Center Parcs

Center Parcs is a resort type holiday where the aim is to enjoy a family holiday in natural surroundings. Accommodation is in self catering units, although there are plenty of restaurants available. The holiday can be as relaxing or as active as each individual chooses. There are plenty of optional activities available for those that want to keep busy or expand their horizons. The basic cost of the holiday includes accommodation and you then pay ...
.../> This review covers the Center Parcs at Whinfell Forest in Cumbria. There are three other UK Center Parcs villages at Longleat Forest in Wiltshire, Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, and Elveden Forest in Suffolk, but I haven't visited those and cannot comment on them.

We had never been to Center Parcs before writing this review and didn't know what to expect. However, there's an advert running on TV at the moment which shows a ... more

Center Parcs is a resort type holiday where the aim is to enjoy a family holiday in natural surroundings. Accommodation is in self catering units, although there are plenty of restaurants available. The holiday can be as relaxing or as active as each individual chooses. There are plenty of optional activities available for those that want to keep busy or expand their horizons. The basic cost of the holiday includes accommodation and you then pay for any additional pursuits you wish to engage in. The main attraction for most families is the natural setting and almost total absence of cars. Apart from the checking in days of Monday and Friday no cars are allowed. This makes for a very peaceful holiday where the main mode of transport is on foot, by bike or even in some cases on horseback!

This review covers the Center Parcs at Whinfell Forest in Cumbria. There are three other UK Center Parcs villages at Longleat Forest in Wiltshire, Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, and Elveden Forest in Suffolk, but I haven't visited those and cannot comment on them.

We had never been to Center Parcs before writing this review and didn't know what to expect. However, there's an advert running on TV at the moment which shows a family falling asleep when they have just been there a few hours and that is not far off the truth! With so many activities on offer before you have even reached the lodge, it is easy to get exhausted by the end of the first day. Our holiday flew past and I can't imagine where the days went, we were so busy having fun it was time to go home before we knew it!

Whinfell Forest is located on the A66 and is a doddle to find. We have an AA Road Atlas and it was clearly shown on the map so we didn't even need any directions!

Where We Stayed And What It Cost

Accommodation at Whinfell Forest consists mainly of two-storey, Scandinavian style lodges although there are some single storey and apartment type units available. I don't know how different this is from other Center Parcs locations in the UK. The lodges are a sort of dark brown colour and they are everywhere you didn't feel it was built up and I thought they blended in with the forest location really well.

There are two options to staying at Center Parcs, you can either stay for 3 nights Fri- Mon (weekend stay) or for 4 nights Mon-Fri (midweek stay). We opted for a midweek stay in March outside normal school holidays which cost £289 for a 3 bedroomed "Comfort" (read: " Basic") lodge located in the woods. This included a special discount accessed via using the code FAMILY on the online booking form. Because we only have one child and shared with another family who also have one child, the kids shared a room and we split the cost of the lodge, so we only spent £144.50 on accommodation in total.

If you have a bit more money to spend, there are also two and three bedroom "Executive" lodges with ensuite facilities to all the bedrooms. One-bedroom "Executive" Lakeside Apartments are a popular choice for couples. There are also four bedroom "Exclusive" lodges which have a steam room, sauna and outdoor hot tub. One advantage of the "Executive" lodges is that you get an earlier check-in time, 1.00pm instead of 3.30pm. Other advantages (apart from the hot-tubs!) are dishwashers, towels, maid service, lakeside view and basic groceries included.

Arrival

The drive through check-in was quick and simple although previous reviewers are right, it does resemble a car wash! We queued for about 20 minutes maximum, be prepared for longer waits in busier summer months. My daughter was in an agony of impatience as it was! Because we pre-registered our details on the web site prior to arrival there were very few formalities. We were greeted by a friendly attendant who provided us with key cards to our accommodation and a map giving clear directions.

Village Centre

If you arrive early one option is to park your car and go check out the village centre. This is the place to come for eating out, shopping, swimming, entertainment, bookings and just about anything else you can think of!

There are plenty of restaurants here, we noted Chez Pierre where you can just have a coffee or a full blown restaurant meal if you want one, Rock Legends, which is a bar also offering American style restaurant food, Lucianos, which is an Italian themed family restaurant and Rajinder Pradesh which is an Indian restaurant with a great view of the lake (this is only open in the evenings though). My husband and I went to Rajinder Pradesh and spent £37 on a meal which included starter, main course and desert for both of us, plus soft drinks (we had drunk quite a bit of wine beforehand!). We didn't think this was too bad at all.

