Is Center Parcs a good holiday destination?
It’s going to be hard to write this post as I’m keen not to offend anyone especially those lovely people who were happy for us that we were off for a week’s holiday at Center Parcs and assumed we’d really have a fabulous time.
The official line is that we really did not enjoy our holiday at Whinfell Forest Center Parcs and wish that we’d done something else with Bealers’ precious week off work, away from the office.
There isn’t one specific thing that we are grumbling about but a number of things which we found weren’t for us so probably best if I just list out the good things vs the not so good things and let others make up their own minds. Please don’t feel I am dissing you if you have been to Center Parcs and had a lovely time. I hope the following opinions help others to decide for or against going to CP for a holiday.
Not-So-Good Things About Center Parcs:
- We live in the countryside so all the beautiful forest environs with rabbits, pheasants and woodpeckers were a little bit wasted on us. We’re spoilt. If we still lived in East London I personally would have paid good money to stay in a house so close to nature.
- Our kids were still a bit too young. At 4 years old we couldn’t leave them alone to cycle, swim, play outside whereas families with older kids were able to kick back while the kids did their thing.
- Neither Bealers or myself are herd followers. We like doing our own thing and really hated the fact that we were on a campus with limited things to do and everyone else was doing it too. In fact we went off-site several times and had some great days out exploring the lake district and local small towns. We felt that this was very much frowned upon. ‘They’ make it hard for you to leave (the car park is quite a way from the lodges) and there is a very obvious lack of any tourist information about local attractions. ‘They’ clearly have no interest in families spending their cash anywhere other than C.P.
- It was extremely overpriced/poor value for money. We’re not used to spending £60 on an average (sub-average Bealers would say) meal for two people. The activities and spa treatments are way above market prices and as a result we didn’t do loads of them (a bonus of the kids being little was that they were happy to blow bubbles & splash puddles in the woods behind our lodge for hours on end). We resented spending so much money on so little.
- NOTHING to do with the kids in the evening other than eat at one of the 5 restaurants or go to the bowling/amusement arcade. The one thing we all really loved on our last foreign holiday was the nightly disco for the children which meant they could get dressed up and ‘dance’ (run around like loons) with a nice Spanish childrens’ entertainer for a couple of hours while the grown ups cheerfully knocked back gin & tonics. An added bonus to this nightly treat was the fact that the children had a daily siesta by the pool after staying up so late. At Center Parcs we were pretty much doing what we’d be doing at home - the kids in bed and us downstairs cooking, reading, writing or watching a film together. Boring! In fact it made me wish I was at home as I was missing my computer.
Good Things about Center Parcs
- The lack of cars really was wonderful. It was a joy to walk & cycle around knowing we were safe from fatal injuries.
- The accommodation was smashing - really spotless, well equipped kitchen and lovely clean, new furnishings. Admittedly we’d decided to go for the grade above basic (Executive?)
- The wildlife. Brilliant having totally tame rabbits and pheasants in the garden constantly.
- The quietness whilst lying in bed at night (no traffic, druken yobs walking past
- The swimming pool - I didn’t get to see much of it but the area for very small children was bath temperature which meant parents could look after the tots for ages without getting hypothermia. They also had loads and loads of great water slides. Even in the smaller kids area were two blessed slides which looked small but still exciting. Beautiful planting made it a nice place to spend time. The changing rooms were really clean, well planned, plenty of family changing rooms, lockers and 4-people body driers which meant you could get everyone nice and dry really quickly.
- The Aqua Sana - wow, fantastic! Beautiful place with lovely lovely treatments, treatment rooms, waiting areas, changing rooms (all oak fittings with Elemis products everywhere) but again overpriced and hard to really enjoy a facial when you feel you’re being ripped off and you are one of many who are being ripped off.
There. Center Parcs wasn’t for us. Bealers especially wishes he’d spent the same amount of money on a week in Morocco or by the Red Sea. My attitude is that I can see why some families love holidaying in Center Parcs but I think I could have the same holiday with my family in a rented cottage and using the time together to visit local attractions, nice restaurants and have nice pampering things at a local spa place.
Anyway - as my Dad said to me, you live and learn.
March 13th, 2007 at 1:09 am
[...] blogging - we were were in different parts of the house and unaware of what the other was doing - The Mrs posted something up about the holiday at the same time as I was writing mine. As expected hers is is slightly more [...]
