Centerparcs Elveden - 2 adults, 1 18 month old

[chocohead]

Opinions please

Thinking of going in May, Is this a good place to go just to relax and swim ?

DD is still quite young and won't be able to do lots of the activities but it looks quite nice. I like the idea of being in a forest, is there enough to keep little one happy ?

I haven't been. But my friend went with her child when he was similar age to yours and she said it wasn't worth it. More geared up for older children.She wished she'd booked into nice hotel with pool/spa etc.

I love CP for older children, but tend to agree with ArcticRoll's friend - spend the money on a nice hotel

I would agree. We went to Elveden last May when DD was 17 mo and DS was 3.2. It wouldn't have been worth it if we had only had DD. The pool and playgrounds are great and it is fun riding round the forest trails with DCs in a trailer so there is definitely enough to keep your little one happy but she will get so much more out of it in a couple of years time.

We have been to Elvedon quite a few times and I differ in opinion from others on here.

CP is great for older kids with all the activities, but you really have to pay out for those in addition to your accomodation. If you have a little one, you can take advantage of all the free stuff. Namely the pool. It has an amazing toddler area that you would not find going to a hotel.

The villas are nice and relaxing, there are plenty of places to take nice strolls if the weather is nice.

You have to think about it as being a break for you and your husband rather than a holiday for the little one. What CP does best is allow you two to relax because everything is set up so easy for people with kids.

If you don't mind using either the creche or a babysitter, you can both go to the spa together or have a relaxing meal out. But if you don't want to do that, every resteraunt is set up so it is easy to eat out with the kids.

All of that said, we only ever go off season when it is cheap. I think at other times is is way over priced for what it is (and I have older kids who get more out of it). But at off season prices, I think it is great value for money and a really enjoyable experience.

Ilanak - I don't disagree with you that you can go and have a nice time with an 18 mth old, but ( thinking of the adults here) the accommodation and food would be much nicer in a hotel and plenty of hotels are geared up for small children.

IMHO and 18 mth old would be too small to get the best out of the free playgrounds and the subtropical swimming paradise

gotta agree, loved my hol to cp last week (elveden) but mostly because we had a 7 year old to enable us to act really childishly! took our 18 month old who really loved it but as far as he were concerned we could have been anywhere.

I'm going with the dreaded in-laws to Elveden over Easter. I really want to book up as much as possible so that I'm not kicking around with MIL at all. Does anybody have specific suggestions for what's good to do and what's good to avoid? DS will be 18 months and DD is 3 and a half.

It's expensive but if you can afford it: Book yourselves spa session and get in-laws to take DCs to the toddler pool or playarea. Then book them a session to say thanks then enjoy the pool with your kids. Pool and spa are in different buildings about 1O minutes adult walk apart.
Then ask in-laws to stay in and babysit so that you and DH can go to the pool and do all the big slides etc that you can't do with the kids. Pool is open until 10pm if I remember rightly.