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 .

There are different restaurants at the CP we go to, and the lodge sounds awful but it won’t be the experience of most people who visit.

Re the last post, Nice is lovely but a totally different type of holiday (and not as good for young kids), you really can’t compare them!

CP has gone really downhill in the last five to eight years, for the single reason that the calibre of the people going has completely changed. It used to have a nice wholesome feel when we first started going about twelve years ago but once they upped all the garish entertainment it’s just become chav city. I know that sounds horrid but it is a shame, I’m very much live and let live and those types have just as much right to be there as anyone else but I’m not paying to go on holiday to be surrounded by people smoking, yawping, spitting, belching and spraying cheap body spray in the changing rooms. I was genuinely shocked by the people at the last two (different) CP’s we went to a few years back. I can’t believe anyone who has been going for more than ten years hasn’t seen the huge change in the type of people who go. I don’t blame CP though, those people are a lot more lucrative as they spend heaps more money on the fast food, claw machines, activities to keep themselves entertained and whatever those bright blue crushed ice drinks are.

I’ve been to Elveden, Woburn and Sherwood and they are all hit and miss for food. The kids like Hucks but I had a whole tray of drinks thrown down my back in there so it’s definitely not my favourite! The worst food we had was in an Indian restaurant (can’t remember which CP), that was rank. You annoyed me as you were basically accusing people on this thread of lying. I’ve heard loads of people complain about CP in real life too, particularly the food. Doesn’t mean that they never go again for example, I have a friend who goes regularly but stocks up on M & S ready meals to take with her because she can’t stand the food.

Have a look at potters resort in Hopton-on-sea Norfolk.

We been lots of times it's all inclusive and all activities included in the price.
Lots of different activities with something for everyone, archery, rally carts, climbing wall, segways, lots of different sports, quizzes and so many others I can't think of right now.

We go with extended family aged from 5- 80 and everyone has a good time

It is not cheap but once you are there you don't need to spend any money and all food, drink and activities are included so it's good value for money.

whatever those bright blue crushed ice drinks are

Slushies! DD used to absolutely adore the pink version! She's graduated to Starbucks iced lattes now. You'd hate us!

We tried CP at Sherwood Forest and thought it awful. The accommodation was tired, the activities overpriced and the pool overcrowded. There was a Sports Bar, which looked like a vast service station filled with day drinkers who had abandoned their children to a small, dinghy soft play area. The "restaurant" we tried, Hucks, was particularly disgusting. It felt like somewhere you would have a child's birthday party, if you didn't like your child very much. The food was horrid, the atmosphere loud and unpleasant and everything was sticky.

Another vote for Bluestone!

I have never been to Dubai.

I am just expressing that the lodges and communal areas were dirty. Sofas and carpets were filthy . I was shocked. Chipped plates, cracked cups . For almost £3k!!!!!!!

In the restaurants, dirty plates were stacked . Filthy floors and many parents getting hammered whist the children were just running around unsupervised.

It was just shocking. I honestly felt like I had gone to a giant weatherspoons .

I love camping and exploring but this was so far from that . It was like run down park fulled with processed food and larger .

I’m sorry but it was horrendous.

I would usually holiday in Greece , France , Italy . I am open minded . I am happy to explore different styles of holidays . In 2022- We spent 10 days exploring southern Italy,
staying in bed and breakfast and on camp sites- eating local food, exploring nature and the towns. We ate wonderful local food, explored the culture , met a mixture of nationalities. The children loved it. We had fun when camping and loved biking and hiking. It was incredible and the same price .

Apart from the swimming pool at CP it was awful.

Based on that, I will second my recommendation to look at Neilson holidays if you're looking for something like CP but better and don't mind travelling. It falls somewhere between a CP holiday camp style holiday and your normal family holiday.

OP I don't understand your comments around "filled with processed food and lager" Are you big drinkers?
We don't drink at all so might have missed it but hand on heart have never noticed in several trips the whole of CenterParcs being filled with "lager" Can't ever recall noticing anyone drinking anywhere - obviously people may have a drink with their meal in restaurants but what difference does that make to you?

@Summerstarsarepink
I'd have been complaining. The last holiday I went on was to a B&B on the Isle of Wight with my parents, siblings and niece. It was cheap, and old fashioned, but it was clean. Also remember family holidays staying in a static caravan in Southsea, no chipped crockery (that old fashioned smoky glass stuff) and again everything was well maintained and clean. If I was paying a fortune to stay somewhere I'd expect basic levels of hygiene.

I’ve also never noticed anyone getting hammered whilst the kids run amok , but like a pp I don’t drink at all so perhaps am frequenting different parts of the park to those that are . You should expect some children to be running about as it’s primarily a family place .

Me too! (we're definitely not a lower income family).

Having said that, we never eat in the restaurants, we book a good lodge and we usually take an ocado order with us.

