Bluestone or Centre Parcs?

[Annamariadarling]

We're looking at a staycation, midweek with 2 children - one teen and a younger child.

Would you choose Bluestone or Centre Parcs? We've never been to either and I'm torn on what to book! Are they both as nice as each other?

A staycation is when you stay at home and go out on day trips.

This is a UK holiday 🙄

However Bluestone is less corporate and my preference.

We've been to both and like both. Based near Bristol, so Longleat Centre Parcs is just over an hour away, and Bluestone was over 2.5 hours to drive. Going back to Centre Parcs (Longleat) next week. Now our DS are 11 and 14 we felt there is less choice of activities for their age to do at Bluestone - plenty for younger ones though. I think the pool at Bluestone is better, and the whole site is smaller and much more easily walkable. And you can hire the golf buggies! And bluestone lodges are cheaper overall.

Bluestone. We went to centreparcs longleat last month for half term having never been before and it was grim compared to Bluestone. Cold showers, dirty pool and it took about 40 mins to walk anywhere from our cabin. The land train was continually full of people.

At Bluestone it’s easier to get out and about in the surrounding area for day trips. At CP, you tend to leave your car untouched for the entire stay.

Centre parcs if you prefer spending time in the pool. I thought bluestone pool was grim and small compared to centre parcs ones (been to Elveden, Sherwood, Woburn and Whinfell so far)

Bluestone if you prefer spending time outside and walking etc.
You can get electric buggies at bluestone rather than biking around too.

We stopped taking ours to Bluestone when they were around 13 as there just wasn’t enough onsite to keep them entertained at that ages, but primary aged it was fantastic for them.
we tend to do Centre Parcs in Europe as it’s so much cheaper and just as good.

Thank you, which CP did you prefer out of those?

Bluestone pool is on the small side but the site is beautiful and lots to do out side. folly farm close by and almost next door is WildLakes which has wakeboarding, aqua park and fab food. It is small and family run. I preferred CP at Longleat of the ones we went to and for the teenager there might be more to do onsite there.

We loved bluestone when the kids were small. The area is great if you want to go out to surrounding beaches etc and bluestone is fab as it has the golf buggies, which the kids absolutely loved. Now the kids are older, there sadly just isn’t enough to do. Their indoor softplay / bouncy castle / play area is only up to age 10 years. The pool doesn’t have a lot to it either. It’s really sad because we went to centre Parcs last year and even though there’s no denying there’s more for older ones to do, we just didn’t like it. As others have said, the pool is dirty, packed to the rafters and dated. My kids aren’t super adventurous so didn’t like the rapids. We so wish bluestone would get their act together a bit and make a better/bigger play area, extend the pool a bit etc

Sherwood is our fav so far. We've been back to that one twice