Taken from my Tripadvisor Reviews
“Excellent! Would go again!”
Please read my first review of Center Parcs as well (October 2012)
We went to Center Parcs Longleat for the second time from Monday 4th March to Friday 8th March. We went as a family of 4, myself, my partner, our baby and my dad. We thought that we would take grandad with us this time so we could go down the rapids in pairs rather than by ourselves like last time since someone had to stay with the baby. It was no where near as busy as when we went in October.
We arrived about 1.30pm, the same as last time. In October we had to queue for ages at the arrivals lodge to be let in and then queue again for ages at guest services to get our keys, and then queue for ages to get let in to the village at 3pm. However, this time there was only 2 cars in front of us and we were given our keys at the arrivals lodge in the car park so no need to go to guest services.
Again, when we arrived everyone was just hanging around the Plaza waiting for 3pm so they could go up to the villas and so the Plaza was chaos. However, we expected this after we did the same thing in October, so we went straight to the Pancake House for lunch. There were only 2 other families in the Pancake House because everyone else was in the Plaza. The Pancake House is about a 10 minute walk from the Plaza (taking it slowly and with a pushchair).
The staff in the Pancake House were really nice (as were all the staff in the Parc). The food was lovely, I wanted to substitute some items and this was no problem. When the pancakes arrived I didn't think that they looked that big but they completely filled us up. We ate them about 2pm and then didn't eat anything else for the rest of the day. My dad ordered a sweet pancake which looked really nice so I was planning on having the same for pudding but my savoury pancake filled me up so much I could eat a sweet one as well.
We stayed in a New Style Woodland lodge in the Fir area. Neither of the times we have gone to Center Parcs have we paid the extra to be closer to the Plaza or to chose our location. Both times we selected the no preference option and I am glad we did. I do not think it is worth paying extra to chose a location. The fir area was a lot quieter than the pine area we stayed in last time and we saw a lot more animals in the fir area. In the pine area we only saw one squirrel but in the fir area we saw 2 deers and lots of ducks and squirrels.
We stayed in a 3 bedroom lodge again and could not fault it. When we came in October there wasn't any New Style Woodland lodges in the fir area they were all comfort lodges. Now quite a few of the old comfort lodges have been converted to New Style Woodland lodges and you can tell that everything is brand new. A lot of people on here have complained about the state of the comfort lodges but most of the time the Woodland lodges are either the same price as or only slightly more than the comfort lodges so I would definitely recommend staying in the Woodland lodge, and like I said they are all new in the fir area.
On the first day after we returned the car to the car park we decided to time how long it took us to walk back to the lodge. It took us only 30 minutes but that was without the pushchair or baby.
Most of the time we walked around and yes it can be a bit of a long walk up and down hills but it was nice to walk around and see the place. We walked to the plaza 3 different ways, each taking between 30 and 45 mins. We used the land train when we returned to the lodge in the evenings and we had no problem getting a seat at any time.
We ate in Hucks, after booking in advance this time, (please see previous review), and the food was lovely. All 3 of us had something different and we all really enjoyed it. They also had plenty of facilities for preparing, heating up and serving baby food. Yes the food can be slightly on the expensive side but all of the menus for all of the restaurants are on the website (as well as outside of the restaurants) so you know how much things are before you go. I think a glass of fanta was about £2.95 but we ordered a pitcher for £4.25 and it was enough for the 3 of us to have 1 1/2 glasses each so that worked out a lot cheaper. My only negative would be that it says on the menu that the desserts are for sharing but the one that we ordered was so small that my baby could have eaten it on his own. It was yummy though. The bill for the 3 of us came to £50 but because we had already paid a £15 deposit plus we had £25 come back soon vouches we only had to pay £10 so it felt like a really good deal.
We took a lot of food with us but had to buy a couple things in the parc market. We found the prices to be about average, some things cheaper than at home and others more expensive. The reason why people seem to think it is expensive is because they sell brand items and not value items like a supermarket does.
The swimming pool was a lot better this time of year than October. In October we had to queue 20 mins for a changing room but this time we went straight in each time regardless of time of day. A lot of people on here have complained about the pool being cold but we did not find it cold at all, it was much colder in October. Yes the temperature did vary considerably from day to day but it was never what I would say was cold. However, on the Wednesday the outdoor pool was extremely hot so the other days felt cold in comparison but it was plenty warm enough. We spent a few hours in the pool each day with a baby and the temperature was fine.
A nice surprise was that on the last day (when the land train) wasn't running a mini bus was provided from the fir area to the car park for people to collect their cars.
I would definitely recommend Center Parcs and I can't wait to go back again.
People seem to complain about the prices of everything on here but the prices are all on the website so you can budget for things before you go. Also, people have complained on here about the number of toilet rolls they get and also that they are not allowed into the villa until 3pm and other little things but again all this information is on the website so this is not a surprise when you get there. There is a section on the website for first time visitors so make sure you read this before you go and study the menus etc so you know the price of everything.
All the staff we lovely and helpful, with the exception of one. A young woman that worked in the clothes shop in the plaza completely shocked me. When I was looking around the shop a little girl about 4 years old came running into the shop crying her eyes out and screaming "mummy where are you?" over and over. The woman that worked there asked the little girl if she was lost and the little girl said yes, to which the woman replied "oh well never mind" and then walked away from her. I was completely shocked, I have never seen anything like it. The little girl then ran out of the shop still crying and shouting for her mum. I did follow the girl to help her but just as I caught up with her luckily her dad found her.
