To not get the fuss about centerparcs?

[BelleMarionette]

It seems to have an almost cult like following. I went recently and joined the Facebook group to see if any useful information and anyone who dares say anything negative is immediately jumped upon. Centerparcs can do no wrong apparently.

When we went, the cost was exorbitant (nearly £3k for one week for a poky terraced single story 'lodge') and nothing was included other than the pool. Activities were extremely overpriced. The shop and restaurants were also poor both in terms of value and quality. The pool was overcrowded, changing rooms and pool dirty, and it looked very tired. Only a tiny, boring playground on site.

I've been to Bluestone and found it much better: better quality and more spacious accommodation, included activities and play areas, both inside and out. Paid activities were reasonably priced too. Pool was far better maintained.

I've been to Butlins too: so so much cheaper and loads included. Accomodation was also better, and the pool was miles better than center parcs.

I don't understand what the obsession with center parcs is, especially given how poor value it is.

AIBU?

It’s so overpriced it’s ridiculous.

I’d rather go to Haven and stay in one of their best range caravans. Still quarter of the price of centre parcs.

I agree with most of this. I think CP is shockingly overpriced. It's particularly grating because people overpay to stay there, imo, and are then expected to stump up ridiculous sums to do anything while they're there, and try to book for the privilege.

There are lots of threads about this.

We love it. £400 for 4 nights for a two bed lodge isn’t bad, particularly if it’s two couples with an under 2 going because that makes it £200 each. I have been going since I was tiny and hope to take my children yearly and that they build lasting memories there. Can’t beat how tranquil it is and love the fact cars don’t move around the site, makes it really safe for little people people walking or cycling about.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

We go to CP (Longleat) and Bluestone once a year. Love them both. CP has a far better pool, the kids love the slides. Also better restaurants. Great for cycling and outdoor play. Bluestone has nicer accommodation and better indoor play options. We don't tend to spend much extra on activities at either to be honest. I think holidaying with friends with lots of small kids, you really can't go wrong. Avoid school holidays if you don't want to pay through the nose, but we really enjoy our breaks. Kids exercise all day and sleep well. We get to drink wine and not worry about how to entertain the kids!

It's an easy holiday and if you pick your dates it's no more expensive than an B&B.

Plus there is literally a thread about this about every 3 days.

I also don’t get it. I wouldn’t go again as found it pretty mediocre given how costly it is. We’ve stayed at a similar type of place in Denmark (hardly known for being cheap) and it was less than half the cost and included indoor skating rink, bowling, high rope courses, trampolines, mini golf and various sports. Still not like you (or I) have to go so if other people love it fair enough

I live near one and LOADS of people seem to work there as cleaners. They have buses to pick their cleaners up.

Not as food servers or life guards or anything.

Hundreds of cleaners.

So, either there’s a really high turnover of cleaning staff or the place is filthy.

But I agree it seems a bit cult-like. People rave about it and suggest it as a holiday.

A giant hamster ball twenty miles from my house with a questionable degree of cleanliness? I’d rather stay at home.

Very expensive but would say it's nicer than haven and buttlins. Less free activities tho.

I’ve been once. What I did like about it was the spa and the view from the lodge. Looking out the window it looked like we were on our own in the middle of the countryside.

But I was not won over by the expensive sports and tiny changing rooms.

I had a perfectly good trip but don’t understand people who think it’s the best thing since sliced bread and go multiple times a year. Especially those with no kids.

According to wiki, Sherwood forest has 900 lodges that need to be turned around in what, 4 hours? Not to mention all the cleaning of the public areas

Of course they need more cleaners than lifeguards.

There’s a lot of snobbery on here about places like Haven and Butlins, everyone raves about CP. I’ve not been to CP but have no issue with Haven and Butlins when the kids were little. You can go abroad for the price of CP in school holidays - and you need a lot of spends

I agree. I've only ever been with work, so didn't actually pay for any of it. But it's so expensive.

The bed was comfy, but no more so than premier inn. The jacuzzi bath was lovely. The infra red sauna was weird.
The swimming pool was ok, probably more fun if I'd been with my DC rather than a very quick dip on my "lunch break"

Everything else was just expensive. The first year we went we had to call our manager and ask for an increase in our daily "allowance" so we could actually eat!

We used to go to the Longleat one as our touring base for our December break ( early December ) , the cost was comparable to a hotel , the pool was a nice bonus and the restaurants are pretty good for GF options . Haven’t been for a couple of years as my COPD has got worse so I can’t risk spending 4/5 days with that amount of log burners but I’d happily go off peak in the warmer months .

We go but choose term time breaks and it works out good value for the 6-7 of us. We don’t do much of the activities though. Love the pool, slides and and splash areas, walk and cycle, playground. We take family and have a catch up, they get some time with the kids, play games. It’s ok for us whilst kids are young. Far better value and less stress for us than other Uk breaks.

We have enjoyed CP in the past, but now it is way overpriced. For 7 of us we went on a 7 night all inclusive cruise for only 1.5k more than a 4 night break was going to be at CP, and still have to pay for all food, drinks and activities. It is not value for money anymore, but while people are paying the crazy prices they will continue charging them.

Never been, never going.

I’m on my way home from Center parcs Netherlands now, we had a brilliant week for half of what I’d have paid for a uk centre parcs, we were given activity vouchers too.

Oh my Christ not this again. I baby believe there’s actually a returning Centre Parcs ‘I don’t get the hype’ t**l.

I have a feeling we could live in the same town 😄

Just got back from CP. Yes it is pricey, especially in half term. But it's convenient location, I love the forest setting, the kids adore the pool ("best pool EVER") and have a lot of happy memories there that aren't (quite... yet...) ruined by the increasing cost of going!

One word. Rapids.
Nowhere else has something like it, plenty of places have pools but my DC would happily spend the entire holiday going up and down the rapids.
DC grown up now but CP was a favourite from age 2 to 18. Did the Dutch ones as well.

Yes it's not cheap, but if cost isn't your priority, as a UK all seasons holiday there is nowhere that beats it.

YANBU- total germ soup! Norovirus central and overpriced. Horrible place and would never waste my money on going there again- would rather camp in a tent and that’s really saying something!

It is overpriced but we loved it.

I will admit i didn't do proper research so didn't realise just how expensive activities were, but it was absolutely fab.

I would love for us to go again.

We are Haven fans too. Its quite pricey though for top of the range caravans so I am not sure I agree with a previous comment about quarter of the price. I reckon a week in a gold caravan would be similar to centre parc prices.

But it's easier to get bargains with Haven, especially outside of the summer holidays and lower grade caravans (which are still ok).

So many threads saying the exact same thing, don’t really see the need to create yet another.

Agree it is ridiculously overpriced in school holidays and would always go abroad over Center Parcs. However, when DC were preschool age, we used to get a 3 bed lodge in term time for under £400 for 4 nights. That would sleep DH, me and both DC plus a set of grandparents (if they wanted to join). All DC needed to stay occupied was the pool and outdoor play areas and we would take all our own food. It was an unbelievably cheap break for first few years of their lives and so much fun for them.

The tranquility of being there, lack of vehicles, wildlife outside our lodge were all selling points.

They removed some things during Covid and increased prices plus kids now at school so can’t see us going back but we have had many wonderful breaks in preschool years

Can you tell which Butlins has a better pool than which CP? I’m a fan of both, no Butlins hater… but I’d love to know why you thought their pool was better! I’m hoping it’s Skeg as I’m going there next year and I’ll be super happy if that pool can beat CP!

It’s ridiculously overpriced and it’s nothing special.

No idea why people would keep returning!