To consider Butlins

[Stinkytoe]

Is it really naff/ run down?

We’ve done Center Parcs a few times, how does Butlins compare?

Hotels at Bognor was lovely, really clean good sized room.

It always seems so expensive to me when I'm looking at holidays. Honestly though, if I could afford it I would definitely go. It's somewhere I can see each of my dc, with very different likes at 12, 9 and 4, finding things to enjoy. And I remember Skegness Butlins as having a brilliant pool and great access to the beach years ago :)

How old are your children? We went for the first timw when ours were 5 and 2 and my 5 year old declared on the first morning we woke up there, that it was the best holiday she'd ever been on. We had only arrived late afternoon the previous day, had dinner in the Italian restaurant and saw thw skyline gang. She was hooked. I think it is fantastic value for money compared to CP.

I went for a long weekend with DD. Booked the cheapest accommodation (basic but acceptable) plus food plan. Doing this was quite cheap for us, DD likes the buffet style dining and the fairground was brilliant for her. Lots of stuff for kids to do. You can spend more if you do lots of extra activities, but the swimming is free and we didn't spend much extra.

We did a Just For Tots break at Minehead last year. It was good value, apartment was clean and there was so much to do for the children, and it was all included. The staff were friendly, always greeting the children and it felt safe.

It’s not really my kind of thing and even though it was great I’m not sure I’d do it again - we prefer to go out and explore, but there were so many shows on we were tied to the site because we didn’t want to miss them!

Butlins was fine when the kids were very small (both under 5) and unable to travel far. The hotels in Bognor are nice, although the food in the buffets is pretty crap.

Butlins was far cheaper than CP. HOWEVER, European Center Parcs - particularly in Belgium/Netherlands are cheaper still. We haven’t been back to Butlins since we discovered European Center Parcs.

If you’re going to go to Butlins and stay in anything other than the Bognor hotels or new phase lodges at Minehead then DEFINITELY take ear-plugs - the walls between chalets are literally paper-thin.

Unless you pay loads for hotels the other accommodations at Butlins are disgusting. I would recommend booking a caravan privately as it is a much more pleasant experience.
We generally do a weekend/week at Butlins every year, the kids absolutely love it. I prefer Skegness out of all the parks.
Depending on the time of year you get some interesting clientele. Never been to centre parks so can’t compare.

Love bognor Butlins. Been a few times and stayed in the hotel.

Dd loved it.

I didn't think the entertainment was tacky at all as a pp said.

Diversity were on when we went. A little mix tribute act which dd loved. A panto one night which was great.

Pool was fab. Found a gorgeous beach about 20 minute drive away which for some reason, we had to ourselves.

It's nothing like centre parcs whatsoever, there's no comparison.

We did a weekend to help friends out with the children, would not go again.

A friend was at Minehead recently and they had a great time. She stayed in West Lake Village which she said was "the posh chalets" and was lovely and not too noisy (might be new?), and the entertainment was great and they were spoilt for choice of things to do. They went self catering but ate in a restaurant one night and said the food was a bit shit, but I guess you don't go there for the fine dining.

It's made me want to go now, when previously I wouldn't have considered it.

I liked butlins more than I thought I would. It was quiet-ish when we went so got a free apartment upgrade, and it was clearly recently refurbished. Food was alright, with good choices for tots but puddings a bit naff.
Lots of daytime short shows at the right length for toddler attention span, free crafts and softplay, lovely pool. Queuing was a problem with impatient toddler but older ones may be slightly better. Not sure how much older ones would like it, but 2-5 year old seemed to have a blast.

I haven't been to butlins for about 35+ years. We used to go to Barry Island for the day and get day passes. We used the pool, and indoor rides.
My daughter has been asking to go as she has seen the adverts. She is 7 do wants to go all the activities. I in I w a few people who go to Minehead quite often. We have booked to go for a Fri to Mon break in July. Not sure what to expect, but as long as she has fun then I don't mind. Don't know if wd will go back though.

We always go to flamingo land as kids.love it hmmm perhaps Butlins this yr

Has anyone been to the Skegness toddler event at Christmas?

We did a day at Skegness last year, predominantly to swim.

