Center Parcs closing for funeral

[ViscountessBridgerton]

Had the email to say Monday arrival delayed until Tuesday, can't get in until 4pm. 30% refund offered. From social media, it looks like people on a 7 night break are actually expected to leave at 10am on the Monday and not come back until Tuesday! People on a weekend break aren't being compensated for having to leave by 10am on the Monday.

AIBU to think wtf?!?!

We went for a few years when the children were very young. Part of the attraction was it was physically close so a short journey to get there, and DP and I could book some adult activities in turn. I did some archery and sailing.
Entertaining the kids was easy there.

In a desperate attempt to 'show respect for the Queen' they've managed to cause a massive media and social media distraction from her. That's quite a feat, honestly. What an enormous own-goal.

Every bad day at work for the rest of my life, I'll remind myself that I didn't work in Center Parcs PR department on this day, and therefore it could always be worse.

The interesting thing is what they were saying on Twitter only yesterday:

Can't they just shut activites/shops/cafes down for whilst the service is on and have a skeleton staff service for emergencies ? Republicans could offer to work......

Guests can watch the service in the lodges or have a walk/cycle for a few hours.

And a man arrested and being charged for calling Andrew ‘sick’

Which is a harsher legal response than the sick man received for his sick behaviour…

This is crazy.

Had a thought though, maybe they're having to do this because the majority of their staff are saying that they are refusing to work. So they're being held hostage, so to speak?

I can't understand what they expect people to do if they are on a 7-day break? This is an awful thing to do to people, they should give the option to cancel at no cost.

I can't believe so many people would jeopardise their employment for this, surely most younger people would prioritise their work over the funeral?

I doubt staff would refuse to work if paid a bank holiday rate

And center parcs is open on CHRISTMAS DAY every single year. I can’t see staff happy to work that yet nobody will turn up because it’s the queens funeral

Not a single thing will be open on Monday

@Wonnle , Of course, it will be. Our local pub is open. I asked.

Greene King pubs are staying open so communities can come together apparently and booze away.

Weatherspoons is still open.

A lot of things will be closed, that is true, but I don't see hotels rushing to evict guests already staying there for 24 hours (or a bit longer) with nowhere else to go. That is essentially what Centerparcs has decided to do, and why they are getting such a pasting in the media.

All they needed to do was a) allow guests to remain in their accommodation, b) close the main facilities such as the water park for one day, c) provide TV areas where the funeral could be watched by those who wish plus some more limited than usual food outlets. Then, everything back to normal from Tuesday morning.

Very foolish decision. It seems that the Daily Mail and some other newspapers have picked up on this too, For once, the DM could actually do some good,

But that still doesn’t explain kicking people out for 30 hours.

fine, close the activities, pool and restaurants, don’t have housekeeping in for the day

But if anything, they will need MORE security staff to go from lodge to lodge checking everyone has gone, securing them, checking the taps haven’t been left on or windows open.

There is no way they can deal with a mass exodus of the entire park at once with the usual number of staff, it’s chaos enough when they do staggered departures
The roads inside will be mayhem with all the cars because they aren’t set up to deal with the concept of everyone arriving or leaving at once, just a 30% turnover or whatever

It is insanity! The whole thing feels like it was an accidental knee jerk tweet from a social media intern and the whole company has now had to follow through on it.

I would love to be a fly on the wall at CPHQ today, especially in their PR dept

And pubs of course will be open, as will many takeaway joints. So to say that not a single thing will be open is rather an exaggeration.

I haven’t seen another hotel or accommodation chain say they are closing

Travelodge, Premier Inn, Hilton, Marriott all open as normal

all the big pub chains open as normal, chain restaurants might be impacted by shopping centres etc closing but none appear to have said they’ll shut all branches

Of course things will be open on Monday! I know my yoga class is on for a start.

I think someone may have <ahem> brought it to their attention on social media. Along with the sun and the mirror. ;)

Some large shopping centres are still open although some individual shops within them might be closed.
Most hospitality businesses will be open.

Just heard about centreparcs on the radio - what imbecile made that decision?!

If they advertise at the point of booking that guests are entitled to use the facilities until midnight on the check out date, then they HAVE to provide those facilities. If they don't, they have breached Trading Standards and The Trades' Descriptions Act.

I would love to be a fly on the wall at CPHQ today, especially in their PR dept I wonder if their pr manager is on linkedin. If he isn’t then he might want to be. As he’s likely to be looking for a new job soon. 😂

Nonsense. I work in travel and hospitality and I don't know of a single hotel or accommodation (Center Parcs aside) that is closing. Locally our government in Jersey have asked pubs and restaurants to consider remaining open and showing the funeral so people can gather together to watch if they want to; many will as to them it's just another bank holiday, business as usual. It will also be shown in Parish halls, which will of course be staffed for the occasion.

Lets not forget that many, many hospitality and service employees in Britain are not British, and therefore much less affected by this historical event that some are. None of my foreign colleagues could give a toss, frankly, and who can blame them.

I'm not sure about joining LinkedIn, I'd be striking this whole episode from my CV and filling the gap with an imaginary trip abroad.