to ask your opinions of Pontins

[thickgit]

We went there today. We came back today. I'm sad that I couldn't cope with it, for the sake of my children. It was supposed to be
a three night stay.
Does anybody have an experience of Pontins?

Can't believe no-one has mentioned Brean Sands. Like a bloody Japanese prisoner of war camp.

Every member of staff was so miserable and almost every customer was complaining about one thing or another. Rooms were filthy, curtains mouldy and every time we flicked a switch the electric would trip and we had to climb on a chair to reach the box to reset it.
We lasted one night. Wrote a dreadful review on TA but kept receiving emails inviting me to go back. Wrote them a stinking letter telling them I'd rather die than set foot on one of their sites ever again.
Wow that was cathartic

We went to camber a few years ago. Fuck I thought we had arrived at s prison! After complaining they upgraded us..still grim so complained until we were upgraded to the best accommodation. I preferred the entertainment there to butlins and haven. Fuck all to do around camber though.

I've never been, but we've gone on several Parkdean (now Parkdean Resorts since they merged with Park) holidays. Always had a good time there. The statics we've stayed in have always been decent, even with us having a pets one. Off to their park in Newquay this July.

It's horrific. We've been a number of times (my DC play chess, there's a tournament held at Prestatyn Pontins every year), and i just feel grubby the whole time I'm there (and I'm not big on housekeeping!). I take a full cleaning kit, and spend the first hour after arrival cleaning the whole 'chalet', then we can go to bed. My children still talk about the pool being closed because someone pooed in it.

Dozyoldtwonk - the one near Lowestoft is Pakefield.

Camber did look like a prisoner of war camp and I can't believe it hasn't been given a makeover yet. Maybe they should do Cold War theme weekends.

I went there about a decade ago because it cost me around 60 for a midweek break in Feb half term. I was a sahp and wanted to get out of the house and do something else that wasn't being at home with them alone. I was used to travelling with them alone cheaply anyway and it was cheaper than a couple of day trips from home. The air hanger covered pool thing was freezing, the apartment just about ok, the wierd entertainment block!!! I kept thinking about the missed money making opportunities of no coffee shop, or anything!! There was nothing really.

But ... We had great daytime weather and played on the beach. The staff at places like the climbing wall were amazing during our visit. The kids were small and danced at the crappy disco whilst I had a beer. We had a wierdly good time but I wouldn't go back unless it was very very very cheap. If I wanted to go back to sight see and it was 70 for a weekend, maybe. But I would look at other places first.

We went a couple of years ago. £39 for two nights family of 4. We went with really low expectations and brought our own bedding. We had a fab time - used it as just somewhere to sleep and explored the local area.

I can laugh now about the cleaning lady having a fag whilst getting our chalet ready (with us outside).

But yeah shit hole, although it can be enjoyed if your standards are low...which mine clearly are.

Went to Camber and came home early. Can wholeheartedly recommend Butlins in Bognor Regis as an alternative.

Fantastic thread. I have now swapped my usual 10 minutes one hour on MN Reading the "terrible" reviews of Pontins On Trip Advisor instead.

Absolutely marvellous. Internet gold

Really interesting no one is mentioning pakefield. We've been there 4 years in a row. It's always been clean and kids have a great time. It's VERY cheap so my expectations the first time were low but we love it!

Fond memories of Pontins here.

Back when our sons were 11 or 12 ish in the early 1980s, we went on an Easter break at Pontins in Brixham with a big group of pals and their children. Somehow , the WEA (Worker's Educational Association, very worthy) used to take over part of the site and run a motley collection of short courses. I remember doing Criminology and Weaving.

The chalets were perishing cold, heating and hot water were on a meter; one couple had a faulty meter, the 50p coins fell straight through and could used over and over, so everyone wanted to have a free shower there. The occupants got stroppy, thinking they might get a massive bill at the end, so refused entry. Others muttered darkly about selfishness.