March 13th, 2007 at 2:42 am
gosh am now drowning in oceans of guilt but hope you booked hol before my raving and not as result of it:-) I went to the other center parcs so don’t know if that made a difference. Because of Jacks anaphylaxis we always self cater so never look to restaurants etc and ditto child care…we never feel safe leaving our kids anywhere alone so that part prob wouldn’t apply to us. i have to admit to having 2 kids who happily stayed in the pool for the entire time and as it was so super that’s rather the impression we were left with. we also went with my two sisters, husbands and kids so it was an ‘event’ before we even got there. I hope you can salvage some lovely memories
March 13th, 2007 at 10:19 am
I wasn’t impressed with Center Parks either (it was a while ago now, though).
We recently bought a folding camper because we want to see this country and like to do our own thing.
Regards,
Rob…
March 16th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
we’ve never paid full price to go to Centerparcs, and I never would - they frequently have discounts and late booking offers and that’s how we’ve done it, or we’ve shared larger accommodation with friends.
I find that for a family holiday with friends with many young children it’s a great place in the winter - there aren’t so many places you could go where you can guarantee somewhere to play in the water all day.
In the summer I much prefer camping
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it.
April 22nd, 2007 at 12:19 pm
You forgot to mention the red squirrels! The best part about whinfell forest has to be that it’s a red squirrel refuge. Just out of interest, did you do any activities at the rangers lodge? The only reason I’m asking is because I’m one of the rangers! I have to agree with a lot of what you say about cp. I am also spoiled like you and live in an idyllic countryside so the peace and quiet is lost on me.
June 20th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
centre parcs was the worst holiday i have ever been on in my life. the level of customer service was disgraceful. i will NEVER stay there again, although i must say me and my family did enjoy the holiday. some of the activities was delayed or cancelled - i was furious after spending alot of money with the company and then having the staff speak to me as if i was a nobody. i will also be advising people not to visit centre parcs. from chloe in manchester
May 5th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Thanks for the honesty! I hate being forced to do paying activities and would probably much prefer exploring the lake district. A friend recently suggested Centre Parks, but I’m thinking of a yurt holiday instead!
June 15th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
RIDICULOUS! What were you expecting from a commercialised, woodland based alternative to Butlins? Did you not think to check out tthe official website, do some reserch PRIOR to booking? It’s no secret that Centre Parcs has a captive audience once you are in. Admittedly they don’t get everything right and it does get busy during the kids holiday times, but you must surely have known what you were letting yourself in for?? Pricing is set like that because that is what people will pay - if you object, don’t complain AFTER the event, do it there and then! Having just returned from a Spanish holiday (May 2008), I can tell you now that it is the SAME as Centre Parcs IN EXPENSE. Everything has increased 5 fold in Spain and the rest of the Europe are catching up. Why? Because we just accept it and pay. Centre Parcs is a good place, has it’s failings in places but to be honest, I still think it represents good value for money…
June 28th, 2008 at 10:28 am
We have just returned from our 3rd break at Winfell. We go every year and love every minute. We do so much we only get chance to swim once infact we did’nt go once this last time!
Our daughter is now 5 she thinks its the best place on earth we now have a baby who is 5 months he adapted straight away as its a home from home we were able to keep his routine.
We have tried alsorts of activities that we would have not have even thought about trying before. The rangers are fantastic my daugher has been pond dipping, searching for creepy crawlies held an owl a milliepede, baby frog to name just a few. She has learnt loads from the rangers [me too!!]
We have built rafts learnt to sail, learnt to ride and groomed a pony the list just goes on and on!
The spa is fantastic I always save some money over the year so I can treat myself and take some time out!
I do agree it can be expensive but not if you plan well.
Hire a larger villa and go with family and friends that way you can share looking after the kids aswell as the cost of the villa.
Make a meal plan take all the main ingredients aswell as your basics sugar sauce squash crisps etc
If you shop at tesco save your deal vouchers and turn them into restaurant clubcard deals Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge both accept them, theres 1 free meal!
Learn to be a family again why does everyone need evening entertainment to be laid on. Play games with the kids take a pack of cards and some wine!!
REMEMBER A HOLIDAY IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT