To be worried about Butlins?!

[Burlee]

I’ve booked a few nights at Butlins in May - I used to go as a kid.

Last night I saw on their website that part of the pool in closed which was the main thing we were going for so I checked the trip advisor reviews to see if anyone mentioned it - OMG the reviews!! They were so bad they were actually funny! One person saying that the people who go there are tough as toast and it’s not unusual for parents to be calling their kids “little cunt” etc - kids running around absolutely feral, people queuing for 6pm entertainment from 2pm - everywhere smells of urine - half the rides don’t work - the accommodation is like a run down council flat - WTF have I done!

Anyone been recently and can tell me it’s not this bad?

The snobbery here is unbelievable. It’s an affordable holiday so a whole range of different people. We went to Bognor in the summer hols and had a great time. Loads to do for the kids and brilliant entertainment. The whole place is cheesy and tacky but you get what you put into it and we’d definitely go again. Also the staff were excellent and there was a lovely family atmosphere - everyone was really friendly and just there for a good time. Much prefer it to centre parcs which I found way over priced!

We went before Xmas and we loved it! Yes, people can be very rude and frustrating, but just ignore others and make the best of the activities. The big pool was shut when we went, can’t say I enjoyed the swimming much as I couldn’t swim! But the kids loved the slides and the little pool was open for little ones. The accommodation varied from what I heard - we stayed in a new style silver apartment and it was lovely, but I heard some of the “room only” rooms were not so good. We had premium dining and the food was lovely. The other diners not so much! The yacht club was much nicer to sit in than the deck, and you could cut through to the deck for your food if you wanted more choice. It was a bit crazy near the start of the dining period but quietened down near the end. The funfair was great, lots of rides for little ones. The public looks were a bit hit and miss but I didn’t notice bad smells anywhere else.
I do think people love to complain! And people aren’t as quick to share good experiences. We had a lovely time there, I hope you do too xxx

Yes exactly. We have had plenty of good value breaks with the kids in small B&Bs or basic hotels without needing ’entertainment’ and pools. Kids had a ball. We did miss out on the bedbugs, swearing and dirty accommodation though…

Which is absolutely fine of course
But when my kids were little and we were on a limited budget they really enjoyed the pool with all the slides ,fun fair ,entertainment etc which was all included in the price
Just because its not your type of holiday doesn't make it a bad holiday.

Please don’t believe everything on tripadvisor, a lot is just not true

Do kids like small b and b's? I can pretty much guarantee you they would have preferred a huge pool with water slides, a funfair, craft classes, pottery painting, high ropes, climbing, zip lining, an ice cream parlour on site, soft play on site, numerous playgrounds, concerts...

I've been to Butlins Bognor Regis. On a tots weekend, people queuing with 2 and 3 year olds ALL DAY LONG to see Mr Tumble. And shouting at their kids if they left the line. Yes it was full of parents having a go at their kids all the time and shouting at them for getting chocolate on their tops. Miserable thicko parents who never smiled. Not everyone was like that of course, just alot. Anyway we are going back this year but not to tots weekend, hoping the clientele will be a bit nicer...

@PsychometricResting

I don't want to be rude about people's holiday choices it's just unless these people are extremely wealthy I don't get the " accmd crap, food not what I would choose, pool ok, bed bugs, drunken swearing... Not what I would choose but the kids love it..."

I promise you there are so many places you can all love and enjoy!! And your children will love many different types it holidays without having to feel like you're sacrificing die your dc!

we have had many happy family holidays. and it is possible to access many of those activities such as climbing, zip lining, soft play and ice creams without it having to be on site. They would like the swimming pool yes.

However, they would certainly not like being around swearing, shouty adults; maybe other kids are more used to it and don’t mind it so much.

Honestly i am a rough eastender, and even I thought the other people at Butlins Bognor were rough. Shouty sweary men-with-their-tops off drunk parenting, it's not sneering, it's fact. The staff deserve a medal quite frankly, they are amazing.

@Comedycook

I'm sure small dc prefer to be in clean and safe accmd. Dc from very small can appreciate a lovely room.

Of course anything like that can be accessed outside these places!! You don't need to stay in butlins to get a pool or slides or anything!

The only thing you may have to compromise on is a disco.

Lots of resorts have soft play and zip wires and other stuff to do.

Yes indeed. I am just challenging the person that said children would be bored going to a bed and breakfast and pottering around the beach. Mine love being in a new environment, whatever that is. It does not have to be structured entertainment and craft activities scheduled into their day.

I think paying for substandard accmd, customer service and food is bad.

To be fair though the good thing about Butlins is most of the activities are included, it's all on one site and you can get dining packages. Convenience, especially for someone like me who never owned a car. We're past the kids holiday stage now but DS always loved Butlins the most. Including anywhere abroad that we went and I've taken him all over the world!

I didn't see a single disco when I went to Butlins. And the accommodation was perfectly safe and clean. Not the Ritz but fine.

Try staying home and doing day trips to zoos, swim centre, cinema, farm park. But wait that too costs so much these days. I took five grand children to a farm park with Santa attractions in 2019. £270 for three hours. Oldest five youngest in pram.

I don't know how families do it to be honest

I think some people are replying as if they think people who go to Butlins can never have been on any other type of holiday. So dont realise there are other options. We went a couple of times when the dc were younger but have experienced various other types of holiday and enjoyed those too.

Honestly we've been on cheaper self catering holidays abroad.

18 months ago son, wife, 2 kids went to Cape Verde October 3k. This October looking to rebook 6k. Doubled in two years

They were sold to Blackstone a couple of years ago, then bought back recently by Bourne Leisure. PE houses aren't there to invest and make facilities better, they asset strip to try and maximise profit. Hopefully Bourne Leisure will invest and bring it back to life.

Minehead had mushrooms growing on the carpet under the bed. We turned around and drove straight home.

I hope you got a full refund

That’s great.

Can I ask again if I can just buy a ticket for The Masked Singer & not stay? I see Daytime passes online but nothing about night passes. Has anyone done this?

TIA

I hope you enjoy the Cape Verde Butlins.

Butlins was my idea of holiday hell until i stayed at Minehead ,actually did 3 holidays there.
We stayed there for our Child's pleasure but we all enjoyed it , not very restful as so much to do , we did a lot off site too.
It was spotlessly clean in all the 3 types of accommodation we stayed in and the holiday makers were fine , i know i sound like a snob but i went expecting a 'certain type' and i was wrong , everywhere on site was clean and well kept.
Not somewhere i would go to again as kids past that age now but i think its a great place for a traditional basic seaside holiday if that's what you want.