Center Parcs question for Rhiannon and other experts

[Fionn]

I've just re-booked at Center Parcs for next March. There are 3 couples plus children so I booked 2 chalets. I was told when I booked that I would have to pay £17.50 extra to get chalets close together (£35 extra if we wanted central villas). I said ok, but thinking about it now it seems a rip-off! Surely it doesn't cost them any more for the computer to find 2 chalets together. I haven't checked the small print but if there's nothing about it there I was thinking of phoning their head office to ask why they have this charge. Just wondered if any of you regulars have to pay this. Presumably anyone who books more than one chalet wants them close together anyway so it seems excessive to charge for it.

Fionn - I agree that it is a rip off. We have just had a weekend in Oasis with two other families in two chalets. As one of the party is disabled they needed a special needs chalet - so we had to pay the extra to have a chalet near them - we were still about 10 chalets down the road. It did make all the difference being close - especially as we all ate together in the evenings and it rained most of the time - it would have been awful pushing a wheelchair for miles in the rain so that we could all be together in the evenings. The kids also enjoyed being close so that they could pop in and out of each others chalets. Like you I do not see why you have to pay extra when the computer would take seconds to find the two nearest chalets - Do you have to pay extra if you go abroad and want two apartments or hotel rooms close together?

No, as far as I am aware you don't have to pay extra to have apartments/hotel rooms near each other - however, there is no guarantee that it will happen either! I have been away before with another couple to Cala Dor and it was a real cockup when we got there, however we did end up with compensation and an extra big apartment which housed all of us.

We are all away in Jan to Lanzarote and have again requested rooms near each other, so I'm interested to see how this goes.

I vaguely remeber something about a charge for this sort of thing with center parcs. Although I agree the amount seems excessive. I think a lot of people like to stay in the same chalet each time they go so they charge for that too. We went to Sherwood when I was about 8 months pg, dh mentioned I was pg when he booked and the nice lady put us in a central chalet for free. Must have caught them on a good day! Seems like just another way for them to make money for nothing I guess.

Oooh, a message for me! I've been on holiday got back yesterday with a stinking cold.

CP have just put the price up for their booking of specific chalets as it was about £14. They obviously know they are on to a good thing. I'd pay it then write a letter of complaint.

I actually thought that they charged to book chalets close to the centre, are you sure it's not that that you've booked?

I have paid it when we've been and got a little map to choose our position just so our lazy children and their lazy parents don't have to walk so far. R

Thanks Rhiannon and everyone. It is £17.50 to secure two non-central chalets near each other, it's £35 extra to get central ones close together! I did phone CP yesterday and asked why they charge extra and was told that's just how their system works, that requesting 2 chalets on the computer gives two random ones and that the numbers aren't assigned until afterwards. The woman did tacitly agree that no extra work is involved in then requesting two near each other, so it is a rip-off. I might take your advice Rhiannon and write a letter next time I feel particularly indignant and stroppy (shouldn't be long!).