The evening entertainment contained a lot of sexist and racist jokes. One couple, anticipating this, had brought their typewriter along so that they could fire off furious letters immediately.

Final evening, giant takeaway ordered. Thirty years on, the incident of the unfair allocation of Prawn Balls is still remembered.

It awful. Never again.

My family go to the Brean sands one every year and love it. It's cheap but the kids have a fab time and my family aren't fussy as long as there's somewhere to sleep lol!

Don't ever go there the one in Southport is just up the road from me looks like a prison from the outside so if the outside looks run down shit and grim I dread to think what the inside looks like no way in this life time am ever stepping foot in the place to find out I would rather have a weeks holiday in Walton jail.

It always shocks me to read these threads - I really hope you all complained and got your hard earned money back.

comparing a supposed holiday camp to a prison? why do DC need to go to places like this at all> We have been on super cheap holidays with tents, carvans, youth hostels....

I have really happy memories of Blackpool Pontins as a child. No, I don't have low expectations - I am in my fifties now! My mum and dad were happy (long gone now) and we had a lovely time. I can still remember the chalet wasn't up to much then and I wondered what all the redcoats have VD meant.

We went back in my teens and I could even see on my dad's face that he thought it was pretty awful and to say he was "careful" was an understatement. We went to the pleasure beach and the staff were all cracking on to me and I must have been 12-13. Yuk.

I see it has been bulldozed now and to be honest, so should a number of guest houses and a certain large castle type hotel in the resort which again, provides a few hours of amusement on tripadvisor.

There is absolutely no excuse for piss poor dirty accommodation in this day and age. There is clearly a market for cheap and cheerful, advertise as such and at least make it clean and cheap.

Just as an observation, Classic Cottages and Helpful Hols have out of season (yes school issues) and last minute cancellations with really big discounts. I have had some lovely hols with the kids and gcs.

I was thinking I would just suck it up for the dc but I just looked through their reviews and photos on trip advisor and I would have left for sure! Maybe gone to a premier inn or something?
I can't quite believe how they are still in business!! Are they super cheap? We've done loads of different caravan breaks across the UK for decent prices and whilst their not luxury have never seen anything like that!!

oh, Camber. a woman in her 60s threatened to punch me at the Park Resorts bingo night because i wouldn't let her take my friend's chair. my friend was at the bar.

we used to go to Pontins in the late 70s. Camber (the highlight of which was me being groomed and nearly abducted), Brean Sands (chalet full of spiders) and Pakefield. i loved it. i wouldn't love it now.

i've stayed in nicer squats.

We went to the one in Jersey 25 years ago (it's no longer there). It was great but have heard terrible things about Camber!

Plemont Bay! we went there as well. i loved it. and Brixham. my parents were loaded - no idea why we kept going to Pontins year after year.

We went to Butlins every year when i was young
I loved it. I thought Pontins was a posh Butlins! I've never been and i haven't been to Butlins as an adult

Camber is one of the absolute worst, I think.

Is Haven better than Butlins, better than Pontins? I can't remember which order of quality they go in.

Butlins is lovely!! I found it clean, and best of all, the entertainment for the little ones is fantastic, from morning til evening. Plus you get the use of a great pool, little funfair, trampolines etc all included. I think that Haven might fall somewhere in the middle?

Haven is more low key entertainment wise. The accommodation on most (not all) of the sites are caravans. There are loads of sites dotted around and we like them as we can go away for a short break without travelling too far. I think you can get good deals too as a lot of the caravans are privately owned and rented out. We booked through a private owner for our Easter break and it was fantastic.

I've been lucky enough to go on three Camber Pontins holidays, my dad is a recovered alcoholic and they hold the annual AA conventions there. I had the time of my life as a child / early teen, trampoline, pool, boys at the disco... but I remember my parents being pretty horrified by the accommodation! I would never go back but have fond memories.