For those on a budget there is Café Refresh, which is a coffee shop with a fast food feel to it, lots of plastic furniture and very cheap prices but in addition to the usual burgers and hot dogs there are also coffee and teas and soup and salads on the menu. One thing to note is that children are more than welcome at all the restaurants and even at Rock Legends, if all you want to do sit up at the bar and drink beer, they will happily serve your four year old tap water in a special cup with a straw. All the restaurants have an extensive childrens' menu featuring organic food. I can particularly recommend the hot chocolate at Chez Pierre, which comes with cream, marshmallows and a chocolate flake!

There are also other restaurants elsewhere in the village, for example the Lakeside Inn, which is a traditional English pub overlooking the lake. Our friends went here one evening and were full of praise. Here you can enjoy traditional 'pub grub' at Brewers Fayre type prices, the usual extensive children's menu and a well-stocked bar which includes cask ales. There is also an indoor soft play area. Near to the Sports Centre there is also Yang, a Chinese restaurant which we didn't try, and the Sports Café, which is also open for meals in the evening.

The village centre is also the location of the Parcmarket where you can shop for any groceries you may have forgotten. The Parcmarket was very well stocked and included lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, a variety of fresh bread, a great selection of beer and wine, and the usual books, magazines and daily newspapers. It wasn't quite Tescos, but the prices weren't as bad as I'd feared. Elsewhere in the village centre there are also two other shops, 'Natural Elements' which is a gift shop selling health and beauty inspired items such as candles, crystals, wind chimes postcards and so on and 'Funtastic' which is a shop selling toys, games, books furry animals and sweets.

One thing I was impressed about that there was an ATM machine at the village centre provided by Nationwide and they didn't charge a penny for withdrawals whoever you banked with. This would have been an ideal opportunity to charge £1.50 a time to a captive market, but they didn't do this. Also the machine was never out of service. 10/10 for that!

Lodge Location

Our lodge was in Meadow View, about the furthest you can get from the central amenities, and the longest distance to walk with small children. However, if you plan the route carefully and are fairly used to walking it only takes about 10-12 minutes on foot and 5-7 minutes by bike. There were about 8 lodges in a little cluster in the woods where we were, the arrangement was a bit like a cul-de-sac with all the lodges arranged facing each other in a semi circle. This meant that you weren't overlooked at the back and the view was wonderful, just trees, trees and more trees! Parking the car directly outside the lodge when arriving or departing was hard because the roadway was just a circular dirt track. There was always the danger of getting 'boxed in' by cars in front or behind and a certain amount of delicate negotiation had to be entered into with the neighbours! Having said that, we were not bothered by noise from other families and really weren't aware of any of the other occupants coming and going during the course of our visit.

Inside the Lodge

We stayed in a 3 bedroom "Comfort" lodge and as these lodges will vary by size and location don't expect to get exactly the same. But it will give you some idea.

Entry to the lodge was up some wooden steps and through the front door which led into a square hallway. Entry is by swipe card. Off the hallway to the left was a toilet and next to that a small boiler room which also contained iron and ironing board, cleaning buckets and brushes etc. A door to the right led to the dining area where the window looked out over the front of the property. There was a high chair in addition to the regular dining furniture. Opening off the dining area was a small double bedroom with window overlooking the front and a small windowless ensuite bathroom to the back. Returning to the dining room there was a small open plan kitchen located to the back of the property and beyond that a lounge with 2 sofas, fireplace, coffee table and TV. A patio door at the back of the property gave access to the 'garden area' which included a built in barbecue and some plastic patio furniture in a fetching shade of brown. Back into the lounge, stairs in one corner gave access to the second floor where a large landing was occupied by a cot. Beyond this were two further twin bedrooms with a shared (not ensuite) windowless bathroom.

Don't expect unbelievable luxury here. We noted several things wrong with the lodge which probably could have been rectified had we bothered to complain. These included a missing stair gate at the bottom of the stairs, a stair gate which didn't shut at the top of the stairs, a missing blind on the landing, loose screws on the window fastenings upstairs, a door hanging off in the kitchen and a light which didn't work in the entrance hallway. Some of the patio furniture was broken. The property was also in need of a deep clean, for example the carpets were stained in some areas and most of the crockery and cutlery in the cupboards needed a good wash before it could be used. The quilts were a bit musty and some of the beds creaked. Obviously the cleaning staff do little more than change the sheets and quickly clean the toilets and sinks when they do the changeover. If I had one suggestion for Center Parcs it would be to take one or two lodges out of service on a regular basis to catch up on these little maintenance tasks. Unfortunately people rarely take as good care of properties they rent as they do of their own houses. Hopefully we left the place a little cleaner than we found it but don't expect the Ritz. Overall it didn't spoil our holiday as we did very little except sleep there, but as these lodges can cost around £700-£800 to rent in high season I expect I would have been a lot more dismayed had I gone there in the summer.

