Just got back from the Maldives again.....heaven will try to get round to r/r/c
Just got back from the Maldives again.....heaven will try to get round to r/r/c
Member since:21.07.2005
Reviews:210
Members who trust:70
As some of you may recall I recently was awarded a diamond for my review on Center Parcs the Oasis Whinfell Forest back in September so I decided that when I went back last week that I would write up a review of my next visit…. Sherwood Forest.
Last time I just went for the weekend which was the Friday to the Monday as cars are only permitted on both of these days. Advertised in Oasis was a Welcome Back Discount for up to 25% if you booked another trip within 28 days of returning. My boyfriend and I decided to take full advantage of this the cost of the break was £407.00 for the midweek stay 19-23Dec and received a 20% discount, as we were saving so much money we decided to upgrade to a more luxurious apartment and opted for the Executive Penthouse Apartment.
~*About Sherwood Forest*~ All Center Parcs locations are set in relaxing natural forest settings. Sherwood Forest is set deep in the Nottinghamshire Countryside so it is really peaceful and relaxing.
~*Booking*~ Center Parcs has a dedicated website to book your visit and you can also take advantage of the discount breaks by taking note of the promotional code. We decided to book our Welcome Back offer by telephone and contacted a member of the reservations team on 0870 0673030 this is an easy process and you are first asked which village you would like to book, followed by which dates and finally the choice of accommodation, the availability is checked then and there on the call and you are given a breakdown of the cost including and excluding your discount. Once you confirm that the details are correct you are asked for a deposit if you are booking outside the 10 weeks this is approximately 25% of the total cost and this is taken by debit card or credit card which will incur a 2% charge. The cost for our midweek stay was £407.00 and on this we received a 20% welcome back discount as we booked within 28days of our last stay with Center Parcs Once you have completed your reservation you will be provided with a confirmation number and this will then be sent out to you in writing second class post which takes approximately 8-10 days. If you pay by deposit which we did you can arrange for the balance to be debited from the card used to pay the deposit and then you do not have to worry about paying the balance by the deadline as it is automatically done for you so you do not run the risk of your accommodation being cancelled. Once the balance has been paid then 2 weeks prior to your visit you receive your welcome pack which allows you to pre-book activities at a discounted rate and gives you more details about the village that you are visiting. As we were travelling over the festive period we received this 4 weeks prior to arrival at the village this is also something you get if you upgrade to the VIP package.
~*Pre-Registration*~ This can be done online by accessing the plan your break and completing the pre-registration details which simply ask you to enter the guest details, car registration and date of birth of both guests. Alternatively you can complete the form enclosed in the welcome pack and hand it in on arrival at the Center Parc's Village. This speeds up the check-in process and helps to keep the queues down when checking in at the arrivals lodge and allows you to begin your stay that little bit earlier.
~*How to get there*~ I recommend using the postcode for the address of Center Parcs which for Sherwood Forest is NG22 9DN and use a route planner most are available online, we used the RAC Route planner which got us pretty much all the way there until I lost count of the roundabouts and got us lost so Mark had to take over!! Directions are included in the Welcome Pack brochure that you receive prior to your stay should you get stuck, but it is 25 minutes from the A1/M1.
~*Arriving at Sherwood Forest*~ All guests are allowed to enter the village from 10am onwards, Center Parcs try to promote this as it reduces the amount of traffic arriving at the village at 3pm which is when you can access your village, unless you have paid for the VIP package which allows you entry to your accommodation from 1pm. If
you have pre-registered online then the process is smooth simply handover your booking reference and this is exchanged for a set of 2 keys to the accommodation, a security car pass which has to be displayed on the rear-view mirror or the rear window and a welcome to Center Parcs leaflet. If you arrive before 3pm then you are directed to the main car park but you can access all the sites at the village. We used this time to locate our apartment and to book the World Of Spa experience as it approached 2.30pm you could see a build up of cars waiting in the car park to access their accommodation and unload the cars, so we decided to find an alternative route to access out apartment which was located close to the exit.
The forest was well decorated for Christmas with the Advent Calender located in the Village centre which hosted most of the amenities including a launderette, parc market, restaurants, sub tropical paradise, bowling and Santa's Workshop.
Trees were decorated with fairy lights and a large reindeer was visible on the supermarket roof, making it look very festive.
