| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| jema |
Centerparcs LongleatCenterparcs LongleatThere are many types of holidays on offer these days, our taste is normally for self-drive tours, but sometimes you may want the sort of break where you can arrive and feel no need to venture away from the facilities provided. A chance to be lazy and recharge your batteries. In the past, we have chosen Butlins as a destination for this sort of break. First time for a friends 40th birthday gathering which was alright, a second time as it seemed like a good idea, and a third time for no reason I can rationalize in retrospect. Once meeting old friends is taken out of the Butlitz equation, there is very little within the perimeter wire, apart from awful beer, shoddy entertainment, and fish and chips. Actually to be fair there is a decent swimming pool. For us the experience becomes rapidly dire and punctuated by the kids demands for money, as all the things they want to do costs. Following the last trip even the kids demanded “never again”! Looking for a short break this year, we decided to give centerparcs a try, in some ways the concept is the same, a holiday all in one complex centered on a swimming pool. But looking at the brochures the similarities end there, all Centerparcs are set in forests and cover an acreage rather larger than your typical holiday park, in fact bikes are the recommended means of traversing the distances involved. Cars on the whole being banned from the roads. Each park offers extensive sporting facilities, restaurants, saunas, and beauty treatments. The brochures say that this is a holiday that the British weather cannot destroy. We arrived at Centerparc Longleat, for a Monday to Friday break, you can arrive from 10am onwards, but cars are not allowed beyond the car park until 3pm, as which point you can unload at your chalet and take the car back to the car park. Close (in cenerparc terms) to the car park, is the Plaza, the main complex with swimming pools, restaurants, ten pin bowling, shops etc. Once through the posh reception area with a coffee shop, information point and Internet stations, you enter the “domed” area. For me this was the low point of the trip, between the “penny press”, the milling arriv'ees and the gift shops, it seemed just a little too like Butlitz with added fauna. Well added fauna, a stream well stocked with exotic fish, Bonsai trees and the odd sculpture. Fortunately first impressions are not everything. So what can we say about the centerparcs experience? Accommodation We opted for the cheapest chalets, from that point up you can extend to having your own Sauna via a large range of options. But even the basic chalets are exceptionally well laid out, ours was set with a number of other chalets in a lakeside position, the offset positions of each chalet left us only peripherally aware of one of the other chalets we were along side. The chalets are well maintained, we did have to report a dangerous electrical fitting on the first day and this was promptly dealt with. The commitment to keeping the chalets up to scratch might be judged by the fact that when on the last night I went to turn up the thermostat dial I found buttons instead of the dial that had been there earlier! The kitchenette was by any reasonable standards very well equipped for a chalet, of course by downsizer standards any chalet is likely to be judged a little lacking. Mattresses were reasonably firm, awful mattresses are a fault far to common in our travels. The shower was one of the most powerful I have used on a holiday. Even the television was widescreen, and remember this was the cheapest chalet! Swimming The centerpiece of any holiday complex is the pool and you will not be disappointed with centerparcs. The pools are split level with the upper level open air, there are slides, flumes, waves and the “rapids” as well as separate children's pool and a couple of whirlpool spas. The pool temperature was a little erratic delightfully hot on the first day, but somewhat cooler for the rest of the week. With the abundance of fauna, waterfalls and other interesting touches I am sure some people would spend most their time in and around the pool, drinks and “fast food” are available within the pool area. Dining There are close to 10 cafes/restaurants on the park, catering for most tastes and budgets. But whilst there is some mention of organic on some menu's, this is not a place to go for “ethical” dining. To some degree I think they are missing a trick here, I think an organic or a specifically vegetarian restaurant would go down well with their customers. Given that we self catered in part, we only can report on a small sample of what is available, but it would be fair to say that we found a meal at the “Grand Cafe” excellent, and a couple of other places we tried fairly good. To be a little downsizer elitist, I think most people would be even more positive about the food. The one disappointment of sorts, was a breakfast buffet we had on arrival. There was apparently some problem with the ovens, but that does not justify sausages on the hot plates being below the legal temperatures for buffet food like this. The range of dishes was also somewhat on the lame side. We have in the