Center parcs is basic. Alternatives please.

[Summerstarsarepink]

Bland food. Floors sticky. Shouting parents drinking beer . Crap coffee. Dated. Kids unattended causing problems.

The Swimming pool was the only saving grace. i

After years o my brother telling me jow incredible CP’s is , we went with him last year. It was , for me, horrible. DH and I were shocked. Run down, hectic and stressful.

It was like weatherspoons and created a family park . Now maybe this is my stupidity but I was led to believe it was a luxury Butlins! I’m sorry but it (Elveden Forest) was just so disappointing .

Please recommend a luxury alternative .

I would recommend Auchrannie (hotel and lodges) on the isle of Arran. Lots to do and the hotel has two pools and three restaurants. I have been going for the last three years.

Christ, that's terrible!!!

This looks like a sneaky advertising campaign to me where a few posts into the thread various people agree with the unconvincing OP, slag off CP and suggest fabby cheaper alternatives in the hope that the people reading the thread go and book the aforesaid alternatives.
I love Center Parcs, I've had some terrific family holidays there. However I am not employed by them. I suspect that some of the posts here have been made by employees of the holiday villages they recommend.

You’re going to feel the wrath of the posters who go several times a year and have done for decades. 😂

I find it fascinating that people get so into going to the same places over and over again. Don't you all get bored titless? I must admit though, I cannot stand organised family fun.

I recognise the Wetherspoons reference. Went to Whinfell about 5 years ago. And had done Haven caravans before this, so somehow was expecting more I think. Nice enough, but not worth the difference in price I didn't think.

We went to Whinfell in January. It was rammed, the pool was like people soup, you couldn’t swim for touching someone.

We found it very expensive overall, especially when eating out. We also had a mouse in our lodge which had been living in the sofas for a considerable amount of time judging by the amount of droppings and damage to the sofas when we took the cushions off to catch it. They did move us but it wasn’t what we expected for the amount we had paid.

Check out Sani. https://sani-resort.com/ yes it’s abroad but I think it might be the luxury you’re looking for. I think it’s worth the travel

CP has never appealed to me, staying in the UK has never appealed to me. We had a long weekend away in Wales during the covid madness, it rained and it was miserable. Never again, abroad city breaks and beach holidays only!

@Summerstarsarepink definitely head to France. But don't go with a British company, look for a French one. Like siblu, sandaya or flowers camping (depends on budget.). All french campsites we have visited are better than cp, for less money. Cp used to be good, when you could get a winter weekend.l for £250 ish, but insanely expensive now.
Last easter we went to a French cp (knew it would be cold and wet ao wanted indoor pool). It was fine as it was somewhat cheaper, travel included, than easter week in a UK cp.

We used to go to CP all the time. I wasn’t impressed on our last trip to Elveden. The bathroom in our lodge stank and had mould in the shower. The carpets were filthy, items were missing in the kitchen, crusty towels, holes in the tea towel…and that was an executive lodge! The restaurants all need a major revamp. I’m not expecting Michelin Stars but decent home cooked food shouldn’t be a big ask. It’s a shame as my kids love the activities but I don’t want to go back again!

@Wednesdaysphiltrum The love for Crieff Hydro is really weird. The furniture in our lodge was fit for the tip - cigarette burns and threadbare. The food was generally lukewarm and unappetising.

The other thing that we used to do when ds was little was short breaks in family rooms at youth hostels. The Ambleside youth hostel is literally on Windermere, you'd pay a fortune for that location in a hotel. Yes it's not luxurious but neither is CP!

On MN though "lower earner" is probably someone who earns less than 100k the peasants

go abroad? tbh at the prices you pay at centerparcs, you could hire an Airbnb or stay in a decent resort somewhere like Turkey? I often find holidaying in the uk ends up being more expensive than going abroad.

disclaimer, I have never been to centerparcs

Disneyland paris is cheaper than CP, just to put it into context!

We went to the Hard Rock Tenerife for seven nights one Easter for £2k half board including flights. It was going to be £1500 for four nights in CP without any food. Was a no brainer for us!

Haha I just came to the end of this to say this! We were there earlier this year, I was really impressed. Great food too and lots of vegan options for us, great service. I know the area well but first time I've ever been to Auchrannie, I will definitely be going back.

I dislike the whole idea of a holiday park tbh. I was briefly tempted by the idea of CP when my dc were younger. Then I looked at some MN threads. Then I looked at the prices and laughed my head off. Private cottage/apartment all the way for us.

Soho Farmhouse (UK)
Aqua Dome (Austria)
Borgo Egnazia (Italy)
Lapland Hotels Saaga (Finland)
Babylonstoren (South Africa)

Sani is really lovely.

I’d get a cottage or camp in the New Forest and spend a few days at Paulton’s Park (provided your kids are 10 or younger). PP is a wonderful, magical, place for little ones, and it’s never too busy, there are no tacky chain restaurants, you can bring a picnic, there’s even a water park. Lots of lovely restaurants and pubs in the villages.

I agree. Nothing in the OP’s post rings true at all.

Not having to travel far is one of the advantages of CP for us, we don’t want to drive hundreds of miles to catch a ferry for a similar thing, or a week in turkey for the same price.

Have only been to CP on the continent, the kids love it and if they’re happy - I’m happy. However there is no way in hell I would pay 2.5k to go to a UK one for halfterm. If I was going to spend that much would definitely want to go abroad.

We are going to a CP in Belgium in the May half term and even with travel it’s costing about £1000 (that’s for 7 nights). And we get to go to a different country with nice food etc. I didn’t get the Wetherspoons vibe there, but more like a leisure centre I’d say!

@Crabble try non English sites. Like flower camping in France, or siblu. To make it really cheap, we used to camp and gor for 3 plus weeks.

For the ferry, you can get a return dover calais v cheaply, if you shop at tesco your points can be used for p and o. We prefer newhaven - dieppe, which if booked early isn't overly crazy prices.

I always try to cashback where we can too.

Don't forget, that all the activities are usually included in France, no paying extra for clubs, sports etc. Once you're there, that's it, apart from food. And if you're by the sea, that's an added bonus.

I went for a friend's birthday, no children in the group so I was bemused it was even where we're were going, but they love it, I have no idea why.

I think the PPs saying if you don't like CP you probably don't like holiday parks are probably right, I don't, just not my kind of holiday. So even if the accommodation was immaculate (really wasn't) I just don't want to be in one contained place with 'activities' , shit restaurants and loads of other people.