First people into the changing rooms. Dirty, water everywhere, smelt strongly of urine. The swimming itself was amazing, but not clean and very overcrowded. Bits of it shut pretty much every hour due to someone pooing in the pool.

Grabbed lunch at one of the small cafes. Crap and overpriced.

Fairground was like something out of the 1950s. Youngest was 5 at the time and even he was bored to death.

Softplay was filthy, nowhere to sit.

So glad we didn't do a weekend. I wasn't holding my breath for something mind blowing, but I did expect clean.

Love centre parcs, wouldn't even consider Butlins. It's not the same thing at all.
Went there once, was supposed to stay for 3 nights but we drove home after 2.5 hours.

Had a cheap Feb half term in. Minehead last year and bloody loved it. Value for money was incredible as we booked 2 weeks in advance. Went SC but ate at a few of the places and they were all good. Ds loved the pool and the football and saw some great shows. Ok it's a bit rough round the edges but the kids don't care

I used to go 2-3 times a year as a kid but it was the now closed Ayr site. Have convinced dh to come for a weekend this year but we've hired a caravan and it's a lot cheaper than even their cheapest direct accommodation

In contract to PP, we did Skegness for a day last summer and loved it. We’d been for a short break about 10 years ago when DCs were toddlers and really disliked it, it felt shabby and money grabbing. However we were persuaded to try again by friends’ good reports, and our now young teen DCs had a really good time. We swam, had a really nice lunch, went to the beach and the fairground. We’re within fairly easy driving distance of Skegness so going just for the day was fine and I can’t comment on the accommodation.

To me it had the feel of a budget Center Parcs, and has definitely been done up with this sort of look in mind. I would certainly pick CP over Butlins if money was no object, but for a cheap break I’d recommend it.

*contrast, not contract

We did holland centreparcs last summer as well as butlins. I was disappointed with the standard and lack of cleanliness of the accommodation after how everyone raves about cp. and the entertainment was shit compared to butlins. But we had a great time regardless.

We go every year either Easter or October half term. We only stay in the hotels as I find the apartments a bit naff and like the luxury of a hotel. We also get the dining plan and the food is great. The entertainment is good as is the rides. Don't spend much whilst I'm there, only on the arcades which is optional of course.

We’ve done the just for tots twice now at Skegness, it’s all about the kids and mine loved it, seeing him happy made us happy, first time we stayed in gold apartment, it was ok a bit shabby, second time we stayed in silver but the newly renovated ones, absolutely lovely, clean tidy and warm. The pool there is great! If your going to dine there please if you can upgrade to premium dinning, the premium option was great ( o was skeptical of the food) but huge choice of foods and nice. If you go bog standard dining be prepared for chips upon chips

Overpriced (we can only go over Easter weekend and a quote for a lodge was £1,000 for 3 nights with no food). And we saw needle casings on the beach at Bognor which finished our run of stays there. We did try the ocean hotel one time but don’t like sitting on beds all the time, and the headboard sort of stuck out so you couldn’t lean back on it without getting a cricked neck.

Love CP and Butlins but two very different holidays. Butlins used to be awful 10 years ago (Skegness) but we went back in 2017 and it's lovely. I saw a lot more 'classy' people there than I'd seen in previous years. We stayed in a Seaside apartment which was lovely, no issues with the beds. I did get sickness and diorhea there as a young adult around 10 years ago which I think was down to the catering facilities - the amount of people going through rather than a hygiene issue - and my Mum and Dad have done adult weekends and one always seems to get ill too (they always take dining package too) but this may be worse in colder months as none of us got ill when we went in June 17.

Went to Center Parcs in October half term and DD aged 4 I'd asking to go back to Butlins. She loved Center Parcs but I think the colours and environment at Butlins is more exciting for children. I find CP most tiring as facilities and accommodation more spread out.

Also there is soooo much more free stiff to do at Butlins - fun fair (good size with range of rides for different ages), shows day and night, play areas, snooker and darts hall is free (told my then 13 year old I had bought an expensive pass for him and his friend so they had to get their money's worth ) plus obviously the swimming that CP also have.

At CP I love being amongst nature and having squirrels at the windows. I live having a little log fire and it feels grown up and relaxing on an evening when DC are asleep. Butlins doesn't give me that same feeling however it makes up for it with the amount of free entertainment so it's really swings and roundabouts!