Butlins review thread. Non-testers: Tell us what makes the perfect family holiday in the UK and you could win a £200 John Lewis voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

This thread is for the ten lucky MN families who are going on a Butlins holiday over the next few months.

Butlins say “We have been providing family breaks for nearly 80 years, and although we’ve changed with the times, many people still believe that we’re old fashioned and run down. We’re looking to change these negative perceptions and show Mumsnetters that we’re a 21st century holiday destination, which offers brilliant family breaks at great value for money”

Testers are visiting the Skegness, Bognor Regis and Minehead resorts – check back to this thread to find out how they are getting on.
We have asked testers to add feedback at least twice - before they go and when they get back home.

Non testers: Butlins would love to know what makes the perfect family holiday in the UK. Everyone who adds a comment will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £200 John Lewis voucher, so that they can get stocked up for the holiday season.

Please note: comments may well be used by Butlins on social media and elsewhere. Your MN name will not be used.

Testers – please share on this thread your overall opinion and experience plus your responses to the following questions.

Before you go

• Where are you going? How far it is from your home?
• Who is in your group?
• Have you ever been on a Butlins holiday before?
• What are you looking forward to most? What are the DC looking forward to?
• How was the booking process?
• What are your perceptions of Butlins?
• What made you apply to visit Butlins?

When you are back

• Overall opinions from you and others in the family
• Describe your accommodation
• Describe your dining experiences
• Did your break meet or exceed your expectations?
• What activities have the kids enjoyed?
• What activities/entertainment did you enjoy as a family?
• Was there anything that surprised you about your break/Butlins?

How would you rate/ describe...

• Food
• Accommodation
• Activities
• Entertainment
• The Butlins team
• Things to do for adults
• Things to do for children
• Things to do as a family
• Would you return/ try out another Butlins resort?
• What did you think about the value for money – especially compared to other family holidays?
• Any other comments?

Please also do add a review on Mumsnet to the Self Catering pages.

Thanks
MNHQ

PS We've 'highlighted' the testers posts on this thread so we can see them!

Non tester: A uk holiday for me has to have:
good accommodation as you never know what the weather will be like.
Entertainment for all the family, something like a kids disco followed by something for the older ones/adults.
Reasonable prices: if I can take my family somewhere with guaranteed sun for tge same price I wouldn't choose a UK break.
Good variety of food and drink so no one gets bored.
Plenty of 'rainy day' things to do and a playground/mini golf etc

Non-tester

Perfect holiday for me, is time with family, something available for everyone to enjoy and good location.

We usually go to cottages in seaside places such as North Norfolk, Devon or Dorset. We take our boat, sail, go to the beach and visit castles and go on steam train rides. We usually go with friends.

Having said this, we are considering trying Butlins! I went as a child and loved it. DH is concerned that he will feel couped up (never been to a holiday park type place before) and run out of things to do that he likes. Is also a bit worried about the clientele (sounds snobby I know) and that there will be lots of loud drunk people walloping their kids.

I fancy staying in one of the hotels and having the premium dining package. We always go self-catering to cottages and I'd like to have someone else do the work for once. I also like the idea of the on-site pool and the shows. Bit wary about all the amusement arcades etc.

If I had seen the chance to be a tester, I'd have signed up. I think DH would be pleasantly surprised, but am not sure he will be persuaded to try it.

Non-tester. Clean accommodation! The ability to hire towels/high chairs etc before arriving is great - saves packing lots and you know it will be there when you arrive.
Entertainment which is suitable for a variety of ages - if different things for different ages, would be great to have them in the same venue at the same time so that older/younger siblings don't have to sit about waiting for their thing.
Also, prefer not to have to go through/past a shop full of expensive plastic tat to get to any entertainment - not great to have to say no to your children several times a day or to end up spending a fortune on the plastic tat and then have to take it home!
Reasonable prices for any entertainment.
Decent variety of food and not just chicken nuggets for children!

Non tester! Going to go for clean, modern accommodation too. Plus something to do, so good quality swimming pool if we're in the middle f nowhere, or national trust properties or beauty spots to visit.

For me I love a caravan holiday it reminds me of all the holidays I had as a child. Another thing is children's entertainment is also a must with a 1 year old some thing to keep her smiling really builds of memories of a fun holiday.

Non-tester - I have to say I prefer a holiday in the UK. My holidays were always in the UK and mostly caravans. They were the best holidays ever. I love to offer the same experiences to my daughter. Children's entertainment is a must, just to see their little smiley faces is priceless.

