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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Centre parcs, Bluestone or Haven (Lakeland)?

23 replies

Blondie1993 · 14/01/2019 20:31

Posting for traffic Blush. Looking for somewhere in the UK to take DS (7) for 5 days to a week in July. Last year we went to London and the year before we went to Blackpool Grin. I'd quite like to have a pool onsite which is why I was looking at Centre Parc, Bluestone or Haven (possibly the Lakeland one). We will do a few activities but would also like to get out and about and explore new places!

Does anyone have any recommendations or opinions on the places I've mentioned? Thanks in advance Smile

OP posts:
Blondie1993 · 14/01/2019 20:34

Ps. We live in Glasgow, don't mind travelling for somewhere really great though.

OP posts:
beachbodyunready · 14/01/2019 20:40

We been to Centre Parks and Bluestone and would definitely prefer Centre Parks due to the fact that Bluestone's pool is really quite small and is open to the public which means it's ridiculously busy in the summer as all the Pembrokeshire tourists pour in if the weather is bad. There is also more to do at Centre Parks and Bluestone is very hilly so not really suited to cycling.

We have also stayed at Centre Parks in Europe and if you're prepared to travel some of those are really with great indoor and outdoor pools as well as giving you the chance to explore a different country.

NEMSparkle · 14/01/2019 20:40

We have used lakeland haven for the past 4 years as a base to explore the lake district. We got a wild guide and find that it's a great balance for exploring and kids activities.

Justanother123 · 14/01/2019 20:51

Center Parcs gets my vote. Been countless times and always had a fab holiday. It’s expensive but it’s worth it.
We were booking our summer holiday last week. I was tempted to go abroad - the 14 & 11 year old had a right moan - ‘you promised us Center Parcs’ so that’s what we booked. Anything for an easy life!
My boss has just got back from a long weekend at Bluestone and said although they had a nice time, it’s not a patch on Center Parcs!
Always loved Haven when my two were little. The entertainment in the evening was always a lot of fun.
Hope that helps! 😊

WatchingTheWheels85 · 14/01/2019 20:57

I live in pembrokeshire and July is usually wet and there really isn't much to do in the rain. Bluestone has a tiny pool (we go once a week) it gets so busy.

pinkdelight · 14/01/2019 21:06

Bluestone wasn't all that and it peed it down constantly. Might as well stretch to centre parks if you can.

SuziQ10 · 14/01/2019 21:09

Have always enjoyed Centre Parcs trips. Have never been to either of the other holiday parks listed.

lily1110 · 14/01/2019 21:10

I went to bluestone and loved it, but I’ve never been to centre Parcs so can’t compare. What are the best activities at centre Parcs for kids?

lily1110 · 14/01/2019 21:11

It did rain constantly though but loved the golf buggy!

Mummylife2018 · 14/01/2019 21:23

Lakeland Haven is small, crap and miserable. Not even near any forestry. I'd go for Center Parcs

itneverrainsitpours · 14/01/2019 21:28

I've been to Bluestone. We had a great time. The kids loved it. Would definitely go again!

Hoopaloop · 14/01/2019 21:32

We've been to Bluestone a couple of times. It rained there because weather.

Notgotajarofglue · 14/01/2019 21:36

Only one I've been to is Lakeland and I loved it.

OkOkWhatsNext · 14/01/2019 22:29

At Center Parcs you’re paying for the facilities and access to activities. I wouldn’t go there just as somewhere to stay if you’re mostly interested in spending your time outside the place exploring local area. We love CP with three young kids, but want to make the most of every minute we are there, mostly in the swimming pool or doing something else like climbing, boating, tennis, treasure hunts onsite or whatever.

LonelyAmongUs · 14/01/2019 22:35

Go for Centre Parcs, even if it is horrendously expensive (KY jelly optional, of course...)

user1474894224 · 14/01/2019 22:38

We've been to CP - Sherwood and Bluestone once each. We preferred Blue Stone. CP felt a little like a prison - once you were there they wanted you to stay there. Bluestone gave lots of information about the (beautiful) local area. We also loved the golf buggy. But Tenby, Saundersfoot, The Dinosaur Park was a lovely day out. The indoor play area on Bluestone was great. My kids were 6m, 2 and 4 at the time so we didn't really use the paid for activities on the park - but we did walk around the site. I used to love Haven but have gone off them a little bit....mainly because we have had some amazing holidays in Hoburne Naish the last few years....nicer pool and changing rooms than Haven - and a much shorter drive for us than South Wales.

blackteasplease · 14/01/2019 22:43

I've been to Bluestone twice and absolutely adore it. Going again in the summer.

That said I've never been to Centre Parcs. I imagine it more commercial but could be entirely wrong.

Going to Haven for a long weekend at Easter so will know more then. I'm a bit trepidatious about it though after some things I've read on here!

doleritedinosaur · 14/01/2019 22:53

We’re going to Bluestone in March, all my friends love it there.