Like I said I cannot wait to go again
We went to Center Parcs Longleat for the second time from Monday 4th March to Friday 8th March. We went as a family of 4, myself, my partner, our baby and my dad. We thought that we would take grandad with us this time so we could go down the rapids in pairs rather than by ourselves like last time since someone had to stay with the baby. It was no where near as busy as when we went in October.
We arrived about 1.30pm, the same as last time. In October we had to queue for ages at the arrivals lodge to be let in and then queue again for ages at guest services to get our keys, and then queue for ages to get let in to the village at 3pm. However, this time there was only 2 cars in front of us and we were given our keys at the arrivals lodge in the car park so no need to go to guest services.
Again, when we arrived everyone was just hanging around the Plaza waiting for 3pm so they could go up to the villas and so the Plaza was chaos. However, we expected this after we did the same thing in October, so we went straight to the Pancake House for lunch. There were only 2 other families in the Pancake House because everyone else was in the Plaza. The Pancake House is about a 10 minute walk from the Plaza (taking it slowly and with a pushchair).
The staff in the Pancake House were really nice (as were all the staff in the Parc). The food was lovely, I wanted to substitute some items and this was no problem. When the pancakes arrived I didn't think that they looked that big but they completely filled us up. We ate them about 2pm and then didn't eat anything else for the rest of the day. My dad ordered a sweet pancake which looked really nice so I was planning on having the same for pudding but my savoury pancake filled me up so much I could eat a sweet one as well.
We stayed in a New Style Woodland lodge in the Fir area. Neither of the times we have gone to Center Parcs have we paid the extra to be closer to the Plaza or to chose our location. Both times we selected the no preference option and I am glad we did. I do not think it is worth paying extra to chose a location. The fir area was a lot quieter than the pine area we stayed in last time and we saw a lot more animals in the fir area. In the pine area we only saw one squirrel but in the fir area we saw 2 deers and lots of ducks and squirrels.
We stayed in a 3 bedroom lodge again and could not fault it. When we came in October there wasn't any New Style Woodland lodges in the fir area they were all comfort lodges. Now quite a few of the old comfort lodges have been converted to New Style Woodland lodges and you can tell that everything is brand new. A lot of people on here have complained about the state of the comfort lodges but most of the time the Woodland lodges are either the same price as or only slightly more than the comfort lodges so I would definitely recommend staying in the Woodland lodge, and like I said they are all new in the fir area.
On the first day after we returned the car to the car park we decided to time how long it took us to walk back to the lodge. It took us only 30 minutes but that was without the pushchair or baby.
Most of the time we walked around and yes it can be a bit of a long walk up and down hills but it was nice to walk around and see the place. We walked to the plaza 3 different ways, each taking between 30 and 45 mins. We used the land train when we returned to the lodge in the evenings and we had no problem getting a seat at any time.
We ate in Hucks, after booking in advance this time, (please see previous review), and the food was lovely. All 3 of us had something different and we all really enjoyed it. They also had plenty of facilities for preparing, heating up and serving baby food. Yes the food can be slightly on the expensive side but all of the menus for all of the restaurants are on the website (as well as outside of the restaurants) so you know how much things are before you go. I think a glass of fanta was about £2.95 but we ordered a pitcher for £4.25 and it was enough for the 3 of us to have 1 1/2 glasses each so that worked out a lot cheaper. My only negative would be that it says on the menu that the desserts are for sharing but the one that we ordered was so small that my baby could have eaten it on his own. It was yummy though. The bill for the 3 of us came to £50 but because we had already paid a £15 deposit plus we had £25 come back soon vouches we only had to pay £10 so it felt like a really good deal.
We took a lot of food with us but had to buy a couple things in the parc market. We found the prices to be about average, some things cheaper than at home and others more expensive. The reason why people seem to think it is expensive is because they sell brand items and not value items like a supermarket does.
The swimming pool was a lot better this time of year than October. In October we had to queue 20 mins for a changing room but this time we went straight in each time regardless of time of day. A lot of people on here have complained about the pool being cold but we did not find it cold at all, it was much colder in October. Yes the temperature did vary considerably from day to day but it was never what I would say was cold. However, on the Wednesday the outdoor pool was extremely hot so the other days felt cold in comparison but it was plenty warm enough. We spent a few hours in the pool each day with a baby and the temperature was fine.
A nice surprise was that on the last day (when the land train) wasn't running a mini bus was provided from the fir area to the car park for people to collect their cars.
I would definitely recommend Center Parcs and I can't wait to go back again.
People seem to complain about the prices of everything on here but the prices are all on the website so you can budget for things before you go. Also, people have complained on here about the number of toilet rolls they get and also that they are not allowed into the villa until 3pm and other little things but again all this information is on the website so this is not a surprise when you get there. There is a section on the website for first time visitors so make sure you read this before you go and study the menus etc so you know the price of everything.
All the staff we lovely and helpful, with the exception of one. A young woman that worked in the clothes shop in the plaza completely shocked me. When I was looking around the shop a little girl about 4 years old came running into the shop crying her eyes out and screaming "mummy where are you?" over and over. The woman that worked there asked the little girl if she was lost and the little girl said yes, to which the woman replied "oh well never mind" and then walked away from her. I was completely shocked, I have never seen anything like it. The little girl then ran out of the shop still crying and shouting for her mum. I did follow the girl to help her but just as I caught up with her luckily her dad found her.
Like I said I cannot wait to go again
No comments:
Post a Comment