Butlins - Opinions & Experiences Please

[user1490969170]

Hello!

Over the last 2 years we have been to Center Parcs multple times, and I can't quite face taking the children abroad (aged 2 and 4) this year. So, we have to decieding to give Butlins Minehead a shot in July after a couple of close girlfriends recommended it. From the website it looks great, and we have gone for a dining package.

I have heard mixed reviews but the general consensus (among my two friends) is that the accomodation is not great (& a bit chavvy) , but that the kids loved it, and it isn't expensive. However, when I have googled online, I have read some terrible reviews.

Could you I ask for your experiences - good and bad.

Thank you

p.s. in case anyone is interested the cost in Butlins for a 3 bed, basic appartment including food was £600, whereas Centre Parcs for just the cabin was £1600.

Your friends are right. Kids don't care about the quality of the room, they just love all the activities and freedom. Keep your expectations realistic and you'll have a great time!

We had a great time at Skegness last year. Can't comment on the dining package but soooo much to keep toddlers easily entertained. I can't wait to go again this year. Yes it's a bit chavvy, but more fun and way cheaper then CP.

My tips would be - take a few cleaning products to give the surfaces a wipe down, possibly a handheld vacuum too. In ours, so much sand kept getting in, would have been nice to get rid of it (I think they just provided a dustpan and brush). Kitchen equipment was very basic - if you plan on doing any meal prep then a sharp knife, bread knife, poss extra pan or oven tray is useful.

I know you have a dining package but you will still need snacks and lunch - take this food with you as the supermarket on site is quite small and limited choice.

Take a ball/outside games as there are plenty of grass areas to play on - the apartments are quite small, so not much space for DC to play.

Negatives: the apartments are very basic- take extra cooking equipment!
poisitves: the kids preferred it to cp, you’re on the beach, the activities won’t bankrupt you, the free funfair, easier to escape for a few hours in to a local town.

we went to Bognor butlins and my kids loved it!

We've only stayed in the hotels but it is my kids favourite holiday ever, and they've been on some pretty good holidays. Much better than centre parcs. We go to Bognor. The main plus for me is you don't pay for most activities once you are there.

We take the dining plan, it's good value.

Many decades ago I went there as a child - I was smacked by a Redcoat! I am sure that does not happen now!

When it comes to holidays, happy children = happy holiday.

Accommodation is dirty! Agree with other people, take cleaning products!
The activities are great for kids of your ages have you pre booked them? Because you need to ASAP.

Just to me the whole place seemed a bit run down and dated, especially the fairground and arcade.

Shows were mixed, the ones that they brought a company in to do were so much better than Butlin's own.

Beautiful beach so fingers crossed you get the weather.

I'm glad we did it once, I wouldn't go there again even for the price saving.

Thank you for the tips, and experiences. Yes, my friend said that when she went, her, and her mum, had to clean the apartment before they unpacked their stuff!

CupcakesK - I have a cordless Dyson - should I take this?! (I am being serious). I am a neat freak. At Centre Parks they provide Henry Hoovers, so assuming that this isn't the case at Butlins.

The beach looks great, which is obviously something Center Parcs can't compete with. Just need the weather!

What dining plan did you get @user1490969170 if you can go for the dine around or whatever they call it, it is much better than the foodcourt. There is one in between but I think that is exclusive for the hotels.

I have just checked our booking and is just says 'Premium Dining'. Which would you recommend? It is still letting me change it, so I can upgrade.

The slightly more expensive plan is DINEAROUND DINING PLAN.

At those ages I’d be doing the tots week. Much cheaper and lots of entertainment aimed at them. We’re going just before Christmas was £135 plus food package for Monday to Friday.

Bognor and Skegness are three hours from us, Minehead 5 hours. We like Minehead for a weeks holiday but Bognor has an amazing pool area.

@user1490969170 Yes take your Dyson. We kept wearing shoes in the apartment as the crunchy sand under our feet was 😧and no matter how much I swept, it kept coming back!

We went to Butlins bognor last year. Stayed in a 'seaside' apartment and had the food court dining package.

The apartment was clean and had everything we needed. Everything was in the park was walking distance so easy for little ones.

The place has so much to do, my son loved the shows, the arcades, the funfair and the pool.

The dining plan - it's just a buffet but there is a lot of choice. Something for everyone. Fine dining it is not, but the food was always hot and we enjoyed trying some new things. It can get a bit loud and chaotic in the dining hall but it was ok.

Worked out really reasonable by including the dining plan. We barely spent any extra money whilst staying there.

Kids love it! Parents will be exhausted lol.

I've done CP before and honestly whilst the location in the woods was nice, the lodge was damp and smelly, it was miles to get anywhere in the park, everything so expensive, food over priced and poor quality. The pool was good but I just generally didn't "get" the appeal of CP. a very expensive holiday.

