Why is Center parcs so expensive?

[TomAllenWife]

I was hoping to do 3 nights November or December
The cheapest lodge is £799

I've just been to Tenerife for 5 days for £540!!!!!

Is there cheaper times? Or parcs? I just can't fathom it at all

Can anyone recommend a good butlins??

A long weekend is enough at a centre parcs.

Bluestone in Wales is a brilliant alternative - lots of free activities if you have toddlers

People really love to be scathing or snobby about CP.

I’ve been all over the world on holiday/work to some really random destinations, but that was before the baby and before covid. CP is fine as a fun family break away, nothing more, nothing less. I do not expect ‘real’ wilds or wildlife wandering out of a jungle but a squirrel is as a visitor to the patio as anything else really 😂 I live in London so I get my culture fix at home.

We don’t go to the restaurants though. They really are pretty lacklustre.

Oh and we would NEVER pay too price for it. Cheap mon-fri in January only.

The minimum wage in UK is higher than Spain I don't think it's fare to compare. I've just got flights and hotel for a week in Greece for the same price of a week in Norfolk hoilday apartment not including travel. I get why UK is more expensive.

@MargosKaftan

Weve been a couple of times in the past and had a nice time, clean, good swimming pools, good self catering accommodation and restaurants doing take away was nice. But the prices seem very high now, seems they are still in massive demand from people who would normal go abroad. I cant blame them to make as much as they can now. Is annoying though. If you are all jabbed and feeling brave enough to travel, the centre parcs in France and the Netherlands are a lot cheaper, even when you factor in the crossing.

Why can't we blame them? Charging extortionate prices just because they can is not reasonable.

I won't go back on principle. All DS wants to do is play football but there's no open space to do so. You can hire a fenced in pitch by the hour. The cynicism of that just made me angry.

Plus, you had to put a coin in the swimming costume dryer. It's just a distainful way to treat your guests. At that price it's farcical.

They are always full, so obviously people are willing to pay it. Why wouldn't they charge as much as possible if people are happy to pay for it. They are a business after all.

We're hopefully trying centre parcs this year for the first time (covid permitting). However, it's over £1000 cheaper for us to drive the length of the county to Folkestone, get the tunnel and go to one on the continent. So that's what we're doing! Most the ones abroad seem to have more stuff to do for free as well. I can't justify £1800 for a 4 day holiday.

I was browsing on it and saw that "due to covid" they no longed provide sticks of chalk in the lodges so remind you to bring your own (for those who don't know, one of the features of the lodges is a chalk board wall the kids can draw on).
For the best part of a grand you'd think they could spring for a new stick of chalk each time!! What a pisstake.

I’ve got 3 kids and we’ve never been because we just could never justify/afford it. It’s something I almost feel guilty about as so many of my children’s friends have been, I can’t help but feel bad that mine have missed out on a ‘ quintessential’ English experience. We’ve had several wonderful holidays though and some lovely UK cottage breaks so I’m grateful for those. Growing up I never had any holidays other than camping trips as we couldn’t afford it, so I’ve always tried my best to enable my children to have holidays when we can. It’s sad that the prices are so high for these kind of family- orientated resorts now as it really limits a lot of families being able to go

Used to go every year, sometimes twice a year but not been since dd started school due to the prices.
Did go to a European one before xovid and even with ferry crossing was less than half the price. Found the European one more of a base that we left every day whereas in the UK one we stayed on site.

@JuniorMint

I was browsing on it and saw that "due to covid" they no longed provide sticks of chalk in the lodges so remind you to bring your own (for those who don't know, one of the features of the lodges is a chalk board wall the kids can draw on). For the best part of a grand you'd think they could spring for a new stick of chalk each time!! What a pisstake.

I’ve heard some ridiculous excuses for things being affected because of Covid, but that’s up there!

We used to go quite frequently as we found it convenient with young children, but since you’ve had to book slots at the swimming pool and are also limited on number of visits to it, they can fuck right off. Maybe they’ve relaxed that now, but judging by the chalk situation, I doubt it.

@QuestionsorComments

The cost is part of the appeal, it means it's full of "people like us". It doesn't really offer anything Butlins doesn't, except different clientelle.

FWIW DC have a much better time at Butlins

Exactly!!

I've been to Butlins and Centre Parcs.