What You Will Need To Take For The Lodge

Bed linen is provided but not for cots. Towels are not provided, so do take both swimming and bath towels as well as a bath mat. Toilet paper is provided but is not of the best quality so you might want to take your own. Bin bags might be useful as you are expected to empty the trash and they only provide one bin liner. You might also want to take a drying up cloth and cleaning cloths as they only seemed to provide one tea towel and one very worn oven glove. The fridge is a bit small if you are sharing with another family, so cool boxes can be useful for wine etc. Matches will be required if you intend to light the fire (you have to use special logs sold in the Parcmarket for this). Also don't forget items like cling film, aluminium foil and sandwich bags if you are making sandwiches. If you forget anything you can probably buy it at the Parcmarket, but it is a bit of a walk and is not open 24 hours.

Center Parcs WANT you to eat in their restaurants so the kitchens are little more than 'breakfasting kitchens' with limited workspace. But it is possible to cook family meals if you are careful. The oven was gas and the microwave was fairly new and worked fine. There was a distinct lack of baking trays and the freezer compartment in the fridge didn't hold much more than a bag of peas and an ice cube tray, but all the essential utensils were provided, including a bottle opener and can opener. We made some lovely meals and saved a bundle of money cooking for ourselves. It was just nice to be away from work and all the pressures of daily life. It is suprising how little you need to have a good time!

Anyhow, if you want an idea of some of the things we did, here follows a list, in no particular order:

Bike Rides

Unless you like walking, bikes are likely to be your main form of transport for the duration of your stay, especially if your lodge is as off the beaten track as ours was.
The 'Freewheelers Cycling Centre' is located right next to the main car park and it is worth noting that the complex includes a launderette (if you were ever to need one). We bought our own helmets and bike locks but there is a well equipped shop onsite selling these and many other cycling related items.

Although you can bring your own bikes, we chose to rent ours. Although the rental mountain bikes are nothing startling to look at, they get you around and there is a good selection of specialist bikes for those with special needs.

One hot tip - don't rent your bike on Monday unless you absolutely have to. The queues can be enormous. We rented ours Tuesday-Thursday so we could avoid returning them on Friday morning when everyone is rushing to get home. We then discovered that if you do this, they will rent you the bike at a cheaper 'weekend' rate. Also, they don't mind if a family who have booked bikes together return them all at different times. In fact they are very obliging people!

For the two girls we rented a single burley trailer which is a kind of covered buggy which you tow behind a bike. Perfect for small people, especially when raining. The person doing the towing must be quite fit (especially if there are two kids) as Whinfell Forest includes a lot of steep hills! But don't be embarrassed if you are reduced to getting out and pushing as we frequently did. Lots of other people are office workers and have forgotten how to cycle as well!

You can only rent a burley trailer if you rent a bike as well. And unlike the bikes, they carry a £30 deposit.

Whilst we were there, we encountered a problem with a jammed bike lock which resulted in two of the bikes grounded at the lodge. A quick call to the cycle centre and a member of staff was out on a quad bike within ten minutes to cut the lock off. Fortunately we had a spare one. The jammed lock was caused (we think) by an attempted theft overnight so this does happen - be careful!

Swimming Pool

Variously known as the "World of Water" and/or "Sub Tropical Swimming Paradise" the pool is also located in the village centre and is open 10am to 9pm daily. We went several times during our stay. There is an onsite shop where I was able to purchase water wings for my daughter which I had forgotten to bring. People have complained the shop is expensive but they seemed to have a number of costumes on sale and my friend bought a bikini from the sale rack.

The pool was fabulous and it is also completely free! The kids loved it. There are family changing cubicles with baby seats to strap your baby in while you are getting changed yourself and also a changing table. If I had one criticism it would be that they needed more family changing rooms as we often had to wait. There were plenty of individual cubicles available, but they are just too small. In the summer it must be a nightmare. There were no shortage of lockers though - don't forget a £1 coin for the returnable deposit.

