Pontins

[BlooperReel]

Inspired by another thread, I went to Pontins a few years back, feeling nostalgic as I had many a happy childhood holiday spent there.

It was a shit hole, and that is no exaggeration. Cigarette ends all over the play parks, most activities closed or broken, the food establishments rarely open and when they were they were painfully slow, had sticky tables and floors. Vending machines empty.

The chalet was grubby, looked ok at first glance, but the floor and surfaces were sticky, I had to use anti bac floor wipes before I could put my baby down to crawl. Stained bedding (thank goodness we had taken our own) in the wardrobe that had a door hanging off, broken chest of drawers, tv didn't work etc etc.

Mine is not a unique, one off unfortunate experience, trip advisor is full of dire reviews (gutted I didn't check those before hand).

If it was that bad four years ago, why have the horrendous reviews continued? Nothing appears to have changed, I believe there has been a watchdog programme into Pontins too. Why are these huge business allowed to continue offering such appalling 'holidays' with impunity? AIBU to think there is no real redress in these circumstances?

Also, give me your Pontins stories, I can't be alone in this. I was lucky in that this was a cheap Sun deal and not our only holiday, but some families would have experienced this horror and not had the opportunity to go anywhere else that year.

Pontins is horrible now. Park Resorts & Park Holidays are much, much better.

There is a Pontins right near the Park Holidays camp at Camber and it just looks like the definition of grim. Although to be fair, apparently they did up the club house & have good activities for kids - but the accommodation is just like prison blocks.

I'm from a seaside town with a particularly awful Pontins. If you got chatting to someone staying there, you'd just reply with "sorry" and feel embarrassed on behalf of what is otherwise a lovely town.

*Parkdean Resorts is at Camber, not Park Holidays.

We used to go to Butlins as a kid once went to pontins in Blackpool it was horrendous and a never repeated experience

I took my kids to Butlins for fun earlier this year and enjoyed it for what it was and off to a holiday park next week for HT so not averse to such holidays but I'd never set foot in pontins for some reason

It's not great, but what do you expect for what is usually a very low price - that's the big clue. I do think it could be cleaner but it's not the Pontins staff messing the place up it's the customers!

We've been a couple of times and been lucky with the apartments tbh. The one time something went wrong they were there the same day to fix it (problem with a sink).

I doubt it will change, unfortunately.

I have to agree with Sassitude its as cheap as chips what do people expect , yes its very basic and a bit grim but when it was all we could afford for a holiday you have to make do , i have stayed at several different haven sites also and been tp Butlins twice but paid much more forthe holidays and the accomadation was much nicer as you would expect .

See I expect clean even if it is cheap, that's a basic imho.

For some familieis, it really isn't that cheap either when you factor in fuel, spending money 'upgrades' and paid activities.

I find it shocking that it hasn't been closed down to be honest, some of the TripAdvisor photos are truly vile.

Its a lot cheaper rhan otthet holiday sites though and i have been to a few , i wouldnt go back unless i couldnt afford anything else but i think we paid something like £120 for four nights in the june of one year and i have seen cheaper deals , maybe i just have really low expectations?

We went to Pontins in 02 with Dds it was indeed a hole ! It was filthy dd had D&V by day 3 it was the worst holiday of my life if poor Dd wasn't squity we would have gone home.

Granted it is far cheaper, but when you look at their site and what is shown and promised, then compare it to the reality, it's a rip off, and should not be allowed to continue.

www.pontins.com/holiday-parks/camber-sands-holiday-park/accommodation/

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g1752567-d607436-Reviews-Pontin_s_Camber_Sands_Centre-Camber_Rye_East_Sussex_England.html

I don't care how cheap a place is perceived to be cleanliness is a basic surely.

Went to the Blackpool Pontins. Truly grim. Filthy dirty chalet. Left early never to return.

Yes it was Blackpool we went too thankfully it closed down a few years back.

Never been to Pontins

Been to Butlins Minehead with school , many many years ago .

DPs have been to some music gigs at the Pontin's in Suffolk is it ? Or Norfolk ? Anyway they enjoyed it but it was either a 1940s weekend, music from the big shows etc etc for a weekend and they had no children with them .

We took our kids for a cheaper than chips deal at Southport about 7 years ago. Our now 20 year old son still grimaces at the memory of the camp and the obvious regular visitors.. kids on scooters doing circuits of the upper level walkways from sun up til after sun down!
There were police vans there every evenings just waiting for the trouble to begin 😆
Southport was lovely though..

We hated Pontins for the same reason. Butlins, Park, and Parkdean are much nicer for the money. Parkdean get a special mention from me because on the Wednesday night/early hours of Thursday on a Monday to Friday break, DD came down with D&V and we had to go home. They refunded the entire cost of our stay when they'd have been within their rights to not refund anything or only refund for the Thursday/Friday.

I wouldn’t go anywhere that isn’t butlins or haven for a family apartment/caravan/lodge style place. Would not even consider booking a pontins site and been treated to shoddy rotten accommodation on both brands or park sites despite booking the expensive option with both.