There’s softplay, shows & Blue Lagoon.

Also nearby is a dinosaur park, Folly Farm - absolutely amazing, Tenby, barafundle Bay, also lots of places to go hunting. There’s several castles too.

Ali1612 · 14/01/2019 23:22

Ive been to Bluestone twice and travelled from near Glasgow - my advice would be to drive to Bristol one day and stay in the premier inn there - its lovely and near to a great cinema/ food complex where you can have an evening out, then drive to bluestone the next morning as it breaks up the journey. If not you could be about 10 hours to get there in one go.

Golf buggies in bluestone are brill, the indoor activity centre is excellent and nearby Folly Farm is the best place ive ever been! My son did prefer Bluestone when he was younger though, but it was a pretty cheap holiday which gave us more money for eating out and trips etc. First time we went it was a heatwave and felt like we were abroad, the second time weather wasn't great and i didnt enjoy it as much but was still a relaxing break.

Been to a few haven type parcs and wouldn't go back for various reasons.

I love centerparcs but it is expensive for accommodation thats very similar to Bluestone. Pool and activities are far superior but its really focused on you staying on site and paying for lots of activities which can add up. It really can be an amazing holiday but will cost as much as going abroad all in. Its worth going to the Longleat one further south during scottish holidays before the english holidays start as its cheaper than Whinfell and a day out at Longleat Safari Park is always amazing.

Theres a new center parcs type village just outside Disneyland Paris that looks brilliant if you dont mind travelling a bit further.

BusyMum47 · 14/01/2019 23:46

Centre Parcs every time!!

unlimiteddilutingjuice · 14/01/2019 23:53

If you like swimming and activities I can recommend Butlins.
I went to Butlins Bognor Regis.
It had a fantastic pool with loads of play stuff and flumes,
free fairground rides,
great soft play,
good variety of places to eat.
The beach is also nice as is the town in a faded sort of way.
The added bonus is they have no idea about Scottish school holidays and will charge you out of season prices if the English kids are still at school.
If you get the plane to Gatwick and jump on a train you will find the whole carriage is full of Scots Grin

rosablue · 15/01/2019 00:50

A couple of summers ago we stayed in a hotel called Redworth Hall, in Newton Aycliffe, about half an hour from Durham.

We had a family room and managed to get a good deal (which come and go quite regularly, particularly if you don't want to stay a saturday night) - certainly cheaper than staying in a UK Centre Parc.

It had a fabulous pool/leisure centre, a small indoor soft play, tennis courts, crazy golf, outdoor soft play, frisbee golf and more plus the family room we had (an ordinary one rather than a more expensive one) had plenty of space, almost like 2 rooms knocked into one so big one for dh and I with a big double bed, dressing table, space for a table and couple of chairs in the windows as well as separate arm chairs, then through a big arch to the other half of the room with twp single beds - separate from each other rather than jammed up together and a good sized nice bathroom.

Pool was lovely, warm, not too busy and within the hotel complex rather than having to trek through a Parc (handy if the weather is bad or you want to look down to see how busy it is or you just don't want to walk a long way there). Pretty much everything was free - a couple of things wanted deposits left if you borrowed rackets or clubs/balls/frisbees etc but you got that back when you returned the items, which was fair enough.

It was beautiful and in a stunning area, there were lots of things to do locally, from a railway museum to visiting a great Roman dig in the middle of nowhere, Bishop Auckland was about 10 minutes away, Durham was half an hour away, you were on the edge of the North Pennines, you were about half an hour away from the coast at its closest or an hour away from Whitby or an hour and a half from Bamburgh if you go back northwards.

There were lots of things we would have done quite happily but we didn't have time, also we wanted to have a relaxing holiday so didn't push to do everything, so were happy to relax at the hotel in teh pool and playing crazy golf. We ate in the hotel a couple of nights, out other nights. Nice big hotel breakfasts!

When we booked i looked at the usual websites and their own. Their own has good discounts but we ended up going with one of the big sites (maybe hotels.com?) that you could put in your email address for 'secret prices' or some such phrase - i did (usually don't like handing email out willy nilly!) and there was a good reduction that basically reduced the rate we paid down so we got b&b for the standard rate advertised for just overnight no breakfast. We paid maybe £80-85 a night for a family room on a b&b basis, which we thought was really good value for what it was.

The other thing to consider is looking at Centre Parcs in Europe - I've been to them in Holland and it was cheaper for us to get to Holland by ferry, pay petrol for a much longer trip, and an overnight stop in both directions to break up the driving than it was to get one in the UK. We found the facilities were much better too - we went to Het Heijderbos which had a fantastic second dome with a giant adventure zone, a bit like being in the Jungle zone of the Crystal Maze! It had caves, running water, rope bridges, tropical birds, zip wires, climbing things, amazing plants and things, a giant climbing /adventuring area, suitable for adults and kids and even a cafe in it - so much fun. The dc would have spent hours in there every day if they could...

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