Why do so many people dislike Centre Parcs so much?

[coulditbeme2323]

Following on from the thread about over rated things, CP came up again and again.

I feel I am in the minority on MN, but in real life it runs anywhere between 95-100% capacity.

Of course people are entitled to their opinion and if you dislike it you dislike it, but honestly what do people find so awful about it?

Price and value. We can do a week at Eurocamp or a similar site in another country for less or the same money and get far better value, with all the fun of being in a different country too.

I've never been. I dislike the whole concept of it - being on holiday alongside hundreds of other people and sharing facilities with them. So, I would never do an AI holiday or a package tour or a cruise either. I will concede to going to a theme park for a day!

Secondly I dislike the cost! It's just ludicrous and have seen some reels from families who've been who itemised all the additional costs for activities - it is a giant rip-off from morning til night.

I honestly cannot see the appeal at all unless someone in your party has particular needs that can only be met by Center Parcs. But even that's quite hard to imagine.

One of my favourite ever threads on Mumsnet was posted by someone (about 10 years ago now) who was going to be charged something like £1600 for 3 nights at Longleat Center Parcs and their chalet was next to a building site.

We love it. Everything is right there. No driving, no logistics. We have other holidays for culture and exploring. Our kids are the perfect age for the activities.

One year we did try another holiday park with good reviews that was a lot cheaper but it was built around going off and driving around the local area, often an hour+ round trip. The food and service were also terrible (yet expensive), and the WiFi was non-existent.

I have not and would not ever set foot in Dubai

Why would you go back to a place that is extortionately priced and has a fundamental issue.
You can ride a bike or do anything you have in CP elsewhere and have choice. Only difference is you as a parent have to take them and join in the activity and sometimes I think it is that which is the attraction to CP.

Agree with everything you said, but Dubai did serve a purpose for us.

I agree it's a rip off if you're going during school holidays and at the weekends, but I've really enjoyed going during term time while my kids are little and I don't think it's that over priced off-peak. I agree the restaurants are basic and over priced, but we always cook ourselves. For us it's a break from London life, everything is really convenient if you've got babies and toddlers, the pool and playgrounds are good and with such young kids you don't really spend much on activities. We went in early December last year and the Christmas village in the forest was very festive. The spas are incredible too. All this said, I am making the most of going now as I know we'll probably never go again once our kids start school. I would much rather spend the money on a trip abroad than a summer holiday there at such a high price point

Not for me, I hated Haven just as much.
They both had shite food and other people’s badly behaved kids!

@MiddleAgedDread nailed it,in laws with loads of money love it,but wouldn't know a walking boot if it slapped them, I'd be devastated if I paid the prices you pay for it and got these chavvy, lairy,nobheads in the next cabin.
Id rather go to a nice place in the actual countryside.

You are being incredibly busy starting all these threads which give people a chance to air their foibles/grievances/spending habits - which have the effect of divulging their income or economic status @coulditbeme2323.

Why is that?

I have never seen those type of people there. Not once.

It’s just a stupid amount of money for what it is. I’ve been once and thought it was dreadful. The cabin was damp, the beds were damp, the bedroom windows had black mould all the way round. When I go away I want somewhere better than where I live not worse!

The kitchen was very poor. Not enough cutlery and plates for everyone and the fridge and freezer were tiny. I had to throw food away as I couldn’t keep it fresh.

The outdoor space at the cabin was a joke too. A few slabs outside the back door with a table and chairs for 4, when we’ve booked a 4-bedroom cabin for 5 adults, 2 teenagers and 3 children.

I felt completely trapped on the site, couldn’t wait to leave! We’d booked some activities for the teens but they were all at stupid times, like 8.30am! So we all had to get up and get out early and then everything was finished by 9am.

There really are only so many bike rides you can do in a caged-in forest! And swimming in a pool chock-a-block with people and nowhere to sit isn’t my idea of fun.

Never again.

If you must know recovering from a very minor op, I haven't spent this time on MN in years.

I’d say it’s more actual snobbery rather than inverted!! A lot of people have said it’s dirty, with crap restaurants, crap facilities, etc.

I’ve only been once, but I can’t see how CP is a hub of refined taste - the comments here have been the opposite? It’s like a big leisure centre.

I like Center Parcs but in Europe.

