To want something like Center Parcs but without the verrucas and the damp?

[OrangeSamphire]

We are looking for a short break in the Spring. Really as a birthday get away for DS who is unable to walk or talk and we struggle to buy presents for. He loves warm swimming pools, walks in the woods and animals, so... Looked at Center Parcs Longleat as it's about 2 hrs north of where we live.

Seemed to tick a lot of boxes - wheelchair accessible walks and a warm pool for 5yr old, tree top and climbing wall activities for my 8yr old. Spa. Close to Longleat for the wildlife/animal stuff.

So far so good.

But. I just cannot abide crapness. If I knew that for the £600 odd we'd get even Premier Inn standard accommodation for the long weekend, I'd tolerate that. But I've read so much about damp lodges, filthy swimming changing, terrible food etc, I am reluctant to book.

Anyone know of anywhere similar that will keep the whole family happy and entertained for a long weekend where quality is a bit more consistent? Ideally no more than a 3hr drive from east Cornwall.

Bookmarked hof van saksen thank you Soloman. One day we plan a northern european road trip (once we have saved up for our wheelchair accessible camper van).

We've been to Longleat CP many times (and only live half an hour away ) but we love it, feels like another planet as soon as we drove through the gates! Never had a problem with the cleanliness of the accommodation or the changing rooms and as far as I am aware all the woodland lodges are the new style ones now.

Anyway, another idea for you - www.woolleygrangehotel.co.uk/family-friendly-hotel
I've not stayed there personally as am v.local but have heard many good things.

What about Retallack Aqua park resort nr St Columb? I know a few families who have been and say it's very nice accommodation and great water slides etc for kids.

We went to longleat and left a day early, it was grim and incredibly overpriced.

Never mind just read you've been, sorry!

Have a look at the Celtic Manor

I have stayed in Forest Holidays before and it was phenomenal. Each of the cabins have a fabulous hot tub (!), absolutely lovely and countryside is stunning.

Woolley Grange looks very nice but not at all wheelchair accessible :(

I think we might go for CP. Will report back

Bluestone is very hilly. CP Longleat - no damp and moldy lodge for us and the changing area was what you would expect with lots of people using all day

We're there at the moment! It's absolutely fine - we're in an executive lodge and it's not spectacular but is perfectly ok. I was a total hotel snob pre children, but find myself much less fussy now if it's clean and the children are happy.

The pool area is really good for children - not sure how accessible all of it is so maybe worth ringing up and asking. There are good (very warm) outdoor pools as well as indoor. The changing rooms are definitely cleaner at some times than others. However I think mostly it's just the impact of people coming into changing areas that aren't bone dry in slightly grubby outside shoes. When they're quieter they seem much better and they do seem to be cleaning the area pretty much constantly to try to stay on top of it.

Food is not brilliant but is ok chain type food - although we have just had a passable meal in Bella Italia. We tend to bring one main meal that I prepared at home and also some nice picky lunch stuff plus breakfast food to eat in the lodge to limit our exposure! Plus the supermarket is not cheap here, so better to stock up before you come.

For us it is a good holiday although 3 or 4 nights is my limit! The children love it and no doubt we will be back in another year or two.

Forest Holidays! Very very good.

Bruern cottages lovely.

There's Whitemead forest park with Boundless in the Forest of Dean, lots of walks are on fire roads so ok for wheelchairs. There's also Croyde Bay resort in Devon, discounted prices for Unison members. Family members go there every year and had good reports of their upgraded accommodation.

We've just got back from pre-Christmas break at Longleat CP- an have been the previous 2 years.

Book an executive lodge close to the Village Square (so you are central for everything). The lodge we had was lovely- clean, warm, in good nick, no hint of damp.

Personally, I don't think you will regret CP. A friend of mine used to take groups of people with disabilities there on respite and said they couldn't do enough for them.

I've been to bluestone. No way is it cleaner or more modern than CPs, plus there's not half as much to do. For CP, If you specify you have a child in a wheelchair (and want luxury) they will accommodate you in an appropriate lodge and give you advice, etc.

So far as holidays go, I have an expectation of standards far above my income allows!! I'm a total holiday snob.

But I love CP!

Mainly because the kids love it, but it's not that bad. And it's certainly above Premier Inn grade! (Although we've only been to Elveden)

It's well worth doing your research on which type and which specific lodge to go for. You can even Google Streetview around the lodges.

