On arriving at the park we parked the car and found our way to the reception and then on into the Falcon club to take a number in order to get the keys for the caravan.
We had booked a 3star 3 bedroom caravan which we thought was about middle of the road as far as accomodation. We paid just under £1,000 for 2 weeks for a 6 berth caravan.
The caravan we were allocated was dirty, there was no bathroom lock, even the cobwebs had dust on them. There were coffee or tea splashes up the kitchen units. There were no flynets in the skylights. There was a loose wire hanging out the oven.
We went to reception and were given another caravan in Maple Rise. This was not much better but had the added bonus of a fridge and freezer. It wasnt until we tried to cook something we discovered there were
only 2 saucepans, no bakewear to cook on in the oven, 1 tea spoon, 2 mugs, 14 dinner plates and 16 side plates. And this was a 6 berth caravan ! The carpet was threadbare in places too.
The linen we had from the linen shop wasnt fit for a jumble sale. The pillow cases had lots of tiny holes in them and the double sheet had 2 big holes in the size of a babys fist.
Our party consisted of 2 married couples (myself & husband along with my mother and her husband) and our 2 children yet the caravan was 1 double and 4 singles which were bolted to the floor so couldnt be slid together to form an additional double. My mother and her husband had to sleep in a tiny single bed each that IMO was just wide enough for a small child!
As with all Haven sites we were issued with entertainment and leisure passes which had to be changed after 1 week. We had to show these even if we wished to use the shop which was located within the arcade complex. The laundry tokens were only available from the shop - £3 for a standard wash £4 for a jumbo wash. I purchased 1 of each to do some laundry. I chose a hot wash and a normal wash. Alot of the washing did not come clean and it was left wringing wet still.
On the tuesday night we went to see "The Mad Hatters" in the Galleon club upstairs. Whilst there I had the need to use the ladies. There were 5 toilets in total, 1 out of order, another was blocked an not useable. The 1 I used had no lock so you had to balance while sat down and hold the door closed. Where the lock should have been there was a hole in the door the size of an old 50p piece. On the back of the toilet the cistern was boxed in to the level of the windowsil, this was covered in dead flies!!
The pool was very small to cater for such a large site. The outdoor pool was heated but looked quite "scabby".
The "adventure playground" was anything but an adventure and was a let down but conveniently next to the playground was a bouncy castle and trampolines at £1 each for 5 mins. Rip off IMO.
The family bingo in the Falcon was a big let down. We won 2 lines in the bingo and the prize was something you would expect to find in Poundland. Considering the amount of people who played and the money they would have taken it was a very shoddy prize.
On our 2nd week we changed our passes and enquired about the entertainment and if it would be a different guide for that week. We were told "No". The entertainment was the same for both weeks with no variation.
The complex as a whole looked very old. The club building looked like an old factory unit.
On the whole I would never go back to Golden Sands. The park is nowhere near up to Havens usual standards. Having previously owned a caravan at Littlesea and knowing the strict guidelines we had to follow regarding caravan equipment etc, this was the worst Haven holiday my family has ever had to endure.
The only positive note I can say is that the pantomine and Legends were fantastic to watch.
*Edit*
Forgot to put in that part of the window trim was missing from the main bedroom window. This was not obvious at first glance because of the way the "1 curtain" closed. The window was badly fitted in one of the twin bedrooms leaving a gap that you could poke your finger in.
We also had problems with the cooker. The left back ring would make popping sounds and the gas would suddenly turn off. The front right ring wouldnt work as the knob had ceased. Had these both looked at but the back left ring remained the same.
The water heater worked when it wanted to. You could turn the hot tap on full and the heater wouldnt kick in. Sometimes it would come on, sometimes you had to turn the tap off and on again.
We had so many problems that we gave up going to reception. If we had gone to complain for each of the problems we would have spent more time there than trying to make the mosy of a bad holiday.
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Advantages: Excellent staff, very friendly and helpful. Good entertainment Disadvantages: Can be pricey if you like the amusements. Lots of energy needed for the hills.
Aug 13th, 2005
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