~*Our Accommodation*~ On our last visit we stayed in a standard villa, so as we were saving so much money on the welcome back discount we decided to upgrade to a 1 Bedroom Executive Apartment which was a more deluxe standard of accommodation, located on 2 storeys and really was amazing. As you enter the apartment opposite the front door is the boiler cupboard which stores the ironing board and cleaning utensils such as the Hoover, mop and bucket. The stairs are the main focal point of the huge hallway as they wind their way up to the top of the apartment. Next to the stairs is the downstairs toilet with sink and hand towel. To the left of the front door is the main entrance to the living area which contains the kitchen which is complete with:-
• Fan assisted Electric Oven with overhead extractor fan • Electric hob • Fridge with freezer compartment • Sink unit with dish drainer and washing up bowl • 2 tea towels • Tea cloth and sponge with scourer and 2 small sachets of washing-up liquid • Microwave • Wine Rack • Cutlery for 4 • Crockery for 4 • Kettle with complimentary coffee, tea, sugar and milk • 3 different size pans • Frying Pan • Cooking Utensils • Oven Gloves • Bread Bin • Chopping Board • Teapot • Grill Tray • Toaster • Colander • Glass bowls and Pyrex Bowls
The kitchen looked barely used and was in excellent condition, the frying pan was as new as were all of the pans and we had full use of the daily maid service and they came in each morning around 10am to empty the bins, clear away any washing up that was in the sink and to clean the hob and oven. The Kitchen floor was tiled and the walls painted a cream colour throughout.
Directly off the kitchen was the dining room that opened out onto the patio area there was a large strong pine dining table with 4 high backed dining chairs and as a festive treat Center Parcs had put some festive flowers as a centre piece on the table and there was a large sideboard with a large mirror hung over.
To the right of the dining area was the lounge area that contained a large television with built in satellite channels and Sony DVD player and Sony micro hi-fi all complete with remote controls. Two comfortable sofas are arranged in an L shape separated only by a large square top quality pine table with lamp. An identical coffee table is also in the middle of the seating area where we found on arrival a free gift of Champagne and Chocolates.
The apartment is fully carpeted with the exception of the bathroom and kitchen.
As you walk up the stairs you enter the bedroom which contains a large double bed, bedside table with lamp on each side. Double wardrobe complete with drawer at the bottom again this is high quality pine furniture and smells brand new. There is a vanity table complete with mirror and complimentary skin care products by Decleor which are the products used in the Aqua Sana. A hairdryer is attached to the wall and is similar to those found in all hotel rooms and there are also tea and coffee making facilities for a nice brew of tea when you wake in the morning. Located at the foot of the bed is a 5 drawer chest which is very misleading as this only contains small storage doors on the right as the drawers to the left actually open out as a door to show a concealed fridge to store, I presume the Champagne that was complimentary on arrival at our lodge!
The Ensuite bathroom is just off the bedroom and contains a very luxurious corner hydro bath with variable speeds of the jets and what's more you receive complimentary bubble bath to put into the bath and the bubbles can get very high! In the corner of the bathroom is an overhead power shower contained in a curved shower unit and there is also a high quality toilet and sink that you get in 4* and 5* hotels. Complete in the bathroom is two large bath sheets and two hand towels as well as a bath mat which are all changed each day by the daily maid service.
Once you return into the bedroom at the far end of the room is the private terrace with the outdoor sauna which is powered by a switch and a timer which controls the length of time that the sauna is on and the temperature of the steamer, it heats up within 15 minutes and is simply an amazing experience in the winter months as it warms you up tremendously.
The apartment was out of this world and met our expectations and more, I was really glad that we had upgraded to this apartment as it felt more of a relaxing holiday that the last stay with the luxuries we received.
~*What did we do?*~ Out of all the activities in Center Parcs I really did not participate in the wide range of sporting activities that they offer, but one experience we did enjoy was the World Of Spa found in the Aqua Sana and I can do nothing but praise this relaxing experience. If you book on a Monday or Friday then you qualify for the discounted rate of £22.00 and this gets you 3 hours in the spa and it really is an experience.
Enter the Aqua Sana and at reception you will be asked for your accommodation number and names, you will then be given a wristband to wear during your World Of Spa Experience. You then enter separate gender communal changing rooms where you will receive a complimentary robe to wear during your experience and a large bath towel. There are water points located throughout the experience to ensure that you are hydrated
Pictures of Center Parcs
Directions
at all times. Lockers can be used to store your personal items and use a returnable £1.00 deposit.As you enter the World Of Spa you are greeted by a map of the building to enable you to find your way around and make full use of the experience. The Reflexology Footbath is ideal to start with as you sit on the heated seats your feet bubble and massage, stimulating pressure points and adjusting your body temperature ready for the steam rooms. There are several Multi-Sensory showers located within the spa which provide 3 different experiences using light, sound and smells to give you a different experience on each shower. The Laconium is a roman sauna providing a gentle, purifying, detoxifying heat bath to warm the body gradually to help stimulate circulation. This is by far my favourite as the temperature and humidity is not too high so you are able to unwind and relax.