I must say the clientele at the former were way less irritating.
Honestly, I've never heard so much loud, competitive parenting in such a small area.
It was deafening at times!

I think people go because it's easy, you park the car and don't move it forever how long you're there and don't have to think of things to do, you just pay for things to do instead. I've come home with ear infections from the pool twice.

Center Parcs is a very well run business which fully understands its target market. They are middle class families who are prepared to pay a premium to holiday in a controlled, civilised environment with other people like themselves. Put bluntly, the pricing keeps the riff-raff out, and that’s how their customers like it.

Pre-pandemic, their overall occupancy was consistently around 97%, therefore by definition they are getting their pricing right.

I liked it. (past tense as DCs now adults). I thought it was well laid out, the lodges were well equipped and my DCs could spend all day in the pool. We also did a lot of Haven holidays which were enjoyable, but felt so much busier and noisier.

As a single parent it was much easier to pack the car, pick up a week's shopping and just go. No worries about airports and car parking and mosquitoes. We did do lots of abroad holidays as well but CP was good for a few days away.

There are plenty of people who are simultaneously riff raff and and have money The last time I went to CP, we bumped into a notorious local criminal. Not to burst anyone's bubble

@Lesserspottedmama

It’s got an awful lot more expensive, an awful lot more popular and also ...the clientele has changed a fair bit. It used to be a lovely, simple place even 8 years or so ago full of families and people who just want a simple, wholesome, outdoorsy break. But I think since they’ve ramped up all the ‘entertainment’, activities etc on offer and become basically like a slightly more upmarket butlins, it has meant the kind of people who go has changed. We last visited two years ago (after going once a year for almost 10 years) and said we likely wouldn’t return. It takes the relaxation out of holiday to be surrounded by smokers, people spraying cheap body sprays everywhere or walking around in a haze of cheap aftershave, swearing, spitting, loud harsh accents, general screeching and a seemingly huge emphasis on spending money on utter rubbish and eating prolific amounts of junk food. It felt like a funfair I couldn’t escape from, blasting terrible music, hoards of people rushing round with armfuls of cheap gifts and merchandise.. I’ll be flamed for this but I saw more obese children in the pool that week than I have altogether in my 30 odd years on this earth. Lots of shouty parents and one even smacking their child in the shower area. The place has gone downhill terribly, it’s become ‘trendy’ with a certain sub culture in Britain, which is fine, they are perfectly entitled to go where they like - I don’t begrudge them their holiday. But not our cup of tea any longer, and I know other families who feel the same.

All the fluff at the end of the post trying to dress up your opinion when your dog whistle was still obvious as heck. Just say “Travellers” or “chavs” and own it.

I've been once for a weekend in winter, so the best part was the pool.. until a child shit in the wave pool and it was closed for cleaning for the rest of the day. We had a good time, but that is definitely our dominant memory..

Many years ago we went to CP in the Netherlands (De Kempervennen) because, even with travel costs from the Midlands, it worked out considerably cheaper for a week than any in the UK. It also had different activities on offer including an indoor ski slope. One thing to note, although this may have changed, there are not as many lifeguards as you would find at UK pools.

I would recommend a caravan/lodge perhaps somewhere like wales. It so much cheaper and they have a pool and activities. Restaurants and bars.
I don’t see the appeal of centre parks though

My main memory of CP on a work weekend away (long time ago when some businesses did this) was sitting down on the hard sofa and my head smacking against the hard thing that was supposed to be the sofa back. It was so cheap and nasty in execution but so outrageously expensive in price.

I once had the misfortune to have a stay at Centre Parcs in the same way as I once had a McDonalds cardboard burger meal - both expensive crap and a valuable lesson in avoiding what I had already anticipated would be a disappointing experience, never to be repeated.

Minehead Butlins OP - plenty of excursions to be had, places to visit and beautiful scenery locally - Exmoor, the Quantocks, Lynmouth and the Valley of Rocks, Porlock, and not too far, either, from the stunning North Devon coast. Far better than Stalug Luft in a wood.

Butlins Bognor Regis is the only one I've been to and the location is fantastic, IIRC it's right on the beach or just back from it. I really like Bognor Regis, it's a pleasant small town and there's lots to see in the local area. Also I only have to play bingo once and I'm a total addict.