The one at Allgau is fantastic and a week there at February half term cost less than a weekend at CP Woburn even with eurotunnel, tolls and accommodation on the way.

The European Center Parcs encourage you to get out and about as well, so we've used them as a base for visiting Munich, Amsterdam and Paris.

I’ve booked a week camping in uk for 380£

out own tent and stuff next to the beach - driving distance from Loads of other beaches - water park down the road

Centre parcs for the same dates is thousands

we save our money and go Mexico or Asia or soemthing every other year cus the money for centre parcs just isn’t worth it

DD and family were at a CP recently, the week of the glorious weather.

she text me to say that they'd arrived safely but she had spent 2 hours cleaning because the cabin smelled of vomit, especially the sinks and it was generally grimy.

within 24 hrs they were throwing up one after the other - their whole stay ruined. They were due to go to a family wedding straight from there but had to say that they couldn't travel as two of them were still vomiting - son in law was the best man.

so what with the holiday during half term and the cost of attending the wedding, a huge amount of money wasted.

I just looked that one up, loads of things to do offsite as well as on. I like the look of glass blowing excursion!

Year's ago SC holiday accomodation was often a but grimy and tatty and it wasn't unusual for my mum to clean when we arrived.

In recent years the standard of private holiday lets has really improved and I haven't had a bad one, even at the budget end of the market, since about 1995.

CPs haven't kept up IMO.

From what I see on the online groups the 90-95% capacity seems to be mainly made up of it's cult like followers. There are a few very hardcore fans who visit multiple times a year and won't listen to any criticism at all about it. It is very much riding on the coat tails of memories and childhood feelings.

It's a holiday for people who are outsidey, they don't mind a walk as long as it's flat/ on a clear path and there is a coffee shop or a pub at the end of it. They want to be able to walk in their trainers/ flat shoes/ sandals. They want to be able to sleep in the indoors with home comforts. It suits those who like to go on holiday to a resort and want to feel "closer to nature" without having to rough it in the woods in a tent with camping gear. It very much has it's place.

The problem with CP is that it has no like for like rival. There are a couple of Haven's that offer the swimming side of things and manufactured nature. Butlins offers the resort experience but is very run down and has a reputation for a certain clientele.

This has led to complacency. A few of the CP sites have become very run down, with damp, poorly maintained lodges. Sites have expanded but the facilities have not been expanded or had any proper investment. It's year round opening means that there is no proper annual maintenance of everything, instead maintenance is done around guests with parts closed off. CP has always been expensive but nowadays it feels poor value for money. Restaurants are chains and food served is mediocre. Services such as regular housekeeping during your stay have been withdrawn, they have removed the small complimentary toiletries, check in at the basic lodges is later, swimming hours are reduced, some sites are plagued by short staff and restaurant availability/ swimming flumes and slides and activities are reduced.

For the prices charged (especially in school holidays) people can go abroad for cheaper and almost guaranteed weather. Even if staying in the UK for the price of a basic lodge you can get a much higher standard of accommodation elsewhere. For example we tried to get a term time weekend at CP in April 2 bed basic lodge and it was £699. For £500 We got a 2025 caravan lodge on a holiday park with dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer, fridge freezer, air fryer, hot tub, coffee machine, access to the swimming pool and onsite facilities and daytime and evening entertainment.

I have been and loved it. Albeit it was not expensive as it was not school holidays. Food is not amazing by any standard but you can cook which we did. If you have small children there is so much to do and there is usually one within good travelling distance. It gets very busy and so not everyone hates it !

I go to Butlin’s and of the two us I’m not the one slagging people off because of their choice of holiday. So I’m glad you’re not the ‘sort of person who goes to Butlin’s’ and I won’t see you there.

Turns out the dead rat in rapids isn’t an isolated incident. Ewww. I’m definitely not going there!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3r1g1qzlvvo

Or maybe it was related to the dates the poster who stayed there (forget name) on this thread.

I think that our family are the target audience - we are looking for a short break that has to include two grandmothers, a married couple and an autistic child, all of whom have totally different interests and several of whom need a lot of solitary quiet time across the weekend, and their own familiar food. Having a self-catering cabin (but near places where some people can eat out) with a large variety of activities nearby on a secure site is perfect - there are very few other breaks that would meet the wide and quite rigid variety of requirements in the party.

Hence the "smiley"