past done breakfast buffets at Shoneys in the USA: http://www.shoneys.com/menu/breakfast_buffet.html It may not be politically correct to stuff your face like that, but Shoney's give you a feast that is from a UK perspective memorable and something we are keen to do again some day. I always find it a shame that for the sake of a few additions a buffet ends up being mediocre. With pancakes, hashbrowns, and more than just scrambled eggs available, and of course being up to temperature, I think they would have had queues. An aside on the dining is that only the most expensive restaurant on the park (£20 a head mains) uses the abundance of wild mushrooms available from the forest. Environs This is what make a centerparcs holiday, even if you were to do little else but sit on your patio looking out at in our case a lake in the forest, and observing the abundance of wildlife including deer, I think you might well still feel you were getting your moneys worth. I saw no rules posted as regards foraging, and if mushrooms are your thing you will easily find dozens of species in amazing abundance. I guess those stripping the forests for restaurants don't make it though the centerparcs perimeter! The forest environment is what really sets Centerparcs apart. Whether you are walking around the place, cycling, or taking the regular free land trains that circle the park, you are enjoying the experience. The park is a very well maintained system of walkways, cycle paths and surprises are always there as you explore. In the space of a week we did not see anywhere near all there is to see. The contrast with Butlins could not be clearer, at Butlitz if you're not swimming you're probably spending money, as there is nothing else to do. If you want to relax and read a book, then why not do it at home rather than staring at a Butlins Chalet wall? At centerparcs if you chose to self cater, you might conceivably spend nothing more at all. Sports and Pampering I'll keep this short as we really go in for neither. But if you are keen on sports or beauty treatments you will not be disappointed. Just about everything is catered for from archery to climbing walls, to boating activities, massages, saunas. You name it, you can probably do it, albeit at an extra charge. Final thoughts Like any place, you can think of some minor niggles, for example the park speed limit of 10mph is flagrantly disregarded by the staff vehicles which I think could be hitting 25mph on some occasions. The main provisions store is as overpriced as you expect in such places. Though it does have a well above average range of goods. The key thought I think though, is that we would book and go to Longleat again. |
| Cathryn |
I fancy going away somewhere for Christmas and thought of Center Parcs - it just seems rather expensive compared to our usual holidays. (We don't go on holiday really - too many children, too little money, don't put it as a priority and we live in a holiday area) Useful review though - I think I will look at it again.
I will own up now - every year I buy 10 copies of the Sun and we do a couple of short breaks in a caravan, costs four of us around £40 for three nights - could do a review - but main tips are never choose a big site, never purchase the entertainment pass (personal preference obviously) and don't pick one too far away and arrive exhausted from all the driving. So can highly recommend one in Porthmadog, one by Nant Ffrancon, Tenby (Pembrokeshire coastline - can't be beaten) and we went to a really nice one on the edge of the Lake District.. |
| wellington womble |
We used to go to centre parcs in January (on one memorable occasion it snowed!) as it really doesn't matter about the weather. It is quite cleverly laid out, so you don;t realise that you are in fact surrounded by a million people, but it is much nicer outside school holidays, when they're aren't loads of noisy kids in it (of course if you have noisy kids, then they are at least in good company!) I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend it for a family holiday, or for adults who want a lounge by the pool type break (that's not usually our thing, but for a short break, off season, its very relaxing!) I think we used to go to sherwood forest. |
| bagpuss |
My family use dto go to such things a lot and they are a nice idea, not terribly expensive and good access to a lot of activities
there a couple of companies which do similar things on the contienent which are also quite good fun |
| crackapple |
as a veteran of cenreparcs, i can only sing its praises very loudly, we generally go twice a year to whinfell forest in the lakes, now down to once a year as first born has started school. it has every thing we want, pool, bars, tons of trees and red squirrels by the shed load! yes i know its expensive but no more expensive than a week in benidorm. we used to go in winter when it was cheaper anyway, 5 adults and 3 kids worked out about £50 per adult for a week! not too bad i think you'll agree. this year because my son has started school we went in the summer, just me my wife and son, it cost over£500 but we were going to pay £1400 for a week in tenerife! anyway the weather was superb, and suprisingly not too many people there!! try it you may like it. |