Butlins is great for kids, my 4yr old still talks about it all the time. If the kids are having a good time then you'll have a good time.

@user1490969170 premium is fine!

We are going again just before Christmas, I think this will be the last time before the kids grow out of it. Got a bargain 3 nights in the hotel with premium dining for £600.

I've been to all Butlins in recent years but either stayed at a hotel or lakeside chalet
They were really clean but can't comment on the standard chalets.
Butlins is great for the kids with loads to do. The premier dining was really good too with lots of choice. The dinearound plan would be best if not much difference in price. You can eat in the dining halls and restaurants then.
IMO its better than CP.

We love butlins. Almost everything is free which is a massive plus. We spent about £30 the whole week mostly on ice cream and lunches. We took mini pizzas to pop in the oven. Everything is close so you can pop back for an hour.
We got standard dining and it's fine. It's basic buffet/canteen style but decent portions and tasty enough.
Download the app and you can book your activities/see what's on.
I think the apartments are clean enough.

We used to take the DC - over 30 years ago now - in those days the accommodation was pretty grotty but the DC absolutely loved it. Last year, we decided to go back with now adult DC and all the DGC and were so impressed. We stayed in one of the hotels, which was clean and well equipped, and we were so impressed with the facilities - all the old favourites and lots of new things too. We all loved it, and the DGC were in heaven!

Butlins is unbeatable with kids but pay for best accommodation you can - way better value than centre parks - minehead is nicest setting- Bognor has best pool area

I'm here right now. We've been several times since covid. West lakes was ok but the kitchen was small. We've stayed twice in bay side and paid extra for the big balcony apartments. Well worth doing. Kitchen much better than west lakes (bigger and a full fridge and full freezer so easier for self catering) and 2 bathrooms is good.

But....

It just feels so run down and unloved. Marks on all the walls and doors. Chipped glasses. Chipped mugs. Balcony door doesn't lock. Safe broken. Stains on the soft furnishings. The balcony table has been replaced with a crap 4 seater (should be a nice big 6 seater). Lack of washing up provisions provided compared to last 2 times. Wi-Fi hasn't worked for 2 days.

Incidentally we've also REALLY noticed so many more poorly behaved children and parents not supervising. To the extent where we've had to get security involved which is awful but parents are simply not watching their kids and they are grabbing other kids by the throat and slamming them down on their backs.

The pool is dated (Minehead anyway) and the toilets aren't kept clean across the whole camp. A lot of the venues are really showing their age. The drinks choices are pretty rubbish (like a crap spar and out of desperation you end up drinking echo falls, for example).

Jury's out for me. After 3 cheap term time holidays I think it's amazing value and the entertainment for the kids is unreal but looking at school holiday prices I don't think we will come again to put up with the crowds and all the other issues and pay a premium for it. I'd suck it up if the kids weren't so awful this time but this is the busiest we've ever seen it and DS keeps getting hurt. I just don't know it's for us anymore.

That's awful. So sad to hear about the way the other children/parents are behaving. That makes such a difference. Unfortunately I booked quite last minute so the only 3 bed accommodation available was basic apartment.

To be honest, my main concern about Butlins are the other guests 😳.

A different friend went on an adults only weekend to Butlins and said people got absolutely wasted and were having sex everywhere....i didn't know whether to laugh or cry 😬.

My main reason for booking is that I would have to pay for the kids to do holiday club anyway so thought I would just give it a try.

Thanks for the feedback

We used to go every year and it was my sons fave holiday destination. We stopped going when he was 7 when a drunk guest got rugby tackled by security in front of us and he went back to his teacher and told them he had seen someone get shot on holiday 🙈

so yeah, the other guests can be an issue - but amongst that is some lovely ones too.

As others have said, take the best accommodation you can get and bring cleaning stuff with you. Sign up for the priority seating pass thing for the shows as well as the queues can be a bit bananas sometimes!

Just been to Minehead Butlins on a family holiday and had a fab time. The weather was dry the whole time- obviously with the heat wave we’re having. So at times a bit too hot, cant blame Butlins for that!
Parts of it were a bit dated but generally it was clean and tidy. They seem to maintain it fairly well for a large site.

We did find accidentally, near the other end of the site, empty blocks that were old accommodation blocks. Surprised they weren’t shut off, as anyone could just walk into them.

The pool was good and the water slides really fun.

Nice sandy beach aswell- I think you could see maybe Wales across the water?

DD aged 7 met Stephen Mulhern, that was her holiday highlight. We had a family photo with him after his show, which was good also.

I love Butlins! It is a great holiday with everything included. Fairground and pool amazing. Show's and pantomimes amazing and all included in the price. Take cleaning products if you need to. I never have but I am happy with moderately clean! Haha! I love Butlins!