Japanese Salt bath is another of my favourites as it reminds you of the aroma of sea air with the mixture of mineral salts and mint.
The Indian Blossom Steam room uses a combination of eucamenthol which helps to relieve cold symptoms to clear congestion, ideal for winter with all of the colds that go around and the steam is blended with jasmine to act as a skin moisturiser.
The traditional Tyrolean Sauna is similar to that found in our apartment which is wood lined and as your body temperature gets higher the pores open up so this is ideal if you suffer from the odd spot as I do as it really brings them out and clears up your skin making it look more refreshed, when you exit this sauna make full use of the ice fountain located opposite the entrance as rubbing the ice crystals over the body help to promote circulation.
The Spa pool is located in the centre of the all of the spas and as you enter the pool you look up to realise that you are actually outdoor and you can relax by floating or feel the power of the pressure jets on your skin.
Also in the spa are the Turkish Hammam which is very moist and extremely humid as is the Greek Herbal bath which I was not too keen on as it had a strong smell of herbs.
The room which you should finish with is the Aqua Meditation Room where you can relax on the heated seats in your robe and listen to the relaxing music and watch the water drops trickle from the ceiling to reflect patterns above, on occasion I could hear the odd person snore as this was more than relaxing, but once you leave the spa experience you immediately feel refreshed and totally stress free. In the communal changing rooms you have use of the showers which offer complimentary shampoo and shower gel and again you can help yourself to a fresh towel to dry off with. Hairdryers are plentiful as well which is good as the discounted World Of Spa tends to be extremely busy.
We also took advantage of the adventure golf which was £5.20 per adult for an 18 hole game which was fun for me as I ended up winning the round!! For the price you each get a putter and two golf ball each this is because one ball gets forfeited on each 9 hole course. Depending how well you are at playing the game lasts approximately 30minutes.
The Subtropical Swimming Paradise is free of charge to use and is kept at a constant temperature of 29.5 degrees Celsius with warm whirlpool baths and a large main swimming pool with waves that begin with the call of Tarzan! Flumes are also located inside with a larger one available for children over 4ft and a steep slide that is only suitable for children under 5ft this is due to the shallow water at the bottom only being about 4ft deep. As you enter the heated pool that leads outside you can see the outdoor rapids which you can throw yourself around which go as fast as you like, you can exit the rapids before the big drops but I recommend doing them I am scared of big drops in water but these are really fun and you also get everyone watching you in the bar overlooking the pool. The contrast of temperatures is also amazing as you are outside the water is heated constantly to enable you to have a relaxing swim or fun outside on the rapids. There is also a lane pool located for swimmers and is also dedicated for snorkelling if you decide to learn how to do that. The lockers in the changing rooms also require a £1.00 deposit that is returned at the end of your swim, and there are plenty of changing rooms especially family changing rooms that have the facility for baby changing as you get changed.
The driving range is also free to use if you have your own golf clubs and you can get 50 golf balls for £3.00 from the automatic machine which accepts 50p pieces, £1.00 coins and £2.00 coins, it did appear temperamental at times though and I found that you had to lean on the machine in order for it to accept the coins…. Top tip if you find this happens to you also!!
~*What else can you do*~ I have only touched on some of the things that are available at Sherwood Forest so have listed what was available to do but more details can be found on the Center Parcs website should this be of interest and you require more details:-
• Nature Trail • Water sports and Beach • Leisure Bowl • Time Out Club House • Archery • American Pool • Art Classes • Golf Simulator • Foil Fencing • Pinball Wizard • Snooker and Pool • Squash • Table Tennis • Racket Ball • Horse riding • Golf • Canoes • Kayak • Pedaloes • Raft Building • Rowing Boats • Windsurfing • Clay Pigeon Shooting • Falconry • Paintball • Putting Green • Treasure Trails • Laser Clay shootings
Of course there are themed break that incorporate addition activities that can be completed during your stay and during December it is the Countdown to Christmas which hosts a wide range of activities for children of all ages in Santa's Winter Wonderland.
~*Eating*~ There are many places to eat out in Sherwood Forest.