You do have to choose carefully where to eat too. Bella Italia OK, Cafe Rouge OK. Sports Cafe and Hucks to be avoided.

The best bit is the supermarket. They have literally everything you could want!! Really nice ready meals ('Cook' - you can buy them mail order too) and those hotel size jams so everyone can have their favourites! And if you spend more than £40 they'll deliver to your lodge.

The worst example of sub-standardness in the accommodation we've experienced is a window that didn't lock properly and bulb gone in the extractor hood. But call housekeeping and they'll sort it out. Never dirty and not damp IME.

The best time we've had there was mid-week 2nd July before most of the schools broke up. The next time we went was Easter and it was too busy.

And I genuinely don't get Forest Holidays - there's nothing to do!

We were at cp longleat before Christmas and the pool changing was fine. Obviously it depends a lot on who was in the change room before you - they are pass through cubicles; you enter from the 'clothed ' side and exit pool side. My tip would be wear clothes that are easy to get in and off. They have family changing cubicles too.

We were in the pinewood apartments which were brilliant. And very close to pool plaza. Some accommodation is very far away. I think you get what you pay for and our experience of Center Parcs was that is was expensive but still good value for what we got.

We loved Center Parcs!

Stayed in the cheapest Lodge (Whinfell) right at the end of the summer holidays. It was clean, well maintained, perfect for our DC (6 and 3).

We'd go back in a heartbeat!

CP always gets a bashing on here but we love it. I went with my friend who has a severely disabled non verbal quadriplegic ds who is 8 and they couldn't have been nicer - special wheel chair access to pool no issues with chair poolside, restaurants went out of their way to make things easy and accessible and all the paths/buildings were easy. This wasn't longleat but I also know the longleat one quite well and think you would enjoy it. Go with a higher level lodge ( possibly woodland executive? ) and make sure you are up near the plaza end not the sports hall / lake thing to be near the pool. However do check what the situation with swimming is as they were completely redoing the longleat pool and not due to be finished until summer 2017. From what I recall the old pool area may not be as good for your son as some of the others ie Elveden as the children's pool area at longleat used to be quite limited in warm shallow areas to sit.

Go to Saunton Sanda Hotel or Woolacombe Bay Hotel. Lots of activities nearby - some included in packages. Both great for kids and have lifts and parking right beside hotel. I reckon it could end up similar price all in - restaurants in CP not cheap and very samey. Or a bit further I would find a nice hotel or forest lodge in New Forest. There are all of the activities like tree climbing, riding, bike hire and also some accessible paths.

I've done Wooley Grange and it's not ideal for disabilities - not their fault as it's a Jacobean manor with uneven floors etc. It's nice - but for me ungated swimming pool behind a hedge a short step from the restaurant is a deal breaker

We went to Woburn last year in Feb. My husband is a wheelchair user and it is I think a more compact site than some of the others. I also hate damp/ mouldy pools and it was fine in that respect. They had these great air dryers that could dry a few people at once and that made changing much more pleasant. The pool wasn't suitable for my husbabc as he needs deep water to avoid bashing his legs but for a disabled child it would be great I think and the whole swimmmng area is tropically warm! I think as it is newer it is a bit less wooded and a bit more soulless than others but it was quite nicely done. Our children loved it. The lodge (4 bedroom) we stayed in was great and was cheaper than advertised on the website when we phoned up, not sure if that was a wheelchair user reduced rate or it was newly done or something. It wasn't the ones with a hot tub. We were the far side of the lake from the swimming and a bit more, just looked on map possibly lodge 429. If the pool would be your son's favourite thing I would say closer to that might be better.

Cheddar Woods is lovely and you can do Longleat in a day trip

I'm holiday snob extraordinaire and we loved Elveden. Take it for what it is but it was fun. Pool was fine, spa was great and the accommodation was good, clean and warm with a very comfy bed

Not Bluestone. It's the most hideously depressing holiday I've ever been on.

Longleat is hilly and quite a walk from the wheelchair accessible lodges (make sure you opt for these) to the sports area. The accessible lodges are very close to the pool though! I found pushing a pram back up those zig zag boardwalk things wore me out.

Elveden is probably more wheelchair friendly but obv too far for you. I wouldn't bother with Woburn esp if your DS takes such joy from the woodland as it's still in its infancy at Woburn.

We love CP but I wouldn't return to Winfell in the Lake District as on both occasions the accommodation was shabby and a bit damp smelling.