

Suttonmum, we go to the Sportshotel Achensee which has a teen club. From what we've heard, they do some pretty impressive stuff. I do wonder though about the language barrier with their peers at that age. The swimming is fairly tame too.

[BoffinMum]

I think it was in the Zillertal, two hours south of Munich. Easy to get to and a very friendly place with its own stables. I can look it up when I get home if you PM me. There were two of them side by side, if that's any help, and they shared the teen club. Strongly recommended. Near some nice day trips too.

[BoffinMum]

Found it - Kinderhotel Kroeller in Gerlos.

[octopusinastringbag]

We've been lots of times and have never had any problem with the activity booking. We select the villa we want (always the same one) and book the activities as soon as we get the email saying they are available. Sorry for those who have hated it, but for us there is nothing not to like.
We've just booked Woburn for a change.

[QueenofLouisiana]

OP sneak out to the Eleveden Lodge/Inn (can't quite remember hat it is called) next door. The food and wine are good, staff are lovely!

[totallyaimless]

We are at Elevden right now and having a lovely old time, seen muncjac out the window, had a couple of swims, ridden a lot, done some paid activities, kids now playing backgammon whilst I chill with a coffee then off for the Halloween Treasure hunt when it's dark. Sorted.

[yourlittlesecret]

I don't get the British need for childcare on holiday, I have never used it anywhere so it isn't a factor in my holiday choice.
I have been to lots of hotels with "kids clubs" but my DC have never been interested. Stayed in a huge complex this summer which advertised a dedicated teen club. I thought it might appeal to DS2 but they let DC go from age 9. What self respecting 15 year old is going to want to hang out with 9 year olds? .

[BoffinMum]

I think if people don't have extended family, and both work, then childcare on holiday serves a useful purpose in allowing the adults to pursue sports in their own right and so on, instead of suspending sporting activity for a decade or so while the kids become old enough to entertain themselves (it would have been 26 years without any sport in my case, and counting).

[BoffinMum]

Where we live we have cycling, trees, rabbits, squirrels, the odd deer, pheasants and so on, so there is no novelty there. DS3 was really shocked he could not just head off on his own out the front door - again, it's safe where we live so everyone plays out all day. Here he is watching a lot more TV and is generally cooped up unless we are in an organised play area, which you can only do do much.