Non-Tester-
We are off to Minehead for Christmas, and we know there will always something to do for all the age ranges of our kids. The statement "I'm bored" does not have an association with Butlins

My idea of the perfect family holliday would be somewhere that has lots going on for the kids but also somewhere we could all escape to and have a bit of chilled family time.
Also the accommodation would have to be clean and childproof!
Lots of choices of cafés/restaurants so as not to be eating the same foods each day. And lastly some where that welcomes children and all the chaos that comes with them.

I have just been on another MN thread about Butlins. It reported a problem the OP had with their accommodation not having been cleaned on arrival. She posted here on the first day and it took 4 days for Butlins to rectify the problem in part.
The thread includes correspondence she had with the PR manager, James and the number of times she had to write afterwards about her terrible experience, and the continued failure to respond adequately.

What shocked me wasn't the lack of cleanliness (mistakes happen) but the inadequate response of Butlins. After James from Butlins appeared early on during the thread, and the OP included the thread in her complaint, no one from Butlins has ever responded on the thread.
The thread extends to several pages of potential Butlins customers being horrified by the chain of events,with no proper response from Butlins. It is this failure that worries me. Customer services and PR seem to value the experience of the OP so little, and to care so little about what potential customers read, that they have chosen to ignore the thread.

So going back to the original question, a good holiday is one where,if there is a problem, it is quickly and satisfactorily resolved. Holiday companies really should be going the extra mile to keep their customers happy. Mistakes happen, but when they do, need much apology, quick rectification and offer of decent recompense. Much goodwill can be maintained through this.....or lost without it.

Just as an opposite experience, I remember arriving at a holiday cottage to find a workman trying to mend the freezer. A new freezer came within an hour and a crate of 12 bottles of wine were delivered as an apology. We were barely inconvenienced, but were left feeling the company valued us as customers and went the extra mile to deal with a problem and compensate us.

Will be watching that other thread with interest..AIBU to be angry with Butlins.

Non tester - someone clean and spacious with decent beds.

Also the ability to guarantee pet free is a must

Non tester- something for everyone, so the kids can have fun and so can the adults. I like rooms to be set out so the children can sleep and we can enjoy sitting on settee or balcony with wine. We also like a big choice of food.

{I'm not sure if I have posted on this thread already, or whether it was another similar one but...}

Sun, sea, sand, fish and chips and smiles are what make the perfect family holiday in the UK!

You can travel to the ends of the world and see breath taking sights - and I hope to see just a fraction of them one day - but the UK has some stunning coats and seasides and towns and countrysides etc! We have such a rich history, that anywhere in the UK can make a brilliant holiday! Even the city you live in, maybe? Seeing it through a 'tourists' eyes and doing the things people do when they visit your little corner of the world can open your eyes to what's around you, that you might have gotten used to, having lived there for so long!

Non-tester.

Must have different options for sleeping arrangements, including availability of a cot/cotbed.
Must have a highchair available, and the dining area must not be carpeted.
Must have a washer & tumble drier available, either in the accommodation, or locally. Especially for winter/seaside breaks.
There should be outside & inside activities available locally, for a variety of age ranges, that do not require a car to get to.
There should be good footpaths etc, that allow access with a buggy/wheelchair or if people have limited mobility.
At least 2 plug sockets in every room - in addition to the ones needed for the lighting.
A separate living room - so that adults can stay up at night, and kids can get up in the morning, and don't have to disturb each other.
Knowing what 'extras' will or won't be included or if you can hire them in advance to be ready when you get there, eg towels, high chair, etc. Saves time & hassle on arrival.
Would be fab if the accommodation was noted as child friendly, ie, no sharp corners (or pads available to cover them), baby gates available for stairs, etc.

Non tester- something relaxing with creature comforts, and enough around to entertain the children!!

NON TESTER:
For us, a perfect holiday would be everything that Pontins isn't!!

We had an awful, last minute short break there this year, after illness for both my 14 year old daughter and myself. We are NW UK so Southport was close by with minimum travelling for my daughter.
Big mistake, it was dirty, scruffy, non disabled friendly,smells, drunks ( all day) dangerous grounds, bad customer service and a defensive management after receiving our complaint...

My wonderful memories of Butlins when I was a child, will sway our holiday decision this year.

