Center parks - a bit tacky?

[9uygjk]

Just back from our first trip to center parks. Went to the one in Woburn and honestly I just thought it was a bit tacky. Apparently it's middle class Butlins but is it? Maybe am being particularly picky but I still thought it was a bit like Butlins. Is it just me?

Not tacky at all! But also not middle-class. Maybe it used to be but nowadays it’s very much a varied mix of people and family.

It's the low standards rather than the cash.

But to have fewer people & fine dining would mean the prices would be much higher.

You would probably like Chewton Glen but again will cost 1.2k plus per night.

I don’t remember a bar at the pool?

Center Parcs is fine. It’s expensive but that’s well known. My kids loved the rapids and went down them over and over again. The steak and chips in Cafe Rouge (I’m sure CP is the only place they still exist!) was pretty well cooked. DS loved the zip lining.

We also go to Cornwall though avoid St Ives like the plague and am a middle class as can be. You’re a snob OP.

Why serve alcohol in a swimming pool?

Which CPs do that?

I wouldn’t consider Centre Parcs to be tacky, or middle class. It seems dated and overpriced to me. I’d rather stay in an Airbnb somewhere pretty in nature.

Not tacky , but expensive and when we went, too crowded to enjoy much. Queues for everything and struggling to find anywhere to sit down.

Don’t know about tacky but well overpriced!

We also love Cornwall , but personally think St Ives , while beautiful, is overcrowded and overpriced and full of people who think it's the place for the middle class .

Or maybe they just like St Ives?

Dont be daft, London is the centre of the universe on MN. NOTHING, but NOTHING compares!! 😆

What is the other thread thats been talked about?

I don't think it really matters? I always say when your kids are young it's all about them, and if they enjoy it, then that's all that matters. Mine loved center parts. Obviously wouldnt go there without kids tbh, but i think its great for children. I remember my kids absolutely loved Blackpool too, but I hated it. Just grit my teeth and got on with it.

I LOVE Butlins!

Cornwall overrated. It's far too commercialised and overcrowded. My idea of hell

I like Cornwall & love St Ives! 😆

Centre parcs is an activity place. You are paying for the convenience of having that many activities so close and so accessible. So if you have sporty kids or kids that love to be busy it’s a godsend. I think it’s also very accessible (from what I observe) so seems to be good for multigenerational trips. The pool is a bit “leisure-centrey” and the food is rubbish but you can self cater easily. We’ve tried renting a cottage and having uk breaks that way but it’s a hassle to then get all the activities sorted with the booking, driving around etc.

Ive been twice with work but that was years ago. It was nice enough but busy. We didn't realise the first time you had to book do many things in advance so the people we took were eating really early as we couldn't get into the restaurants at normal meal times.

Cornwall overrated. It's far too commercialised and overcrowded. My idea of hell
I can think of a lot worse places that can be described as hell rather than a centre park in Cornwall.

While I can’t speak for your experience - maybe you went at a particularly busy and bad time, I will say that we’ve been enjoying centerparcs (out of season) for four years now.

Is the food going to win a Michelin star? No. Obviously not. It is quite expensive but I wouldn’t say the quality was bad. Just ordinary. The pool is usually kept very clean when we’ve been, changing area always being cleaned continuously by staff members.

It’s not value for money. The European ones seem much much better for a lot of things but it is what you make it.

Not sure about tacky, but everything on site is shockingly overpriced.

We go to Woburn yearly and the food isn’t inedible and I am fussy but agree about the pancake house (loved it as a child), we weren’t keen so haven’t been back to that restaurant.

CPs clearly isn’t for you but plenty of families enjoy it. We usually stay Monday to Friday and that is enough for us.

Worth mentioning that if any holidaymakers have a dislike of dogs then they'd have that in common with the company and enjoy that part, since apparently Center Parcs dislikes dogs too!

As soon as the dog steps outside the lodge it must be leashed, even on its own patio and they are not allowed in any indoor areas or restaurants or cafés at all. Not a single one.

Shit holiday for the dog, to spend a week tied up and word of warning to anyone thinking of going with theirs!

This thread is hilarious. I’ve never been to Centre Parks and it doesn’t especially appeal to me (I can afford it but it strikes me as hugely overpriced) . But I do go to Starbucks. I think this either definitely makes me middle class or definitely makes me not middle class. I’m having a personality crises now. Am I middle class?? Someone please tell me!

I completely agree about the food options. It’s all a bit premier inn.

To the posters scoffing about middles classes not going to Starbucks, tbh they don’t! Outside of the centre parcs bubble it would be an independent (or Gail’s, or even a pret).

Similarly I would choose to go to cafe rouge.

It would do a lot better with some independent, farm shop based type offerings - fresh breads, good produce, locally sourced simple food.

With a few ‘easy’ options like Franca Manca or even Wagamamas.

Mmm.. I think drinking a Starbucks, makes you a member of the
“ underclass” personally 🤣🤣

When I’m on chemo. I drink M&S cappuccino. But, when they’ve run out of milk ( hospital cafe) I go to hospital Starbucks too. Now I’m confused!! 😆

please go to actual butlins and then decide, you’ll get to immerse yourself in a whole different culture as well 😂