not to understand why you would choose to pay 5x more for a Bluestone / Center Parcs time holiday?

[LapsedTwentysomething]

We've done both over the last couple of years with small DCs, although I had the advantage of being PT / on maternity leave, and DD hadn't started school, so I have been on that kind of holiday.

We're enjoying the loveliest family break at the seaside, and a whole week has cost us £250 for accommodation every bit as Good as Bluestone - better, in fact, as it's quiet and we have a private garden and are on a farm. Granted we'be had the benefit of fantastic weather, but if we hadn't we could've done the same sorts of indoor activities as at a resort and paid less for them. I remember paying £6 for a short and pretty lame kite making session at Bluestone and similar for half an hour or so of messy play at CP. Why?! We'll never bother again.

Just makes me cross that resort holidays are so extortionately priced - nearly 6 x more for Bluestone for the same week, and more for Center Parcs. Independent hols are so much better value.

type holiday - title fail.

Because you know exactly what you are getting and it may suit you totally.

I have been to CP and cost us £500 ish. I would struggle to get a decent cottage for a week for that. Plus there would be no pool. Both of mine are keen swimmers.

Tbh, have done CP, independent cottages etc. there are pros and cons to both.

Well - they were both full over Easter so obviously not everyone thinks like you. Plus if you wanted to do messy play you'd have had to tidy it all up. And have you been on the Rapids/waves etc? Nope.
I know I could go other places but I actively and consciously choose to holiday at CP. It's hardly crime of the century!

YANBU. Haven't heard of Bluestone but I have long regarded Centre Parcs as a prime example of the emperor's new clothes.

Hideously overpriced.

We do both. The CP break is great fun, tons of exercise and swimming etc. The independent one is also great, usually more chilled. They're different holidays, basically.

No-one has a gun to anyone's head when it comes to booking a holiday, so I assume people book where they will be happiest.

Tbh I just wanted a rant at the total rip off. We wanted to go back toBlustone by absolutely couldn't justify it. Now I'm glad we couldn't. Of course it's not crime of the century. Never said it was. Just don't get how those breaks are 'worth' so much more. I took a screenshot of the price t the time I wanted to book. It was £1388 for this week with the same number of beds.

And yes, we've spent all week in Rapids / waves .

I always get the impression that even the people that go to CP think it is hideously overpriced.
It's not for me but others seem to love it.

I've had two free weekends at Bluestone. It's like Boden, crap value at full price but great when discounted. I turned down the third free weekend...

I agree about CP - but not Bluestone, which in my experience is far cheaper. We went last month for less than £200 for a weekend for 4 of us which I thought was a pretty good deal, I'm not sure I could have got an independent cottage of the same standard for that price, and for the money we got the use of the swimming pool and play areas. I wouldn't go for a full week during school holidays though, and we don't spend that much on activities when we're there. Bluestone is far superior to CP in my opinion - as well as being cheaper I think the accommodation is of a far higher standard, it's much quieter and less spread out too.

Depends what you're looking for really - we've done all 3 and loved them - self catering generally cheaper but doesn't suit everybody. I agree that cp and bluestone both overpriced at peak times but if they are full they can charge what they like!

Consistent known quality is worth paying more for than an unknown quality that is potentially better but also potentially worse, also the convenience of not having to organise any of it yourself is valued by many.

To me they sound horrible, but that's fine, I'm not the audience, some people choose to spend their money on that conveniences and risk minimising. Well worth it if the alternative is going to stress you out more and your holidaying time is more limited than your money.

I suppose they just seem a bit synthetic somehow, and for so much more money (and we nearly had our bikes nicked at CP too - disturbed someone cutting the chain in the early hours [shick])

We like to do both types, kids love cp and off peak it's cheap enough of you self cater especially and mostly swim.
Bluestone is not at all comparable to CP I do t think We were there last week, shitty small pool and rammed to rafters, nothing like CP.

We have been going to CP at least once a year for over 10 years with a group of other families. It works really well because we know exactly what we will get - whichever one we go to - the older kids can go off independently because they have been going since they were tiny so they and parents are confident. There's a good range of activities, restaurants etc to suit everyone. We have several times considered going elsewhere but almost all of us conclude each time we would prefer to stick with CP.

But agree that it's not great value for money but as we can afford it we go. We also go to other places and enjoy them as well. If we could only afford one holiday at CP each year then we would instead choose two cheaper holidays.

Holy crap my typos are dire. Ipad is getting the blame.

Blimey, we had a wonderful time at Bluestone, especially as there is a big age gap between my 2 kids. Lots of walks, the pool was great, there's the fab indoor play area which we lived in for about 3 days. I don't think my two did any activities (it was 4 years ago) and we were very dubious about the theme park next door, but we had a great time and loved the lodge.

It was definitely cheaper than the apartment in Scotland which we've just booked for July.

I tend to agree about Bluestone's pool. It's not great.

I'm on the hunt for ideas, can I PM you to ask where you booked this week OP?

They are hideously expensive, but having everything on your doorstep makes it feel like a real break. A cottage where everything is a drive away and I have to go to the supermarket, plan and cook almost every meal, and make sure toddlers don't damage someone else's vases, doesn't feel like so much of a break. We have done both but are now priced out of CP. We had a lovely holiday in late Oct at Bluestone, hideous storms all week which would have been hard work in a cottage on a farm, but worked really well at Bluestone with their indoor activity stuff and pool.

And they have childcare, expensive but my DC loved it, and when you are at breaking point, that is a marvellous thing.

I do agree they are insanely priced in school hols, but Bluestone especially is not too bad in term time.

You can. I'd far rather take a chance on TripAdvisor reviews than be ripped off. It's the second time we've stayed here and we'll be back for two further weeks this year. All of that and still only a grand.

Jumpingbarney try owners direct. In Cornwall I find the local agencies better than the national companies.

Have to admit to being a CP lover.

That is, a grand in total for this week, a week in the summer hols and October half term. That's what's making me think WTF with the CP/Bluestone hols.