Non Tester- Perfect Uk Holiday? Hmm hard because it usually boils down to dry weather for me so I can get out and explore. I hate sitting on a site that could be anywhere, or even around the corner from me, without being able to experience that part of Britain that Im in; so varied and beautiful. So setting IS important for me, as is ease of travel to get there.
If its chucking it down then plenty of activities undercover are a must! But many information/welcome letters don't properly tell you where things are taking place, size/group limits or cost before you try hunting for them. So Id like clear information in the welcome bumf that is there on arrival.
If Im out for the day, by the time I do tea, I seem to have missed most of the kids entertainment, which is over by 7.30/8 for the bingo (Oh Joy!) so would like it to go onto 9.30/10 and be graded so the smaller kids things are on earlier maybe, or they can go to another room to continue with a signed-in kids club maybe, with more things for older kids/early teens as you get through the evening. Could bingo lovers not go in another room so us non-participants don't have to sit there hush hush or take little kids home?
Having a good outdoor or even indoor playarea is vital near the entertainment complex so when they older kids are inevitably bored or want to play with new friends they can go there safely. My boys loved an area to play football nearby rather than sit with us in the entertainment complex and it was great to allow them that extra freedom and give us a bit of peace too. One thing that always seems missing is a proper family disco; not the dad n kid jumping about at 7pm with the kids team but a proper dance-all-evening get-together that we can all join in all evening. Parents still like to dance but can't find babysitters for late adult-only discos so we want disco lights and great radio-style music not necessarily a band.
Lastly, the option of a 12noon checkout would be fab as its a shocker getting back up at 7.30 to organise everyone and clean up by 10!

Non tester: I love family holidays where the kids are happy and the we as parents can enjoy it too. Having things to do regardless of the weather is a big bonus, and being able to get outside and enjoy the location. In the UK we like to visit a variety of different locations and see what different experiences we can give the kids.

Non tester.

The perfect family holiday In the uk is certainly action packed and full of adventure.
This year we were butlins virgins and embarked on a family retreat to Skegness.
My children loved the variety the freedom and the action packed fun we had... We loved is so much that we went back again within five months.
What makes a perfect family holiday is the ability to relax and take things easy. With busy everyday family life it's important to step back and enjoy and the time you spend at butlins. The red coats at butlins certainly help make a uk family holiday truly magical!!

Non tester: Perfect UK Holiday would have beach and/or Swimming Pool, Large Outdoor play area with plenty of seating surrounding for parents, Large Indoor play area, affordable restaurants/cafes, local tourist attractions, and clean fit for purpose accommodation for large and/or extended family/friends. Preferably close to a train station for easy hassle free travel. Kids club and Teens club optional. A bouncy castle/air pillow should also be available at all hours to wear children out before bed!

A perfect UK holiday would be by the sea, with a nice beach and in an area that's fairly quiet and not too commercialised with arcades etc. A funfair would be nice but as a separate place we could visit, but not in our faces all the time. The accommodation would be clean and divided into separate bedrooms, sitting area etc with somewhere to prepare breakfast/snacks/drinks when needed. For most meals, would like a choice of places to eat. Would also like some entertainment nearby in the evenings.

E perfect holiday has an amazing pool, a warm pool, great slides for the children. A disco at night, lots and lots of free stuff to do.

We visited bustling lots of times as children and I honestly loved it, I had autograph books, badges, the money holders. Happy memories.

Test post

Before You Go

• Where are you going? How far it is from your home?

We're going to Minehead tomorrow! It is a little over 200 miles away, or about 4 hours driving time.

• Who is in your group?

There is me, OH and 8 month old DD.

• Have you ever been on a Butlins holiday before?

Never! My family have done Haven holidays, and OH's family didn't really do holiday camps, but this is our first experience of Butlins!

• What are you looking forward to most? What are the DC looking forward to?

I'm looking forwards to getting away and enjoying the festive atmosphere! DD loves swimming, so she'll enjoy that hopefully!

• How was the booking process?

It was all done for us - the confirmation turned up and we didn't have to do anything!

• What are your perceptions of Butlins?

My perception is that it's a lot of family fun, exciting and busy and lots to do. OH's perception is... well, he's just said 'Hi-de-hi' when I asked him! He elaborated with 'screaming kids, way too happy Redcoats and being obligated to join in'...

• What made you apply to visit Butlins?

I've always wanted to go to Butlins, and the opportunity to take OH and DD along too to show OH that holiday camps can be great fun, and to give DD a lovely weekend away, was too good an opportunity to miss!

Non tester.

We'd love to holiday in the UK more but we find it very expensive compared to going abroad as with holidays abroad you can entertain the children all day on the beach or by the pool but in the UK, if the sun is not shining as is often the case, you have to stay indoor and that means EXPENSIVE!!

UK holiday companies need to realise this and offer free indoor activites (they can charge for food and drinks to make their profit).