• Huckleberry's • La Sapiniere • Lucianos • Rajinda Prajesh • The Pancake House
We decided to treat ourselves on the last night by making a reservation at La Sapiniere which is renowned for its fine dining experience as we had seen a set 4 course meal for £24.95 per person so we thought that this would be ideal and the location was superb with a pianist singing Christmas carols whilst we ate our meal.
There was a wide variety on the set menu I opted for:-
Goats Cheese and Pancetta Orange Sorbet Rib Eye Steak and Steak Cut Chips Banana Crème Brulee with shortbread
During the 4 course meal we also received an appetiser compliments of the the chef which was a small leek and potato sampler with choice of a white, tomato or onion roll and a lemon crème before our main dessert.
The cost of the meal was £24.95 We also ordered a bottle of red wine which cost £12.95 and before our meal we had a spirit and mixer which was £2.20 for the spirit and £1.60 for the mixer. To finish we had a night cap, I had a baileys which was again £2.20 and my man had a fireball which was £5.95!!!!!
I could not fault the meal or the service as it was delightful and the food was glorious, the atmosphere was more adult than I imagine any of the other restaurants would have been as there were not too many children eating at this restaurant. A definite 5* eating experience!!
~*Departure Day*~ On the day of your departure you are asked to vacate your premised by 10am and you are asked to leave the accommodation in the standard that you arrived to. There is an envelope located in the kitchen should you break any items with a cost for repair and you are kindly asked to leave the money in the envelope for the breakages. • Empty bins before you leave. • Collect all of the towels and leave in the hallway of your accommodation. • Strip the bedding and place with the towels in the hallway • Wash all of the kitchen items • Empty all of the cupboards and fridge • Ensure that you open the windows to ventilate the accommodation • Lock the door once you depart
Cars are allowed in the parc on the day of departure to enable you to load the car and one added feature of the Executive apartments is that you can park your car in the spaces specially reserved for this section of Center Parcs another luxurious feature.
As you exit Sherwood Forest there are boxes to drop accommodation keys ready for the next arrivals to enter their accommodation and then back to reality and doom and gloom of the city as you travel home.
Center parcs is one of the most relaxing experiences and from the sights at Sherwood Forest all of the children of all ages appear to enjoy it and it certainly caters for people of all ages.
There are reserved parking bays for disabled guests and this allows them to travel in and out of the village, however one comment that my boyfriend stated was that a lot of the disabled accommodation was located away from the main facilities therefore there were a lot more cars in the village than there had been when we visited Oasis Whinfell Forest and we put this as a comment on the feedback from as this would not only enhance the experience for disabled guests but also for other guests who were having to deal with the constant transportation movements. Although the speed limit on the village is 10 miles per hour this is broken by most drivers, I put this down to the excitement of the trip!
Many people have commented on the cost of Center Parcs, but it is only costly if you don't plan in advance there are many ways to save money and get the most out of your stay without missing out, worth taking a look and definitely worth the treat.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
great review, im thinking of going in march but am put of by the fact that the price of the activities are not on the website, ive never been so dont know how expensive they will be
shonegar 12.05.2006 17:45
Center Parcs Spa, the Aqua Sana is no longer adults only, it is now open to teenagers who are encouraged to use it. So it is very noisy and unpleasant. Speak to the Spa Operations Manager at their Head office if you have a complaint, the local staff have no influence on policy and just have to toe the line.
baalzamon 01.02.2006 17:24
Whoa, now that's what I call a detailed review! Congrats on the diamond! John
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Advantages: Great family holiday, perfect for kids, lovely natural setting, plenty to do Disadvantages: Lodges can be shabby, you will wear yourself out with all the activity!
fallen121 20.03.2006 (20.03.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Center Parcs
Advantages: Location; Wildlife; Accomodation; Range of activities; Shops Disadvantages: Quite expensive; accomodation could be a fair distance from main areas!
Sonic4290 27.08.2009 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Center Parcs
Advantages: Great family holiday, perfect for kids, lovely natural setting, plenty to do Disadvantages: Lodges can be shabby, you will wear yourself out with all the activity!
fallen121 20.03.2006 (20.03.2006)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Center Parcs
Advantages: Location; Wildlife; Accomodation; Range of activities; Shops Disadvantages: Quite expensive; accomodation could be a fair distance from main areas!
Sonic4290 27.08.2009 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Center Parcs
Dec 29th, 2005
(Dec 31st, 2005)
exceptional by (36%):
very helpful by (64%):