But, it's not everyone's cup of tea.

I don't know why everyone talks about the pool experience in centre parks.

Maybe it's because I live near a splashdown... not fun for me, but I can have a coffee and let my kids run free without having to stay in a prison village.

If the pool is the best part of centre parks, why don't people air b&b nice homes near a splashdown centre? It probably doesn't cost as much as..

I like Forest Holidays. We are going this summer.

I like the security of being on a “resort” with people always about in case of emergency as a single parent. And no nasty surprises as with air bnb at times. But FH isn’t too “resorty”.

Same.

Same here. Although I go to Whinfell.

I don’t know anyone in real life who has been and not enjoyed it.

I've been in real life and definitely did not enjoy it!! Woburn and it was awful for all the reasons previously cited.

I can't believe people are suggesting one reason it's good is that there's a Starbucks!!! This really is clutching at straws!

The food is abysmal. Hucks - grim sugary fatty processed crap, the Italian place was frozen rubbish even worse than Bella Italia, the Indian place was the least worst option but I don't want that night after night. The Sports Bar was a Wetherspoons with a soft play.

So, forced to self cater in the rubbish kitchen. Not my idea of a holiday. Awful!!

You know sometimes it feels people just look for things to complain about?

What was CP’s response when you fed this all back to them?

Maybe it's because we only go for a little weekend getaway, in term time, that we love it so much. I can't imagine ever voluntarily paying 2/3k for a few nights there, but £400 for 4 of us to go for 3 nights - to somewhere that's only an hours drive away, for us, is the whole point. It's a short break, nearby, that we all enjoy. (kids are 7 and 4) It is not our main holiday, but an add on for something else in the year.

People suggesting eurocamp etc, we live 'up north' so that'd mean 6 hours of travel this side, tunnel, and however long the other side and turns a little break into a right old faff.

We mostly self cater (as we would camping) but account for a brunch in the pancake house and some treats for the kids from Krispy kreme or the ice cream shop, and a couple of drinks in the pub. never more than £100/£150 spends, so in total a 3 night break for 4 of us for £500 with only an hour/90 mins of travel each way.

Exactly the same as us - the most we’ve ever paid is booking late is about £800 (although that was our own fault for not booking early enough and it included the Winter Wonderland lights). We’ve had so many breaks there for around £400 over the last 10 years, always take a car full of nice food and drink so eat nearly all meals in the lodge and only have the odd meal out or takeaway. I’d love to know where you can go for 3 or 4 nights with CP facilities for £400. If you have kids that love swimming, half the day is in the pool, so other half of the day to enjoy the parks, walks, have a coffee, cycle and just relax! Or if you want to spend money, there’s a ton of activities to do. We usually do one activity per break (like climbing) and happy to just enjoy a relaxing break without every moment filled up.

Longleat is not like this at all - im fussy (with a nice home) and very happy with the lodges. The food is overpriced so take nearly all food and drink with us (all our friends do this too). I dont know anyone who goes out to eat every night at Center Parcs unless you want to spend hundreds on food when your there. The idea of Center Parcs is to enjoy relaxing in your lodge with your family. We’ll have bbq’s if we’re there in the Summer and can easily make nice meals in the Lodge. I don’t feel ‘forced’ to self-cater at all - relaxing in the lodges is a treat for us away from the busy life at home.

You suspect wrong.

Many of the posters have been and disliked it.

As an example, my DM, who has also been several times, is constantly trying to book it (fucketh knows why she is so obsessed) for her, dad, me, DH and all DC. She likes the higher end accommodation. "I'll pay for it all!"

We won't go. Not even as a freebie.

For the best kid friendly holiday, Sani is world class. World class prices, but absolutely you get what you pay for.

And having been too much of a snob to ever contemplate Butlins, I saw a tots break 2yrs ago when our youngest were 2. It was £144 for 4 nights in their new hotel. We went on the basis, we'll probably hate it, stay one night, and we've lost bugger all.

It was superb for the money. So much so, the next year we booked the premium hotel 3 bed apartment. Think it was £750 ish in June. The only thing not included was the food. The food is obviously crap, so you just eat out in little seafood restaurants off site. Everything was so well thought out, and free! We couldn't believe his much fun we'd had for virtual pennies. Knocked CP out of the park. And the clientele were actually no different, I don't know why people insist CP is so "middle class", the people there really aren't. I'd only stay in the hotel at Butlins though. The rest of the accommodation is no better than CP, and some worse .. But then you expect that for £200. Not for £2000.

We made the mistake of going to a Centre Parcs during ‘Winter Wonderland’ season. Very different place and people to those that I’d experienced on a previous visit in February.
A family member came along with us and raised an eyebrow saying ‘Really surprised that you like it here!’ I knew exactly what she meant and am also looking for alternatives 🤣