Inside the pool area there is seating available around the pool, although you need to get there early to get the best places. I also noticed play pens where babies could be put down for a sleep. The pool itself has many sections. The main pool is probably the best for toddlers, my little girl called it the 'sea side' and was very taken with the waves. She is just building her water confidence and this was perfect for her. There are also special pools for babies and toddlers and the very little ones even have their own slides. If the adults want to have some fun there are no end of rapids and water slides, although if you are a contact lens wearer like me you are limited just to the inside rapids pool and the small water slide as they don't allow goggles or spectacles to be worn on the outside slides at all for health and safety reasons. I broke the strap on my goggles whilst I was there and was offered a loan of a pair of goggles by the staff, I later bought a pair from a pool side shop for £4. A café was there providing drinks and snacks, although we tended to take sandwiches and just buy coffee to save money. The staff at the pool café seemed to get overwhelmed pretty easily if it just got slightly busy, one guy I was with asked for a pint of John Smiths and was given a hot dog and chips, he complained and the Manager came out and explained that the member of staff who served him was actually completely deaf!

Ten Pin Bowling

For an activity that both adults and children can enjoy, I can heartily recommend the ten pin bowling. The lanes are located at 'Metropolis' in the village centre. It cost £20 for a game for six people, and we were there for about an hour and a half. They have special bumpers on the lanes so that you don't lose any balls and special wire ramps which toddlers can push a regular bowling ball down and it then thunders down the lane like they have actually thrown it themselves - my daughter scored two strikes this way! The kids loved the popcorn. The bowling can get popular so you have to book in advance. After 7pm they have "ultraviolet cosmic bowling" for the adults.

Archery

My husband and his friend did this, it cost £10 each. It included an introduction to and familiarisation of archery equipment and shooting technique by qualified instructors and a competition. They said it was good fun. Don't be late as they won't let you join if you arrive after the safety briefing.

Mammal Magic

This session took place at the Rangers lodge in the early evening. It was intended primarily for the kids, but the adults all had a great time and learnt something new too! We expected a boring load of rabbits and hamsters, but the mammals on offer to meet and touch included a lurcher dog, an African hedgehog, a hooded rat, a chinchilla, a polecat and a pair of sugar gliders.

The ranger really engaged with the kids present but managed to include the adults as well. The session lasted an hour and the kids were entranced the whole time.

We had wanted to go on the "Outing with the Owls" session as well but couldn't get enough places.

Treasure Hunt

You buy the map at the Rangers lodge for a couple of quid and get to have a romp around the forest! It kept the kids quiet for an hour, showed us parts of the complex we hadn't seen before and the route included an adventure playground which had only just re-opened after being closed all week, so the kids were pleased. You can do this on foot or by bike. Solve the clues and the kids get a certificate at the end.

Aqua Sana

Aqua Sana is an independently operated Spa and treatment centre located within Centreparcs and was certainly on my list of 'must visit' places. It is also 'adults only' so it is a great way to get a break from the kids for a couple of hours!

My friend and I did the 'World of Spa' on Thursday morning 9am - 12pm which is a ladies only session (there was a male window cleaner though!). World of Spa is available most days and costs £30 for 3 hours, although it is just £22 on Mondays and Fridays.

The changing rooms at the Spa are very luxurious although more benches would have been helpful. Everything is finished in wood, even the lockers (remember your £1 coin for the deposit!). Everything is provided, from Elemis lotion to wash you hands with to body lotion and shampoo in the showers afterwards and a bag for your wet costume. You get a towel and a robe when you go in (a bit scratchy from lots of washing) and most people wear swimming costumes underneath.

The Spa Area includes a ton of opulently tiled steam rooms, pools, and gardens. You are encouraged to sit and relax, although I was to busy experiencing everything to settle with a book! There's lots of Titanic style deck chairs to relax on and free beauty masks. Outside many of the steam rooms you are encouraged to take handfuls of ice flakes and rub them all over the body. The ice is infused with essential oils and stimulates the circulation, the lymphatic and immune systems and is a great stress reliever.

The steam rooms include:

Greek Herbal Bath
This is a very mild, gentle sauna, which infuses essences such as camomile. Water is then trickled over the heated herbs for inhalation. I could have fallen asleep in this one.

Indian Blossom Steam Room
Steam is infused with eucamenthol. The antiseptic qualities help to relieve cold symptoms, clearing congestion and doing wonders for the respiratory tract. I loved this room and went back several times.

Japanese Salt Bath
This bracing mix of mineral salts and mint essence closely resembles sea air. It produces mist rather than steam and it is salty, so have a shower immediately after taking this bath. This one had the best seats!

Laconium
This Roman sauna is a gentle, purifying and detoxifying heat bath. You're supposed to spend at least 15 minutes in this, but I got bored with quite quickly as the heat was a bit mild for me, but it's nice to put your feet up.

