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?

Never been! When I was a kid and we’d come to England on holidays, I used to see the adverts for CP, and thought that the entire resort was under a giant glass dome in the woods, therefore nice and warm, and you could cycle through the woods from your posh log cabin to everywhere on the resort (within the dome!)! Soon learned that wasn’t the case at all, so it lost the appeal.

As an adult, the prices were beyond what I could afford. Some friends have been but they said it was quite pricey for what’s included!

This
it’s hugely over priced for what it is and there are other log cabin/ forest style breaks you can do for a lot less

Way too expensive to go to one in the UK, the ones abroad are much cheaper and look more fun.

Penrith.

Yeah, that doesn't make it sound tempting at all. Quite happy continuing not to ever be interested in either CP or Dubai without that being a "trendy" opinion.

I've never been so can't say much but I did look at going and the prices were ridiculous. I managed to get a countryside break for much cheaper and did all the things I wanted to do at CP.

Not knocking Butlins, but I’m sure Butlins isn’t charging a four figure number for a weekend in Butlins. You expect something more for your money at CP and don’t get it.

Of course, and I think we are probably done with Dubai now - but it does raise some questions about where our October sun will be.

We go every year. I agree it’s getting more expensive but we have two toddlers and as a few other people have said it’s an easy stress free break. There are lots of age appropriate activities - the pools are good all within 10/15 min walk and the accommodation is family friendly with cots and high chairs etc provided. Theres lots of accommodation choices so easy to do with extended family ie booking cabins next to each other. The spa is also a bonus for us.

I prefer going to Center parcs Europe as it’s much cheaper, even when you factor in the cost to get there.

If you book in advance week 1 of the October half term can be really reasonable.

I have no kids, but desperately wanted to go as a child so went as an adult.

The cabin was okay, it was nice to be able to cycle round without cars but it all felt a bit claustrophobic and sanitised. I really liked the spa, but I thought the pool was disgustingly and you couldn’t pay me to go back in there (and I swim quite regularly at the local swimming baths and gym). The changing rooms were just wet and grubby and then I thought the whole pool area just felt unhygienic. The rapids were alright but too crammed with people. The chain food options were a bit rubbish and expensive (and I’m not a foodie and I like a chain restaurant on the whole, I often holiday to the US specifically to go to chain restaurants), and I don’t like self catering - especially not at the center parcs prices.

We haven't been since 2017 (when our kids were much younger). We had a center parcs local to us and we LOVED it! A week in May was about £600 with unrestricted pool access. It felt clean back then and the kids cried when the week was over! Really happy memories of the two times we went.

We never went again after that. It looked shit after COVID when they started restricting the amount of swimming you could do.

We will leave our very happy memories intact from 10 years ago and won't ruin them with another visit!

Overpriced shit imo.

Plus I hate swimming and can’t ride a bike (dyspraxic)

We thought that.
so went to one in Belgium.

factoring everything in it probably came to the same amount for us, and the parc we went to was an absolute shit hole.
won’t be doing that again in a hurry!

I like Centre Parcs, but I don't book holidays there because if I want that kind of holiday I find Butlins much better vfm.

If someone else is paying I'm happy to go though!

We went once before my eldest hit primary school age but really couldn’t justify the price to go now we’re locked into school holidays. It is ridiculously overpriced for a self catering holiday, in my opinion.

When we went we only used the pool and did a shop on the way there so didn’t make use of the places to eat/drink as firmly believe a holiday is what you make of it. Loved seeing the red squirrels whilst having a cup of tea in the morning but not worth the price point when you could do a lot more holiday wise for the same cost.

It's just too expensive. If the school holiday prices were more like the term-time holidays it would be fine - not really my cup of tea, but I can see it being worth the money. But the price during school holidays for what you actually get is insane, and the pool was far too busy. I also thought the cabins were really poor decoratively, not very nice compared to even a Premier Inn hotel room.

That said, when we've been it's been with family in nearby cabins and has been exactly what we've wanted in our circumstances. Two or three separate holiday cottages in the countryside, close to a pool and restaurants, would be pretty much impossible to find, and that's their niche. The bike paths are also well maintained and the woods are lovely to be in.

I would far rather get a lovely holiday cottage or go abroad, but it serves a purpose when you have multiple families to cater for, or for little ones for an easy holiday.

Like so many other people have said, in no way is it a luxury or particularly adventurous holiday, not what I'd ever choose if I was only considering myself or adult needs, but I think it is a good option for pre-school kids - particularly if you want to bring along grandparents or people with mobility needs as I do think the disabled access and facilities are as good as you'll get (not perfect of course but better than anywhere else I've experienced). We've never had issues with it being dirty or food poisoning etc.

I wouldn't pay school holiday prices and some of the more adventurous activities are expensive too, the restaurants are on the whole not worth bothering with (although my kids for some reason were obsessed with the pancake house) but if you primarily want to potter around, do (very) gentle walks and bike rides, go swimming or to soft play and will be mainly self-catering your meals it's absolutely fine - very toddler friendly, which does of course mean quite boring for adults but that's the reality of holidays with under 5s IMO. You could probably recreate the same experience for cheaper by renting a holiday cottage and doing outings to parks, swimming pool etc but it is convenient having everything in one place rather than having to drive around. Or of course as someone else says you could stay at home and spend the money on days out but when we've wanted to do a multi-generational get together with family scattered across the country I think it's a pretty convenient option to meet and stay at a CP somewhere in the middle...

There is absolutely no way I would have a family holiday there.....as others have said it's usually cheaper to go abroad! The food options are also pretty poor so I think I'd just spend the whole time feeling ripped off if I took DDs.

What I do like it for is a weekend away with friends. A group of 8 of us do it every year for a "girls" weekend away and between a group of paying adults the larger houses with hot tubs etc aren't bad money and we can spend our time chilling out, catching up, at the pool or just relaxing. I also rate the spa and it just feels easy. But that's because I'm only paying for myself and we're not going in school holidays.

We have enjoyed it with our young children. However, i imagine we will stop going now that eldest is in school as it stops being worth the money in school hols.

Is it really cheaper to go abroad as well? I don't think it is.

It’s expensive and once you’re there they take every opportunity to extract as much money as possible. However, they aren’t alone in that respect and I always enjoy my visits, and we have another planned later this year.

The only thing that really pisses me off are the tiny fridges - such a blatant attempt to get you to buy more in their shop or eat out.

I was always interested in centre parcs and we bit the bullet this January and rented a lodge at longleat CP for one weekend. It cost £1200 for 5 people and a dog.

It was awful. The lodge was tired and dirty. The dog exercise area was a mud slurry. It took 45 minutes walk in the rain to get to pool or restaurants each way.
The pool was cold. One morning the rapids were late opening as a rat had been found in the rapids! Just grim with old plasters on changing room floors.
we ate out once- £180 for a very average pub meal. We left early on the Sunday as everyone was so fed up with the place! Live and learn…but never again

Overpriced, generic, basic accomodation, poor food, all very pre organised conveyor belt fun. Kids do like it though