Balinese Multi Steam Bath
A unique Balinese Multi experience combining the subtle aroma of Jasmine with gentle steam. Another of my favourites. Great statues!

Turkish Hammam
Based on a Turkish style steam room with the characteristic Ottoman blue and yellow tiling and motifs. This was described as being 'mild heat' but was by far the hottest - and a firm favourite!

Tyrolean Sauna
The traditional, wood-lined sauna, deeply cleansing as the body gets hotter and the pores open. This one was good because you could lie down.

Others features of 'World of Spa' included:

Multi Sensory Showers
The blurb says, "Choose from three very different shower experiences, all with light, sound and scent to make it fun. Options include the raindrops of a tropical storm and a refreshingly cold and minty mist". The reality was that the light and sound aspects of these showers didn't work too well and the 'tropical storm' one in particular was depressingly cold! Use these, but choose the button marked 'side' for a nice warm all-over shower!

Pool
This was a nice outdoor pool if you like swimming lengths. It mildly heated and completely screened from prying eyes, which was nice.

Spa Pool
An exhilarating covered outdoor pool with relaxing water jets. Very warm and inviting, spent a lot of time in here!

Reflexology Footbaths
A relaxing, effervescent footbath, with heated seats. Grouped in fours, modelled on a Roman design, made for some good conversation. One of them wasn't working when we were there.

Japanese Zen garden and Tyrolean Garden
You're supposed to walk around these, breathe in fresh air and generally contemplate. In March I would suggest parking your chair close by and admire from afar with a book!

The Conservatory
Take time out to visit the Conservatory coffee shop, which serves non-alcoholic drinks and healthy snacks such as jacket potatoes, sandwiches and soups. Everything being served looked really good, my friend and I opted for the distinctly unhealthy hot chocolate and warmed croissant - this is a holiday after all!!

Aqua Sana also offer various massage and therapy treatments for both men and women which are bookable in advance. You can also get hairdressing, tanning and nail treatments. Don't be afraid it will be full of thin blonde women in bikinis - the only thin blonde woman in a bikini was my friend, and although I am a good size 16 I felt right at home there!

Hints And Tips

Take a rucksack. Conventional bags are not much good on a bike, and you will need something to carry around swimming costumes, bike helmets, sandwiches etc.

Bearing in mind that you will spend most of your time checking in, finding your lodge, unpacking, returning the car, hiring bikes and looking around, don't aim to spend much time doing stuff on Monday. Many activities aren't offered on a Monday or Friday for this reason, although the ones that are do offer a discount, so check the brochures you are sent carefully before you go. Many people go swimming on a Monday whilst waiting for check-in to open, and as this is a free activity and very popular the pool can get quite busy.

I would say that eating out on a Monday is probably not the best idea because a lot of people are looking around getting their bearings and are too tired to cook and for this reason the restaurants can get busy.

Although there are various 'Time-out' clubs with activities to keep the kids organised, we never found time to use these, although I noted queues early in the morning to get in, so they are obviously quite popular.

If you fancy taking your kids riding, Whinfell Forest is the only Center Parcs where you can do this. We planned on going, but frankly didn't have the time!

If you go with another family, take turn about so each couple can get an evening out at a restaurant without the kids. Alternatively, use the babysitting service, which I have heard is very good!

Departure Day

On the day of your departure you are asked to vacate the lodge by 10am. We had broken a wine glass but they didn't leave the promised envelope in the kitchen or any idea of how much to leave for the breakage as described in the brochure we were a bit confused!

This is what you should do before leaving:

• Empty the bins
• Strip the bedding and place in the hallway
• Wash all of the kitchen items
• Empty all of the cupboards and fridge
• Open the windows to ventilate the accommodation
• Lock the door as you depart

They didn't include the bit about waiting for all the neighbours to get their cars out of the way, but that was quickly solved after some careful negotiation! Hopefully we left the place cleaner than we found it. On the road on the way out there is a drop box where you can leave your pass keys.

Summary

We had a fantastic time. It rained all week and there was actually snow on the lake when we first arrived but we hardly noticed. Centreparcs really is the "holiday the weather can't spoil" and I can honestly say that despite all the shortcomings it lived up to the advertisements and brochures. We didn't do a fraction of what was on offer. But it didn't matter. It suited our needs very well. And it's PERFECT for kids of all ages. I can't say I would want to go there in the summer when it is crowded and far more expensive, but for an off season midweek break it was great - and we had the whole weekend back at home to unpack and unwind before going back to work.

Find out all your need to know about Center Parcs at http://www.Center Parcs.co.uk

 

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